So hello, welcome to the librarian is in the New York Public Library's podcast about books, culture, and what to read next.

I'm Gwen. I'm Frank. And later, we'll be joined by no one because this is our special mini-holiday episode that comes out the week of Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanza.

And we are recording this immediately following the podcast from last time where we had Louise Leroux, the Children's Librarians. So, I mean, I know I'm going to refer to things we just talked about, even though it took two weeks later, according to the listeners. Right, we're going to try. Frank, how have you been? It's been so long since I've seen you. I know. We just walked Louise to the elevator, and now here we are again. So this is a quickie. It is quick. I think we were going to, we were thinking about talking about the best books for teens list, but I feel like it's already sort of been talked about.

It's, it is really interesting.

right two weeks ago I mean 20 minutes ago I mean yeah it is interesting to hear how their process is a little bit different but I do think it also I also always feel like it's

worth remarking on, like,

librarians often don't like the word best. It's hard to choose things that are the best. I

personally have issues with the word best, but like it, the way that you have to sort of get

around it is so awkward and weird that it's way better to just say best books for kids and

teeth. Well, I mean, we were talking, you know, the last podcast with the best books for children, and you asked, like, what makes it best? And it is, there, it is a discussion. I mean, like with so many things, like, what is that mean? Right. And, you know, we try to look to things like writing and artwork, but then within that, you know, some people like,

the writing was terrible and somebody else is like, I thought it was wonderful. I mean, ultimately,

it's a weird word, but it's almost like you want to call it like books that each of our individual

guts really, really want to put on a list that says best. I mean, it's like this emotional reaction to a book for various reasons.

It's funny because the word favorite is what I often default to in my own writing,

that when you say your favorite book, then it sort of takes the notion of objectivity out

and it's just like favorite, but that actually isn't objective enough, I think.

Huh, favorite books for children. That's not bad. That's not bad at all, actually. Yeah. I mean, it doesn't, it's not, it's personal. Yeah. Right. And one of the reasons that we want it to come out this time of years that we do, like, want to try to help people who are trying to get gifts. And And like obviously we're a library. We're looking for people to check out books and to come to us

for books. And I certainly hope that these lists are useful and good for that all year long. But

the reason for the timing is that like we do want to try to help parents and relatives and friends

of the family and whatever find books that their youngsters, children and teens, will both like. As a guide, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. I mean, ultimately, we all understand best lists and all that. I mean... Don't take it too literally. Yeah, yeah. It's a guide. That's what I was saying. Right, right. Yeah, that's a good word for it, guide. To find something to read that a lot of other people who spend their time reading or their livelihoods reading think we're good.

And maybe you'd enjoy them too.

Yeah.

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