Lightly Used Books has something of an elf on the shelves at their downtown Turlock bookstore, located at 141 N. Center St.
Author James Patterson, whose books take up considerable shelf space inside Lightly Used Books, has awarded store owner Jenni Brannon a $500 holiday bonus — one of 600 such bonuses that Patterson is giving out to bookstore owners and employees across the country.
“I’ve said this before, but I can’t say it enough — booksellers save lives,” Patterson said in a statement. “What they do is crucial, especially right now. I’m happy to be able to acknowledge them and their hard work this holiday season.”
One of the world’s most popular and prolific writers, Patterson has sold more than 400 million books and has given millions of dollars to booksellers, librarians and teachers. He has co-authored a tribute book, “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians,” which Little, Brown and Company will release in April.
“We all continue to be awed by, and grateful for, Mr. Patterson’s continuing support of independent booksellers,” Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association said in a statement. “It means so much to have him recognize the valuable role booksellers play in the industry and we appreciate his financial generosity as well as his generosity of spirit.”
Employees were able to nominate themselves, or be recommended by store owners, managers, peers, community members and others.
Brannon doesn’t know who nominated her — she nominated Will and Paula DeBoard, owners of Bookish in Modesto — but she’s grateful for the recognition.
“I noticed that somebody was trying to give me $500 and I thought it was a scam,” Brannon said.
Brannon is a longtime fan of Patterson — she favors the Alex Cross series — and so is her daughter, Skylei.
A student at Modesto Junior College, Skylei is pursuing an associate’s degree in psychology and hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree in forensic chemistry and criminal justice.
Which makes her sound like she’d one day make a great character in a Patterson novel.
“I’ve been reading that genre for as long as I can remember,” said Skylei. “I’m not sure if I developed an interest in criminology because of that genre, or if I like that genre because of my interest in criminology.”
The $500 will come in handy for Brannon this holiday season. She hasn’t taken a paycheck since she opened the store in early 2020.
“Everything I make goes back into the store,” she said. ““It just feels nice to be recognized, especially by somebody like James Patterson.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
