James Patterson has a new book out.

I know, you’re thinking, “He has a new book out every other week.  Who cares?”  I bought it because I am truly a dysfunctional girlfriend when it comes to him.

I continue to say, “Oh gosh, maybe he’s not that bad.  Maybe he’s changed.”  I have read A LOT of James Patterson books and last year I decided we were through.  I was tired of him slapping his name on books, probably written by other authors, and the fact that he is covering every damn genre out there.  He writes kids books too…seriously?  I read the comments on GoodReads and Barnes and Nobel and I was done with him.  I wasn’t reading his mass produced, churned out mess anymore.  I had joined the other Down with James Patterson Haters.

But…I really love Michael Bennet.  What I love the most about him, aside from the fact that he’s a cop and damn I do have a weakness for the men in blue, is that somehow even though he has ten foster kids and his wife died, Patterson makes it work.  I’m not sure how he does it, but he does and the books are good.  They’re not great, but they are good reads.  So, I bought Gone, I think it’s the 8th or 9th in the series.  Michael and his family are in hiding from a crazy drug lord that wants him dead…I know, I know.  I’ll read it and probably say, “Eh, not bad.”, but it won’t be the worst book I’ve ever read.

I got to thinking this morning as I started Chapter 3, I wonder if sometimes James Patterson is that super beautiful, killer body, guy at the gym.  You know, people look at him, decided he must be dumb, and make up stories to justify why water doesn’t ripple off their abs.

Do people get all riled up about him because he’s successful, obviously works and makes lots of money?  I mean, would there be such fury if he was just an independent, self published, writer cranking out a new book every week?  I don’t so.  No one would care.

But because he works the publishing world like no one’s business and he partners with authors and he makes what I’m sure are buckets of money, we get mad at him.  He’s never claimed to be Hemingway, but we expect more because he is successful.  Somehow he doesn’t deserve it and people begin to say that his work, “just isn’t what it used to be.”

Maybe it’s not and maybe he has turned into an American Idol writer, or it could be that people are just pissy they’re not living in the Hamptons.

My thoughts from the laundry room.  Can’t Put the Damn Book Down.

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