
The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians
True Stories of the Magic of Reading
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About this listen
This “celebration of the world of books” (Kirkus) from New York Times bestselling author James Patterson is a collection of riveting stories celebrating the heroic efforts of the people who are on the front lines getting our books into the world.
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
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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
“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
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Story
Bookstores have always been unlike any other kind of store, shaping readers and writers, and influencing our tastes, thoughts, and politics. They nurture local communities while creating new ones of their own. Bookshops are powerful spaces, but they are also endangered ones. In The Bookshop, we see the stakes: what has been, and what might be lost. Evan Friss’s history of the bookshop draws on oral histories, archival collections, municipal records, diaries, letters, and interviews with leading booksellers to offer a fascinating look at this institution beloved by so many.
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Fun if you like book stuff
- By Customer - Reader on 02-22-25
By: Evan Friss
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Private
- By: James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
- Narrated by: Peter Hermann
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Former Marine helicopter pilot Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily - and his staff of investigators uses the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.
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private
- By Meaghan Bynum on 07-01-10
By: James Patterson, and others
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The Murder Inn
- A Thriller
- By: James Patterson, Candice Fox
- Narrated by: Corey Carthew
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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When ex-cop Bill Robinson takes over The Inn by the Sea, all he wants is a quiet escape from the city. But when a crime boss moves into town and begins terrorizing Bill's friends, he can't just sit back and watch. It's not long before local criminals are turning up dead and The Inn comes under attack. With the help of The Inn's fearless residents, Bill must do everything he can to defend his town, his chosen family, and his home.
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Psychos
- By Nancy F. on 07-30-24
By: James Patterson, and others
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The Last Chance Library
- By: Freya Sampson
- Narrated by: Nathalie Pownall
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the 30-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.
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LOVED IT!
- By Lissette C. on 10-18-21
By: Freya Sampson
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Step on a Crack: Booktrack Edition
- By: James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
- Narrated by: John Slattery, Reg Rogers
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is about to take on the most sinister challenge of his career. The nation has fallen into mourning after the unexpected death of a beloved former first lady, and the most powerful people in the world gather in New York for her funeral. Then the inconceivable occurs. Billionaires, politicians, and superstars of every kind are suddenly trapped within one man's brilliant and cold-blooded scenario. Bennett, father of 10, is pulled into the fray.
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great book, love Patterson's work.
- By Rebecca on 08-21-17
By: James Patterson, and others
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Every Moment Since
- A Novel
- By: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Everyone in Wynotte, North Carolina, knows the name Davy Malcor. Knows the video clip of him juggling four balls, "All at the very same time!" Knows the Marty McFly jacket his mother made for his birthday that he wore proudly, and often. But no one knows what happened to him the night he went missing more than twenty years ago. When the jacket is unexpectedly uncovered, the cold case reopens, and Davy's family is thrust into yet another media storm. But at the heart of the story are four people forever changed by one single night.
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A Life of Regret
- By Linda Parvin Hutchinson on 10-05-24
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The Bookshop
- A History of the American Bookstore
- By: Evan Friss
- Narrated by: Jay Myers
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Bookstores have always been unlike any other kind of store, shaping readers and writers, and influencing our tastes, thoughts, and politics. They nurture local communities while creating new ones of their own. Bookshops are powerful spaces, but they are also endangered ones. In The Bookshop, we see the stakes: what has been, and what might be lost. Evan Friss’s history of the bookshop draws on oral histories, archival collections, municipal records, diaries, letters, and interviews with leading booksellers to offer a fascinating look at this institution beloved by so many.
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Fun if you like book stuff
- By Customer - Reader on 02-22-25
By: Evan Friss
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Private
- By: James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
- Narrated by: Peter Hermann
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Former Marine helicopter pilot Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily - and his staff of investigators uses the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.
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private
- By Meaghan Bynum on 07-01-10
By: James Patterson, and others
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The Murder Inn
- A Thriller
- By: James Patterson, Candice Fox
- Narrated by: Corey Carthew
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
When ex-cop Bill Robinson takes over The Inn by the Sea, all he wants is a quiet escape from the city. But when a crime boss moves into town and begins terrorizing Bill's friends, he can't just sit back and watch. It's not long before local criminals are turning up dead and The Inn comes under attack. With the help of The Inn's fearless residents, Bill must do everything he can to defend his town, his chosen family, and his home.
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Psychos
- By Nancy F. on 07-30-24
By: James Patterson, and others
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The Last Chance Library
- By: Freya Sampson
- Narrated by: Nathalie Pownall
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the 30-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.
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LOVED IT!
