The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians cover art

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians

True Stories of the Magic of Reading

Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians

By: James Patterson, Matt Eversmann
Narrated by: Tom Force, Nancy Peterson, Jenn Lee, Jennifer Pickens, Amy Jensen, Deanna Anthony, Jane Oppenheimer, Susan Hanfield, Marni Penning, Daniel Henning, Rob Reider
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.81

Buy Now for $26.81

About this listen

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
Art & Literature Authors Entertainment & Celebrities Essays

Critic Reviews

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
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.