The Librarian Is In

Come stare moodily out a lonely window with us! Frank falls into a book trance after reading a French novel with a double meaning in its title, and Gwen unpacks a heartbreaker about a woman who leaves Jamaica for Brooklyn. 

Frank is feeling all the feelings about a book of experimental prose poetry, Gwen is charmed by a semi-autobiographical YA story, and everyone has "Let It Go" stuck in their heads now. You're welcome!

Frank reads 19th-century Russian verse out loud for a solid two minutes. What more could you want in this world? Plus: Ben Platt, call us. Maybe.

Your hosts wax rhapsodic about two of their mainstay favorite authors. Plus: Gwen takes "cozy intellectual" suggestions from a listener's email and Frank discovers a YouTube celebrity crush. 

Third time's the charm! Gwen and Frank join the fine folks from the Overdue podcast to discuss Ken Kesey's 1962 novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

We all love libraries, but what books do you just NEED to own? Frank coins a new genre, Gwen falls for a book about mistakes, and they both share some deep thoughts about the oxford comma.   This Week’s Books: The Grammarians by Cathleen Shine The Other’s Gold by Elizabeth Ames Dreyer's English : An Utterly correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer

Book synergy abounds with two titles that explore the sometimes dark, sometimes funny, sometimes supernatural relationship between parents and children. Plus, a listener question about "leisure reading" proves to be more complicated than it first seems.  Books Discussed: Lanny by Max Porter A Life's Work: On Becoming a Mother by Rachel Cusk

This week it's Frank and Gwen's turn in the hot seat. They recently joined the Books on the Subway Podcast with Hollie and Rosy for a discussion about all things books and libraries, and we're bringing you that episode this week. Make sure to check them out at www.booksonthesubway.com. 

A look at how some libraries reflect the communities they're a part of through their special collections. Plus, Gwen's son weighs in on a children's book with some very un-scary dragons and Frank dives into some mind-bending stories about alternate realities and the nature of consciousness. This weeks titles: Rise of the Earth Dragon by Tracey West Exhalation  by Ted Chiang

Frank and Gwen do a deep dive into their summer reading pick, Mona Awad's new novel, Bunny—a dark satirical take on female friendship, loneliness, desire, and creative writing MFA programs. Alert: spoilers! tons of 'em!  Tell us what everybody's talking about in your world of books and libraries! Suggest Hot Topix(TM) by email or voice memo to podcasts[at]nypl.org or call 507-NYPL-LIB.

Do you dog-ear? Use bookmarks or sticky notes? Write notes in margins? Or do you—heaven forbid—underline? We delve deep into the ethical implications of leaving your mark on library books. Plus: two new summer reads and one musical cue. Suggest Hot Topix(TM) or tell us what you think about summer reading! Email podcasts[at]nypl.org or call 507-NYPL-LIB.

To prequel or not to prequel? Frank and Gwen debate the new installment of the Hunger Games franchise and two very different books about life in two very different places. Suggest Hot Topix(TM) or tell us what you think about summer reading! Email podcasts[at]nypl.org or call 507-NYPL-LIB.

Frank and Gwen announce their return date plus reveal their Summer Reading Challenge

What's the opposite of a book slump? We're calling it a flare, and Gwen is on one. She and Frank have a flurry of adult book recommendations, from dystopian novels to innovative science fiction.  What we are reading now The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer Red Clocks by Leni Zumas Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi Semiosis by Sue Burke Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl The Sparsholt Affair by Alan Hollinghurst

Another crossover episode with our fine friends from the Overdue podcast! Frank and Gwen join Craig and Andrew in Philadelphia to discuss the 1956 novel Peyton Place. Is it a classic? A soap opera? A groundbreaking statement about sexuality? Is it “ripe, hotly passionate, but fickle” — the first line of the book? You decide. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious More Peyton Place... TV and film available from the Library Unbuttoning America A Biography of Peyton Place by Ardis Cameron The Vanity Fair essay about Metalious that we mentioned Her NYT obituary If you liked this episode, check out our first TLII/Overdue collab: "Lord of the Guys," back in January 2017!

This week we take you back to our first-ever live show, recorded in Frank's very own Jefferson Market Library! Gwen and Frank talk to Eric Klinenberg, sociologist and author of a new book about libraries and social infrastructure. Plus: the audience offers an invaluable assist during the guessing game. Guest Star: Eric Klinenberg Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg More of his work in our catalog and on his website $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin Books by Barbara Ehrenreich O Cafe in Greenwich Village (and pão de queijo)

It's the first-ever Reading Challenge episode! Gwen and Frank assigned books to each other to read and discuss on the air. Hijinks ensue... Book Recommendations  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling Ava Gardner: 'Love Is Nothing' by Lee Server Also mentioned:  Our fourth episode, when Gwen flipped out on Frank for not having read Harry Potter. Several of Ava's movies, available from NYPL: The Night of the Iguana Earthquake The Barefoot Contessa Mogambo The Golden Girls of MGM by Jane Ellen Wayne Pottermore online That great tweet about girls with frizzy hair (warning: language!)

This week: a rebroadcast of one of our favorite episodes. Gwen and Frank take a deep, emotional dive into Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro's 'Never Let Me Go.'

This episode is brought to you by our soon-to-be-rival podcast, dreamed up by YA librarian Crystal Chen—who's also this week's guest! All rights reserved by her! We talk musicals, poetry, what it really means to create a list of "best" books, and professional development for library staff members. Book Recommendations NYPL's Best Poetry Books (and our most recent best books lists) Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice by Bill Browder Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright Bad Blood  Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou Kiss Number 8 by Colleen A.F. Venable Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino   Also recommended: The Woodstock Library in the Bronx ASMR, or autonomous sensory meridian response "VEEP" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

Gwen and Frank tackle one book that feels comforting and homey; one that's distinctly unsettling; and one that's somewhere in between. Plus: A stranger on the train helps us deconstruct the genius of J-Patt. Book Recommendations Your Duck Is My Duck: Stories by Deborah Eisenberg The Farm by Joanne Ramos Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug   Also mentioned: Mary Poppins Returns Emily Blunt and the rest of the cast going down the bathtub slide! Everything Doris Day