Book Review: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians

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.”

Step inside The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians and enter a world where you can feed your curiosities, discover new voices, find whatever you want or require. This place has the magic of rainbows and unicorns, but it's also a business. The book business.

Meet the smart and talented people who live between the pages—and who can’t wait to help you find your next favorite book.

This collection of people profiles by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann will be published April 8, 2024. Little, Brown and Company provided an early galley for review.

As a librarian who loves to wander the stacks in the library and bookstores, this was an instant draw for me. By hearing the words and approaches of others with similar inclinations, my hope was to get further insight into my own self.

The book is broken into five parts, each with a general theme to it. Within each of those parts are then many profiles of booksellers and librarians. Each profile is short (mostly two to three pages apiece), taking no time at all to read. so, they can be consumed in short moments between other tasks if need be.

But, when taken together, they paint a picture of the world of reader services that are offered by these two professions. For someone who has chosen to work in that world, it resonates with my own views and experiences. For those not in the mix, perhaps this book will give insights into the professions.