James Patterson: The Walmart of Writers

I don't know what to think about James Patterson sometimes.  I know, on the one hand, that he does things like give money to benefit school libraries, and that he is an advocate of childhood literacy programs.  But there is something about the guy that rubs me the wrong way: he dominates the bestseller lists by farming out his name to lesser-known writers to such a degree that hundreds of better books never find a place on the lists - and they never stood a chance to do so.

It's one thing to be so successful that every book published becomes a bestseller, and several authors do produce one or two titles per year that become bestsellers almost like clockwork.  But it is an other thing entirely to crudely slap your name as co-author on a book written by another writer just because you can.  To his credit, Patterson does come up with the general plots; he just doesn't want to take the time to turn those plots into...you know...actual books.

Just look at the numbers from this Independent article, for instance: 300 million books sold, first person to sell 1 million e-books, and 10 or 11 new (almost always co-authored) books a year guaranteed to dominate every bestseller list on the planet (his last 19 straight have made the lists).  The man may as well be printing money as publishing books because the impression left is that he's not overly concerned about the quality of what he slaps his name upon.  

But, it appears that even all of this is not enough for Mr. Patterson.  No, now he's come up with something he calls BookShots through which he will publish up to 4 short books per month, all aimed at people who don't consider themselves to be readers.  The books are all expected to be about 150 pages long, and with the exception of a few romance titles, they will all be written by Patterson (alone or with someone from the writer collection he keeps by his side).  And, I assume, many of them will be taking up even more of the few bestseller slots Patterson has been allowing everyone else to share up to now.

James Patterson has become to writers what Walmart is to small town main streets - and that's a compliment neither to Walmart nor to Patterson.

Old Age: A Beginner's Guide

Michael Kinsley’s guide to old age is primarily aimed at his fellow boomers, the millions of us born between 1946 and 1964.  As a group, boomers are the next generation in line to “lose the game of life,” as Kinsley puts it, so it is time to prepare ourselves for the inevitable.  And, early on in Old Age: A Beginner’s Guide, Kinsley makes the case that since we are all destined “to stay dead many years longer than we were alive,” the only thing we are going to leave behind is memories of ourselves – our reputations.  But here’s the kicker, boomers: if you want to be remembered as a good person, now is the time to get started because that old game clock is busily ticking away even as you read this.

It is common knowledge that Michael Kinsley has Parkinson’s disease.  He has, in fact, suffered from Parkinson’s for more than two decades since learning that he had the disease at age forty-three.  Having such a serious chronic disease gave Kinsley a head start on the average boomer who does not generally begin contemplating his own mortality until well into his sixties – if not even a bit later than that.  Much of the material comprising the seven chapters of Old Age appeared, in fact, in different format in Time and in The New Yorker between 2001 and 2014 (leading at times to noticeable repetition between chapters).   This probably also explains why, although Kinsley states that Old Age is not a book about Parkinson’s, quite a large percentage of the book’s 160 pages pertain to that disease and its affect on the whole mindset of aging.

Michael Kinsley

Despite the harsh realities of his message, Kinsley makes good use of humor to present what is ahead for him and his fellow boomers.  Even, for instance, when discussing dementia, every boomer’s worst nightmare, the author’s puts his sense of ironic humor to good use.  He explains his suggested rallying cry of “death before dementia” this way:

            “If you’re prepared to die at sixty, you can pretty much scratch dementia off your list of things to worry about.  By contrast, if you don’t mind being a bit dotty – or worse than a bit – you can go for longevity. But unless you’re extremely lucky, you won’t win both games.”

The inherent competiveness of baby boomers seems to amuse Kinsley greatly, but as he reminds us, “the only competition that matters, in the end, is about life itself.”  But sadly enough, that means we are competing to outlive our friends and family, and “even without a cash prize, we all would like to win. Life would be pretty empty without your friends. But not as empty as death.”

Old Age: A Beginner’s Guide, might be just the book to ease boomers into the realization that the final score of their lives will be recorded soon – and that there’s still time to get in the game, friends.

(Review Copy provided by Publisher)

Bookstores: Not What They Used to Be

I browse the same two bookstores every weekend, and during the week I usually manage to make one or two other stops at different shops.  You might think that would get expensive...and it used to...but the sad truth today is that I walk away empty-handed at least four out of five times I go to a bookstore.  The bottom line is that there are fewer local bookstores for me to shop at, they carry fewer titles on the shelves, and they all carry pretty much the same limited selection.

So I come home, crank up the Kindle, and if the e-book version of what I was hoping to find is not too ridiculously priced, download a copy and begin reading it - all in just a few seconds.  And take note, Mr. Barnes & Noble bigwig, I said "Kindle," not "Nook."  That means that if you want to sell me a book, it is going to have to happen at a cash register housed in a brick and mortar bookstore.

And I'm not expecting obscure titles and huge author back catalogs.  Those have always been hard to find, often requiring special orders and patience on the part of the buyer.  No, what I'm expecting is to see more of the "big" book titles being released every month instead of four new books that have James Patterson's name slapped on the cover, a few new thrillers by the same old names, and a whole bunch of relatively silly chick-lit titles.  (I get it that a huge percentage of books are sold to females...I do, but do try to remember that some men read more than thrillers.)  Where is all the serious literary fiction that gets released every month?

