The world’s #1 bestselling author explores the inner lives of the people who grow and encourage our passion for reading.​

“A celebration of the world of books” —Kirkus

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.” —The New Yorker