5 Eastern Iowa Bookstores Just Got Bonuses From a Famous Author

It's an awesome holiday season for several Iowa bookstore employees! KCCI reports that best-selling author James Patterson is giving a $500 holiday bonus to staff members at 11 independent Iowa bookstores in 2024.

According to Wikipedia, 77-year-old James Patterson has written over 200 novels since 1976, and has sold more than 425 million copies of those books. He's made a lot of money throughout his career, and he's giving that money back to people who have helped him become such a success. Since 2015, James has been handing out holiday bonuses to independent book store employees, and this year is no exception. ABC News says that 600 booksellers are set to get $500 in 2024!

Out of the 11 Iowa bookstores that are being rewarded this year, five of them are here in Eastern Iowa. The list includes:

Brandon Conrad @ The Nook, Cedar Falls

Bart Carithers @ Next Page Books, Cedar Rapids

Sue Davis @ River Lights Bookstore, Dubuque

Angela Forret @ Sidekick Coffee & Books, Iowa City

Nana Burford @ Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City

According to KCCI, James Patterson said in a press release, "Booksellers save lives. I'm happy to be able to acknowledge them and all their hard work this holiday season." All of the winners were nominated by winners were nominated by co-workers and customers, and there were reportedly thousands of entries this year. Congratulations to the awesome Iowans who were selected in 2024! You can check out the rest of the recipients HERE.

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