Books and the City

Today, Kayla and Libby are chatting with Melissa, who is a Managing Librarian at the Bronx Library Center! Stay tuned to hear all about what Melissa’s typical day at the library looks like, the advice she has for anyone wanting to work at the library, what she misses most about being in-person at her Bronx Library Center, and some of the odd things she’s found in the pages of returned library books over her 20 years working there. If you’ve missed browsing the library as much as the hosts of Books and the City have, this interview will fill that library-shaped hole in your heart while we all wait for this pandemic to end. You can find the links we discussed in this episode below, and feel free to drop us a line at [email protected]. Thank you so much for listening!------------------------>

Find out if your local NYPL branch is open for Grab & Go service (or as Kayla would say, takeout for books) here!: https://www.nypl.org/locations/directory.
Help the NYPL celebrate their 125th birthday!: https://www.nypl.org/125

Top 10 checkouts of all time: https://www.nypl.org/125/topcheckouts
Melissa has been reading (and watching): Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots by Deborah Feldman

Melissa’s all-time favorite book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Explore the rest of the library’s many resources on their website: https://www.nypl.org!

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

First thing's first, thank you all for being as pumped about the Books and the City merch as we are!!! Don't forget, these designs will only be available until July 12 so grab yours today. Proceeds are going toward the Black Art Futures Fund. And then stick around because we're talking about fictional BFF's on today's episode. Find out which book character we'd each love to hang with, and please help Emily remember the title of a fifth grade-fave. Then of course, we have some great book talk lined up, ranging from contemporary fiction to very hot takes on a popular YA fantasy series. Read on for links, and check out bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity to shop the books we’ve discussed on this episode, and all past episodes! Check out our website at www.booksandthecitypod.com to order your merch (available through July 12, hurry!) If you want to drop us a line about the books we talked about in episode 15 or anything else, send a note to [email protected]>

Becky just read: Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid (16:15-23:54)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/605904/such-a-fun-age-by-kiley-reid/

Up next for Becky: Fast Girls by Elise Hooper

Kayla just read: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (23:55-36:10)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/577068/mexican-gothic-by-silvia-moreno-garcia/

Up next for Kayla: The Royal We + The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

Emily just read: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (36:11-53:21)
https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/a-court-of-thorns-and-roses-9781635575569/

Up next for Emily: The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

Libby just read: Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith (53:22-1:01:35)
https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062943170/stay-gold/

Up next for Libby: The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Pop some champagne because we’re kicking off Books and the City with some exciting convos about how we met, what we’re reading right now and what we want to read next! Plus, are we ALL Charlotte York or does someone have to be the Samantha?! Here are the books we discussed and the bar that matches it in NYC ------------->

Kayla Read: The Words I Never Wrote by Jane Thynne https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/557329/the-words-i-never-wrote-by-jane-thynne/ Read this one while you have a cozy hot toddy and type away at your own history-making novel on the vintage typewriters at The High Line Hotel’s Lobby Bar in Chelsea.
Up next: Before and After by Judy Christie

Becky Read: City of Flickering Light by Juliette Fay https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/City-of-Flickering-Light/Juliette-Fay/9781501192937 Read this while you sip a latte or an old fashioned at the art deco themed Five and Dime in the Financial District. Go at night for happy hour and you might find a silent film (or should we say flicker!) projected on the wall.
Up next: Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown

Emily Read: Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/ronan-farrow/catch-and-kill/9780316486637/ Because of the sensitive subject matter of this book we do not have a location recommendation to go along with it. Read this book in the place that makes you feel most comfortable. <3
Up next: Why We're Polarized by Ezra Klein

Libby Read: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765334336 Get yourself some craft beer on tap at Burp Castle While you read this book! This medieval-themed bar in the East Village is the perfect place to read, especially since patrons aren’t allowed to speak louder than a whisper. A rule that is heavily enforced by bartenders.
Up next: Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

We’re (still) reflecting on our upstate retreat, and today we’re sharing what we learned about each other after spending our first full weekend together. The answers may surprise you a little bit! And before we get into some quality book talk, we have some exciting announcements about the fan club book club, BATC merch, and a possible end-of-summer Tri-State meet up 👀 keep your eyes and ears peeled for more on that. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! You can join our fan club here: https://www.patreon.com/booksandthecitypod. Grab your BATC merch: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on this episode and past episodes at bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at [email protected]------------->

Libby just read: Eat A Peach by David Chang (15:22-29:59)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/552829/eat-a-peach-by-david-chang-with-gabe-ulla/
Up next for Libby: Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

Kayla just read: Long Bright River by Liz Moore (30:00-41:08)
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600396/long-bright-river-by-liz-moore/
Up next for Kayla: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Emily just read: The Prestige by Christopher Priest (41:09-53:30)
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312858865
Up next for Emily: The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee

Becky just read: Is This Anything? By Jerry Seinfeld (53:31-1:02:51)
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Is-This-Anything/Jerry-Seinfeld/9781982112691
Up next for Becky: Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions our own.

Hi, hello, happy March, welcome to another chaos episode! Today, we’re joined by the incredible Nicole Brinkley. Nicole is a manager at the independent bookstore, Oblong Books, located in Rhinebeck, NY. We’re picking her brain about all things indie bookstores and her amazing podcast, Misshelved, where she connects booksellers with authors for a conversation. BUT FIRST: before this interview, Nicole actually sent us a brief questionnaire about our reading tastes. She then used that info to choose three 2022 new releases for each of us (including a couple of bonus “buddy read” picks!) This was SO MUCH fun, and Nicole really nailed all her picks for each of us. Hope you’re ready to add 12 news books to your TBR... We have links to Nicole and her store below, along with a list of all the incredible sounding books she mentioned on this episode. Thank you for listening, we love you! Grab your BATC merch (including the coveted SWEATSHIRT) here: https://www.booksandthecitypod.com/merch. Browse and shop all the books we’ve discussed on past episodes at https://www.bookshop.org/shop/booksandthecity. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website, and send us an email at [email protected]. --------------------------------------------------->

Oblong Books: https://www.oblongbooks.com/

Find Nicole online! Here’s her website: https://www.nebrinkley.com, and here she is on social media: https://www.instagram.com/nebrinkley/?hl=en

Listen to her podcast, Misshelved: https://misshelved.nebrinkley.com/

Preorder the books Nicole recommended for Emily:

THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston

THE SIGN FOR HOME by Blair Fell

A FAR WILDER MAGIC by Allison Saft

Preorder the books Nicole recommended for Kayla:

THE HACIENDA by Isabel Cañas

TO MARRY AND TO MEDDLE by Martha Waters

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus

Preorder the books Nicole recommended for Libby:

THE BOOK EATERS by Sunyi Dean

A TINY UPWARD SHOVE by Melissa Chadburn

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING by Henry Fry

Preorder the books Nicole recommended for Becky:

ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore

PORTRAIT OF A THIEF by Grace D. Li

SIREN QUEEN by Nghi Vo

Music by EpidemicSound, logo art by @niczollos, all opinions are our own.