Welcome to The Librarian is In, the New York Public Library's podcast about books, culture, and what to read next.

Gwen and Frank discuss books that defy description and throw reality for a loop. Longtime residents of Harlem, Greenwich Village, the Bronx, and more get shout-outs in an interview with NYPL's Alex Kelly about the Library's oral history projects.  Plus, Times Square and the attack of the Elmos. (Elmoes? Elmii?)

What We're Reading Now

The Regional Office Is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales

Rupert Thomson: The Five Gates of Hell, Soft!, Katherine Carlisle  (and the New Yorker review that Frank was reading)

The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks, and the Carnegie Medal controversy

A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na

Hot Topix

Where to even begin with James Patterson's books?

Patterson's BookShots (and the New York Times story) and grants for school libraries

Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell

Guest Star

Alex Kelly!

NYPL's Community Oral History Project

The cool new transcript editor

Hara Seltzer's interview, with Frank's unexpected guest appearance

Word of the Week

Alex: "Tell me"

Gwen: Neil Gaiman and his 2013 speech about libraries

Frank: insouciant

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Find us online @NYPLRecommends, the Bibliofile blog, and nypl.org. Or email us at recommendations@nypl.org!