This author’s note is written by James Patterson, who considers it “dystopian” that so few Americans—only one in five citizens of the USA and 15% of US voters—regularly read books. He believes that reading books is an important means of immersing oneself in another point of view. He credits the survival of reading as a pastime to the efforts of librarians and booksellers, who work long hours for little recognition in what Patterson considers to be the most noble and inspiring of professions. Librarians and booksellers dedicate themselves to helping people find the right books and to motivating and understanding readers, which contributes to mental wellbeing and saves lives.

Encouraged by her parents, Sky has enjoyed reading since childhood. She has worked for over a decade now in the independent bookstores The Book House and Market Block Books in New York. The stores’ owner, Susan Novotny, recruited Sky from a managerial position with the chain bookstore Borders when Borders shut down. In addition to selling books, Sky runs the stores’ social media presence, which attracts both customers and compliments. She enjoys recommending books and building meaningful relationships with regular customers. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, the community rallied around Novotny and her staff in support of their initiative to donate and mail out books to local children.