Nancy Pearl

The Los Angeles Times calls her “One Lusty Librarian.” Readers can’t get enough of her recommendations while bookstores and libraries offer standing room only whenever she visits. Since the release of the bestsellers Book Lust and More Book Lust, Pearl has become a rock star among readers and the tastemaker people turn to when deciding what to read next.

Pearl describes herself as a promiscuous reader. Having worked as a librarian and bookseller in Detroit, Tulsa, and Seattle, her knowledge of and love for books is unmatched. In 1998, she developed the program “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book,” which spread across the country. Pearl achieved broader fame with Book Lust, her guide to good reading. Pearl's approach to enjoying reading is the Rule of 50 which states "If you still don't like a book after slogging through the first 50 pages, set it aside. If you're more than 50 years old, subtract your age from 100 and only grant it that many pages. "

The former Executive Director of the Washington Center for the Book, Pearl celebrates the written word by speaking at bookstores and libraries across the country. She is a regular commentator about books on national Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and NPR affiliate stations KUOW in Seattle and KWGS in Tulsa.

In 2004, Pearl became the 50th winner of the Women’s National Book Association Award for her extraordinary contribution to the world of books. Pearl has received an unusual honor when the Seattle-based company Accoutrements created a librarian action figure in her likeness. Featuring Pearl with a stack of books and a finger to her lips, the doll's "push to shush" action was popular with some librarians and dismaying to others who felt that the doll reinforced librarian stereotypes. Pearl herself said that the shushing aspect of the action figure would determine "which librarians have a sense of humor."

Topics

Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason

What If We All Read the Same Book?