May We Suggest...James Patterson

In January, 2010, The New York Times Magazine featured James Patterson on its cover and hailed him as having "transformed book publishing." Time named him "The Man Who Can't Miss," and he is a two-time Children's Choice Book Award "Author of the Year" nominee, a designation decided on by more than 15,000 children and teen readers.

In the past three years, James Patterson has sold more books than any other author (according to Bookscan), and in total, James's books have sold an estimated 260 million copies worldwide. Since 2006, one out of every seventeen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children's bestsellers lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year—a record-breaking feat he's accomplished every year since 2005. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds the New York Times record for most Hardcover Fiction bestselling titles by a single author (76 total), which is also a Guinness World Record.

Patterson is a lifelong champion of books and reading. His critically acclaimed Maximum Ride series debuted on the New York Times bestsellers list at #1 and remained there for twelve straight weeks. The series has so far made ninety-four cumulative appearances on The New York Times bestsellers lists, proving that kids of all ages love page turners. He captured the attention of boy readers with Daniel X series, and his third series for readers of all ages debuted in December 2009 with Witch & Wizard, which spent five consecutive weeks atop the New York Times bestsellers list.

Patterson is the creator of the top-selling new detective series of the past dozen years, featuring Alex Cross and including the Hollywood-adapted "Along Came a Spider" and "Kiss the Girls," starring Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman. He is also the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past five years, featuring Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club, from which the ABC television drama series was adapted. He has authored books behind six films on the Hollywood fast-track, including the upcoming Maximum Ride movie forthcoming from Avi Arad, the producer of X-Men and Spiderman.

He is the author of novels — from The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) to Honeymoon(2005) — that have won awards including the Edgar, the BCA Mystery Guild's Thriller of the Year, the International Thriller of the Year award, and the Reader's Digest Reader's Choice Award. And, he has won a Children's Choice Book Council's Children's Choice Awards "Author of the Year" award (2010). One of Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100, James made a guest appearance on the popular FOX TV show "The Simpsons" in March, 2007.


READ-A-LIKES
John Sandford - Fellow genre-crossing novelist, Sandford writes both single titles and series, which feature similarly hard-edged Suspense with strong language and graphically portrayed violence. Serial murder is the crime of choice, as for Patterson, and the stories are fast-paced and bleak, pervaded by a menacing atmosphere. Psychological details of the killer may also be important. Try Broken Prey, a complex and grisly crime story featuring series character Lucas Davenport, or Dark of the Moon, a gritty and intricately plotted case starring Davenport’s laid-back sidekick Flowers, to experience a similarly addictive adrenaline fix.

Lisa Gardner -For additional gritty novels of hard-edged suspense similar to the Women’s Murder Club, readers might turn to Gardner, especially her D. D. Warren series. The Neighbor includes multiple plot lines and alternating points of view that speed the pace in this disturbing story of a young mother and teacher who disappears, leaving her young daughter alone and her husband as prime suspect. A complex plot with a surprise final twist will remind readers of Patterson’s successful formula.

Nicholas Sparks - Readers who enjoy Patterson’s Romance titles might also appreciate novels by Sparks. Both focus on relationships; the stories, romantic but sometimes bittersweet, feature sympathetic characters in heart-tugging and heartwarming tales. Although these poignant stories do not move at the breathless pace of Suspense novels, the copious dialog and compelling story lines keep readers entranced. The Lucky One, an almost magical quest for an unknown woman who a soldier believes saved his life, makes a good match for Patterson’s fairy tale approach, especially like that in Sundays at Tiffany’s.