Barnes & Noble Discovers Its Sweet Tooth
Barnes & Noble via BizWire
Steve Almond's Candyfreak; All Summer 2004 Discover Great New Writers Selections Discounted 20%
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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2004--Barnes & Noble, Inc.
(NYSE:BKS), the world's largest bookseller, has selected Candyfreak: A
Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond as
one of its seasonal choices for the Summer 2004 "Discover Great New
Writers" program.
Almond has "eaten a piece of candy every single day of his entire
life." In Candyfreak, he reflects on his sweet childhood memories: the
"infamous campaign of 1973," which resulted in seven cavities, the
"Bubble Yum craze of 1974," and the joys of Halloween, the holiday
tailored to his "freakdom." "I can think of nothing on earth so
beautiful as the final haul on Halloween night, which for me, was ten
to fifteen pounds of candy... snub-nosed chocolate bars and SweeTARTS,
the seductive rattle of Jujyfruits and Good & Plenty and lollipop
sticks all akimbo... and a thick sugary perfume rising up from the
pillowcase," he writes. In Candyfreak, Almond embarks on a
cross-country journey to explore the origins of numerous toothsome
marvels.
"Candyfreak is one hilariously obsessed writer's odyssey in search
of the last of the great regional candy makers in America. Almond's
highly caloric masterpiece tosses out numerous chocolate-y rants and
ruminations, as he hunts down and exposes the clandestine secrets of
the Twin Bing, the Idaho Spud, the Five Star, and the legendary Goo
Goo Cluster, among others," said Lee Stern, the cookbook buyer for
Barnes & Noble, Inc.
"Almond's unbridled enthusiasm for confectionary delights is both
hilarious and infectious, and his book pays tribute to a substance
that evokes fond memories for readers of every ilk," said Jill Lamar,
manager and editor of the Discover Great New Writers program.
Discover Titles Discounted 20%
Discover Great New Writers' summer season includes seven novels --
plus a Spanish-language translation of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novel The
Shadow of the Wind -- two short story collections, and seven
nonfiction titles. The nonfiction selections include books in the
categories of cooking, history, social and political sciences, and
travel, as well as a memoir and an essay collection. The Summer
Discover titles, each discounted 20 percent, will be prominently
displayed in more than 600 Barnes & Noble bookstores across the
country from May through July 2004. (See attached table for authors
and titles.)
The Discover Great New Writers program, now in its 15th year, is
the leader in uncovering new and unheralded literary talents, with an
unparalleled record of finding tomorrow's literary stars from today's
publishing newcomers. A volunteer group of Barnes & Noble booksellers
considered the works of more than 130 authors for the summer program.
Over the years, Discover has prominently featured and promoted such
writers as Yann Martel, James Frey, Michel Faber, Sebastian Junger,
Frank McCourt, Jeffrey Eugenidies, Laura Hillenbrand, Hampton Sides
and Tracy Chevalier, among dozens of authors who've gone on to become
household names and the winners of prestigious literary awards.
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS) is the world's largest
bookseller, operating 647 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 49 states. It
also operates 195 B. Dalton Bookseller stores, primarily in regional
shopping malls. The company offers titles from more than 50,000
publisher imprints, including thousands of small, independent
publishers and university presses. It conducts its e-commerce business
through Barnes & Noble.com (NASDAQ: BNBN) (http://www.bn.com).
Barnes & Noble also has approximately a 65 percent interest in
GameStop (NYSE: GME), the nation's largest video-game and
entertainment-software specialty retailer with 1,514 stores.
General financial information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be
obtained via the Internet by visiting the company's corporate Web
site: http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/financials.
SUMMER 2004 DISCOVER GREAT NEW WRITERS SELECTIONS
Title Author Genre Publisher
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Candyfreak Steve Almond Cooking Dial Press
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Queen of the Turtle
Derby and Other Essay
Southern Phenomena Julia Reed Collection Random House
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A Chance Meeting Rachel Cohen History Random House
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Pull Me Up Dan Barry Memoir W.W. Norton
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The Half Brother Lars Christensen Novel Arcade
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Heaven Lake John Dalton Novel Scribner
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Michelle De
The Hamilton Case Kretser Novel Little, Brown
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Ordinary Wolves Seth Kantner Novel Milkweed Editions
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The Gilded Chamber Rebecca Kohn Novel Rugged Land
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Nina Marie
Caramba! Martinez Novel Knopf
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Like the Red Panda Andrea Seigel Novel Harcourt
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The Shadow of the Carlos Ruiz
Wind Zafron Novel Penguin Press
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Political
Raid on the Sun Rodger W. Claire Science Broadway Books
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Social
Blue Blood Edward Conlon Sciences Riverhead Books
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Carlos Ruiz
La Sombra del Viento Zafron Spanish Planeta
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What to Wear to See
the Pope Christine Lehner Stories Carroll & Graf
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Animal Crackers Hannah Tinti Stories Dial Press
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Travel
Holy Cow Sarah Macdonald Essay Broadway Books
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