The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians

Their stories are better than the bestsellers

Coming Soon

Contributors

By James Patterson

By Matt Eversmann

Formats and Prices

Price

$21.99

Price

$28.99 CAD

Instant New York Times Bestseller!

This “celebration of the world of books” (Kirkus) is filled with “heartfelt testimonials” (New Yorker) that "feels like a love letter" (USA Today) to booksellers and librarians—as told to the greatest storyteller of our time, James Patterson.

To be a bookseller or librarian…
 
You have to play detective. 
 
Be a treasure hunter. A matchmaker. An advocate. A visionary. 
 
A person who creates “book joy” by pulling a book from a shelf, handing it to someone and saying, “You’ve got to read this. You’re going to love it.”
 
“When the pandemic started, Patterson launched a movement, #SaveIndieBookstores [and] pledged half a million dollars, and, with the support of the American Booksellers Association and the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, the campaign ended up raising $1,239,595 from more than eighteen hundred donors…Somehow, the bookstore outlived the pandemic. Why? The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians, compiled by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann, suggests a few reasons." – New Yorker

  • The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians is very touching and beautifully crafted. It is like having the James Patterson Storytelling Fairy Dust sprinkled down upon you and your life. No wait, it IS having the James Patterson Storytelling Fairy Dust sprinkled down upon you and your life!”
    Nina Barrett, Owner, Bookends & Beginnings
  • “I’m thrilled to be included in James Patterson’s The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians. James Patterson was kind enough to come to one of the early Mystery Writers Conferences at the bookstore. I was so in awe of him that I could barely get the courage to speak. In this book, he makes me look smarter than I am. I love it!”
    Elaine Petrocelli, President and Co-owner, Book Passage
  • “A celebration of the world of books. ... and the deep satisfaction of creating a vibrant community for readers. A compendium of warm recollections."
    Kirkus
  • "A lighthearted compendium of first-person reflections from librarians and booksellers about their work and passion for literature... comfort food for bookworms."
    Publishers Weekly

On Sale
Feb 11, 2025
Page Count
400 pages
ISBN-13
9781538758984

James Patterson

About the Author

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Effing Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Princess Diana, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson, and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Learn more at jamespatterson.com

Learn more about this author