- By Lissette C. on 10-18-21
By: Freya Sampson
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Step on a Crack: Booktrack Edition
- By: James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
- Narrated by: John Slattery, Reg Rogers
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is about to take on the most sinister challenge of his career. The nation has fallen into mourning after the unexpected death of a beloved former first lady, and the most powerful people in the world gather in New York for her funeral. Then the inconceivable occurs. Billionaires, politicians, and superstars of every kind are suddenly trapped within one man's brilliant and cold-blooded scenario. Bennett, father of 10, is pulled into the fray.
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great book, love Patterson's work.
- By Rebecca on 08-21-17
By: James Patterson, and others
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Every Moment Since
- A Novel
- By: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Everyone in Wynotte, North Carolina, knows the name Davy Malcor. Knows the video clip of him juggling four balls, "All at the very same time!" Knows the Marty McFly jacket his mother made for his birthday that he wore proudly, and often. But no one knows what happened to him the night he went missing more than twenty years ago. When the jacket is unexpectedly uncovered, the cold case reopens, and Davy's family is thrust into yet another media storm. But at the heart of the story are four people forever changed by one single night.
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A Life of Regret
- By Linda Parvin Hutchinson on 10-05-24
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Confessions of the Dead
- A Thriller
- By: James Patterson, J. D. Barker
- Narrated by: Will Collyer, Erin Bennett, Christine Lakin, and others
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Hollows Bend, New Hampshire, is a picture-perfect New England town where weekend tourists flock to see fall leaves and eat breakfast at the Stairway Diner. The crime rate—zero—is a point of pride for Sheriff Ellie Pritchett. The day the stranger shows up is when the trouble starts. The sheriff and her deputy investigate the mysterious teenage girl. None of the locals can place her. She can’t—or won’t—answer any questions. She won’t even tell them her name.
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Surprised!
- By Kimberly on 07-12-24
By: James Patterson, and others
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Obsessed
- A Michael Bennett Thriller
- By: James Patterson, James O. Born
- Narrated by: Joshua Kane
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In this startling psychological thriller, a killer is targeting young women in New York City and is obsessed with Michael Bennett's daughter.
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Good story bad summary
- By Rhonda Madison on 07-14-23
By: James Patterson, and others
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The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris
- By: Daisy Wood
- Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow, Tom Lawrence
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Juliette and her husband have finally made it to France on the romantic getaway of her dreams—but as the days pass, all she discovers is quite how far they’ve grown apart. She’s craving a new adventure, so when she happens across a tiny, abandoned shop with a for-sale sign in the window, it feels fated. And she’s about to learn that the forgotten bookshop hides a lot more than meets the eye.
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WWII Historical Fiction
- By Mona-Alisa on 04-04-23
By: Daisy Wood
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The Coldest Case: A Black Book Audio Drama
- By: James Patterson, Aaron Tracy, Ryan Silbert
- Narrated by: Aaron Paul, Krysten Ritter, Nathalie Emmanuel, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
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In The Coldest Case: A Black Book Audio Drama, homicide detective Billy Harney sends his new partner, Kate, deep undercover in a notorious Chicago drug ring. When several members of the ring soon turn up dead, Billy abruptly pulls Kate out, blowing her cover. Kate’s informant inside the gang quickly disappears. As does the ring’s black book.... When Billy can’t find the informant, he wonders if Kate is secretly harboring her, since the two grew close during Kate's weeks undercover.
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Rizzoli & Isles, minus Isles, and starring Frankie
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 03-11-21
By: James Patterson, and others
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Book and Dagger
- How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II
- By: Elyse Graham
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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At the start of WWII, the U.S. found itself in desperate need of an intelligence agency. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a precursor to today’s CIA, was quickly formed—and, in an effort to fill its ranks with experts, the OSS turned to academia for recruits. Suddenly, literature professors, librarians, and historians were training to perform undercover operations and investigative work—and these surprising spies would go on to profoundly shape both the course of the war and our cultural institutions with their efforts.
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Libraries!!! Winning!!!
- By M Fox on 03-06-25
By: Elyse Graham
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Warm Up
- A Tor.Com Original Prequel to Vicious
- By: V.E. Schwab
- Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
- Length: 24 mins
- Unabridged
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It's been 297 days since David died - and came back. He may have survived the avalanche, but the aftermath has been far worse. His wife moved out, taking his son with her, and a devastated David hasn't left his house since, terrified of the mysterious new power that followed him home from the ill-fated expedition. After months in seclusion, David's ready for a fresh start, and ventures out, determined to keep his power in check. But David's power isn't the one he needs to worry about.
