James Patterson Donates $473K To Independent Bookstores

Christmas came early for 81 lucky indie booksellers.

Deborah Feingold / Reuters

The extra cash comes courtesy of million-selling author and literary patron James Patterson, who announced Monday that he has given $473,000 to 81 independent sellers around the country in the third round of his campaign to keep local stores in business. Since launching the program a year ago, he has given more than $1 million to 178 sellers. The money is dispersed in response to specific requests, such as a letter from Left Bank that said Patterson's donation would allow the store to 'breathe a huge sigh of relief as we invest the money we make selling books back into our community.'

Via abcnews.go.com

Alex Cross by James Patterson

Hachette Book Group

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Judy Blume Has A New Novel Coming Out For Adults

In the Unlikely Event will hit shelves June 2015.

Sigrid Estrada / Via Knopf

Next June, Alfred A. Knopf will publish a new book by best-selling author Judy Blume; it will be her first novel for adults in over fifteen years. The announcement was made today by Carole Baron, Blume's longtime editor.

Via Knopf

Knopf

The novel, IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT, considers a startling backdrop: a series of passenger airline flights that crashed over a three-month period in 1951 and 1952 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where Blume grew up. 'These events have lingered in my mind ever since,' says Blume. 'It was a crazy time. We were witnessing things that were incomprehensible to us as teenagers. Was it sabotage? An alien invasion? No one knew, and people were understandably terrified.' The crashes resulted in the closing of Newark airport for nine months.

With her rich imagination, Blume uses this background to weave together a story with an unforgettable ensemble of families and friends across three generations. The hallmark traits of Blume – a deep concern for her characters and the authentic capture of an era – are evident on every page as we see her protagonists grow up, fall in love, marry, cope with loss, deal with estranged parents and difficult friendships and familial obligations, remember the good times, and finally, wonder at the joy that keeps them going.

Via Knopf

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What Books Did You Read In 2014?

Let’s recommend some good reads!

The Purple Cloud by M.P. Shiel (1901)

This is one of the first "last man on earth" novels. It's a very strange Victorian adventure about a polar explorer who accidentally causes a global cataclysm that leaves him to wander the unpopulated world for decades. It's kind of like I Am Legend by way of Edgar Allen Poe. I enjoyed it.

Penguin Classics / Via Amazon

Keith Haring Journals by Keith Haring (2010)

Haring's personal journals from the 1970's until his death in 1990 offer a lot of insight into his art. I enjoyed reading about his early experimentation process when he was finding his style. Also, did you know he was a huge fan of the Grateful Dead? The journals become haunting as he becomes overwhelmed with his celebrity lifestyle and his untimely demise from AIDS.

Penguin

The Jaguar Smile by Salman Rushdie (1987)

Rushdie's journalistic account of his travels in Nicaragua during the Sandanista regime was reallyinteresting. I read this while I was also traveling around Nicaragua and it gave me context for what the country had been through three decades later. Many have criticized Rushdie's naiive view on the Sandanistas, but I found the book to be somewhat balanced and highly readable.

Picador

Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut, (1985)

Only as a huge fan of Vonnegut am I comfortable in saying that this is one of the most irritating novels I've ever read. Go with anything else by Vonnegut.

Delacorte Press, / Via en.wikipedia.org

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