**This “celebration of the world of books” ( *Kirkus* ) from *New York Times* bestselling author James Patterson explores the inner lives of the people who kindle our passion for reading.​** **“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 ,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** * 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.”