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Too short but great short story
- By Carlos P. on 07-06-24
By: V.E. Schwab
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The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
- A Novel
- By: Kim Michele Richardson
- Narrated by: Katie Schorr
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything - everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome's got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter. Cussy's not only a book woman, however, she's also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble.
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A LOVELY, SAD AND PROFOUND BOOK!
- By Janna Wong Healy on 08-17-19
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The Summer House
- The Classic Blockbuster from the Author of Lion & Lamb
- By: James Patterson, Brendan DuBois
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Once a luxurious Southern getaway on a rustic lake, then reduced to a dilapidated crash pad, the Summer House is now the grisly scene of a nighttime mass murder. Eyewitnesses point to four Army Rangers - known as the Night Ninjas - recently returned from Afghanistan. To ensure that justice is done, the Army sends Major Jeremiah Cook, a veteran and former NYPD cop, to investigate. But the major and his elite team arrive in sweltering Georgia with no idea their grim jobs will be made exponentially more challenging by local law enforcement....
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Not as good as expected by hype.
- By Anonymous User on 06-16-20
By: James Patterson, and others
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The Change
- A Novel
- By: Kirsten Miller
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 15 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick—a gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crisis brings unexpected new powers—putting them on a collision course with the evil that lurks in their wealthy beach town.
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Great book until you realize what it’s about
- By Kaitlin Rosenthal on 05-16-22
By: Kirsten Miller
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The Woman They Could Not Silence
- One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
- By: Kate Moore
- Narrated by: Kate Moore
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil, Elizabeth Packard, housewife and mother of six, is facing her own battle. The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room. Her husband of 21 years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened - by Elizabeth’s intellect, independence, and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts. So Theophilus makes a plan to put his wife back in her place. One summer morning, he has her committed to an insane asylum.
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Everyone should read this!
- By Lana S on 12-22-21
By: Kate Moore
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Lies He Told Me
- A Thriller
- By: James Patterson, David Ellis
- Narrated by: Stephanie Németh-Parker, Corey Carthew
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Everyone in Hemingway Grove, Illinois, knows David and Marcie Bowers. David owns the local pub. Marcie is a former big-city lawyer who practices family law. When David jumps into Cotton River to save a drowning stranger, he’s celebrated as a hero. His muscled physique, shaved head, and piercing blue eyes are broadcast on every news outlet. For most people, newfound fame is a lifeline. For David Bowers, it’s a death sentence. For Marcie Bowers, it’s a test.
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Good Story
- By Amazon Customer on 10-16-24
By: James Patterson, and others
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The Personal Librarian
- By: Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection.
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A Treat For This Academic Librarian!
- By AlTonya on 07-14-21
By: Marie Benedict, and others
What listeners say about The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sue Reed
- 10-23-24
Loved hearing all of different experiences
Loved the passion in each story. Each bookseller or librarian was so inspiring. I learned a lot about those professions
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- Lili
- 09-19-24
A perfect lovely distraction of a book 📚📚📚
Lovely, light, heartwarming fare. This book is an excellent antidote to stress and upset. So many great stories about books and the people who love them.
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- Cate Smith
- 06-30-24
Into the Minds of Book Lovers
Fantastic look into the world and different points of view of book store owners, managers, librarians and lovers of the written word. Thoroughly enjoyed this listen!!
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Story
- Kindra Lee
- 07-10-24
Hits home as a librarian
I absolutely loved this book. As a high school librarian I appreciated the stories and how they gave credit to the hard work that librarians do. I love that it mentions more than once that librarians need a masters degree - something I don’t think a lot of people understand. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for booksellers as they go into their craft for the same reasons that librarians do. I did find that it was a bit long - maybe ten stories too long. Towards the end I found myself zoning out - not because the stories were boring, but because it felt like I was hearing the same story over and over again. I ended up skipping several stories at the end - which, as a librarian, I think it is ok! I still appreciate the book as a while and hope it gets the attention it deserves.
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- alejandra
- 11-04-24
Very refreshing and passionate about reading
Loved listening to this book. It is very refreshing and incredible to hear about librarians and book sellers talk about their experiences in their fields. Made me want to go visit their stores and libraries and learn more about different genres and authors. I love reading and it very refreshing to hear stories about people who love reading as well. Overall a great one to listen to.
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- Candace Kluba
- 06-20-24
the touching insight
I truly loved listening to this story telling! It felt personable and relatable! The insight will forever change the way I shop books!
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- Diane
- 07-19-24
perfect for every book lover
Very personal perspective of the importance of books & those that make sure they are accessible to Everyone,
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- Library Lady
- 08-14-24
Inspiring
I love books like many of the stories told here. My soul is full by these accounts of booksellers and librarians
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