Why is this happening?  Well, maybe, just maybe, it's because I have to make my way through all the puzzles, toys, vinyl albums, Nooks, greeting cards, and tiny little people crafted to look something like every character from every successful TV show of the last decade before I get to the books.  Bookstore managers, you are fast squeezing books right off the floor, aren't you?

While I'm at it, one last thing: if you are going to bother to carry the new hardcover addition to a long-established series, would it kill you to carry the couple of books that preceded the new hardcover?  If I haven't read those already, I'm probably not going to buy the hardcover first - and if it takes me forever to find copies of the older ones, your flashy new hardcover might be in paper by the time I'm ready for the new one.  But if they are there all at the same time...side by side...I will very likely be tempted to purchase all of them.  Think about it.  OK?

Barnes & Noble, you got what you wished for.  First you killed the smaller bookstore chains in the country, than you killed off the last few remaining big ones.  Job well done...from your point of view, I'm sure.  But now you seem equally intent on driving away serious book customers at the same rate you killed off the competition.  You are really good at creating Kindle sales - and I know you don't want to do that.  We need more titles (better chosen ones) on the shelves, not fewer titles than ever.  

Movies for Readers: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was a huge YA bestseller in 2012 and I still see copies of the book all over the place.  I haven't actually read the book, but its cover is so intriguing that I've probably picked it up and flipped through it at least half a dozen times in the last few years.  So...here comes the movie and, from all appearances, it's going to be just as intriguing as the book from which it is pulled. If you or your children are fans of the book, the movie is expected to be released at the end of September 2016.  This trailer is a "first look."




Movies for Readers No. 21

The Grave Tattoo

I have long been a fan of psychological crime thrillers, but for whatever reason, The Grave Tattoo is my first experience with a Val McDermid title.  Now having read it, I can certainly see why critics of the day considered it to be McDermid's breakthrough effort, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

This intricately plotted novel seems to have something for every kind of mystery fan.  Its core plot involves the 200-year-old body pulled out of a Lake District peat bog that a forensic scientist has cleverly nicknamed “Pirate Peat” because of the intricate tattoos still visible on the body.  Interesting as the body already is, there is a strong possibility that it could turn out to be an even more important find than it appears to be at first glance.  Local lore says that Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian somehow survived the aftermath of that famous incident, made his way back to his home area, and disappeared there for good.  Could this be the famous sailor’s body?

Wordsworth scholar Jane Gresham, who grew up near where the bog body was found, believes there is more to the Fletcher Christian story.  Her research indicates a strong possibility that Christian told his story to William Wordsworth, an old classmate of his, before he disappeared.  She believes it likely that Wordsworth wrote down what he was told by Christian before producing a long lost poem about his old friend's adventures.  Jane knows how successfully the Wordsworth family guarded its privacy and reputation, so it makes sense to her that the poem and notes would have been hidden away rather than being made public during the author's lifetime.  But they are out there somewhere, she thinks, and if it can be proved that Pirate Peat is really Fletcher Christian, it will prove that she is on the right track.

Val McDermid

Intriguing as this story line is, it is easy for readers to lose themselves in McDermid's side plots involving Jane's friends and family.  The most intriguing thread involves the thirteen-year-old mixed race girl whom Jane has befriended in the infamous London housing project she is forced to live in – being a Wordsworth scholar and college lecturer does not seem to pay particularly well and London rents are high, after all.  Tenille is a pet project of Jane's, a kid she is trying to save from the future that already seems destined to be hers. 

Wordsworth's papers, if they exist and can be found, will be worth millions to the right collector, and as is always the case, some are willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on something so precious.  Jane’s life gets complicated when characters from all the side plots start showing up in the Lake District for reasons of their own.  Suddenly nothing makes sense to Jane.  If she is to find the documents she is so certain exist, she will need lots of help – but whom can she trust?  Her brother seems to be in a race to find the papers before she does; the police are accusing her of hiding a murder suspect; and people are dying all around her.

Pulling It All Together

Click image for larger view

I'm going to try something today that I've been doing the reverse of on Twitter and Facebook for a while already: a little bit of cross-polinating to invite blog readers to join me on Facebook and Twitter.

I have recently started what Facebook calls an Arts/Humanities page there and I would love to see you guys join me on the Book Chase Facebook page and on Twitter where I am posting as @Book_Chase.  

I do post links on the Facebook page regarding what is happening on the blog, but that accounts for only about 10% of the book information and updates that I talk about over at Facebook.  And, as for Twitter...who knows what that will turn into on any given day?  It's just a chance to talk with more likeminded book people that you will ever encounter in your real world.

So, please do take a look at the Facebook page and, if you like it, just click on the "Like" button and join the conversation.  Book nerds are not easy to round up...we are contrary, independent-minded people...but we know what we like and we are loyal when we find "our people."  Take a look, guys.