Get Pop-Cultured™ with Barnes & Noble Continues with Exciting Events Including Minions Fun, Star Wars Saturday, Manga Mania and Much More

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the nation's largest retail bookseller and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced an unbeatable lineup of exciting events for customers of all ages and interests during week three of Get Pop-Cultured. The action-packed week starts off with a special To Kill a Mockingbird Read-A-Thon at all Barnes & Noble stores nationwide today, Monday, July 13. Throughout the day, customers are invited to visit their local store and celebrate Harper Lee by participating in an all-day Read-A-Thon of her acclaimed classic novel. Those who are interested should contact their local store to sign up to read and to get further details, including what special guest readers will be appearing.

Then, on the morning of July 14, Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will open early at 7 a.m. so customers can get their copies of Go Set a Watchman first. Those who visit the Barnes & Noble Café from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. will get a free tall hot coffee with their purchase of Go Set a Watchman. Plus, in every store, the first 20 customers to buy the book will receive a free exclusive To Kill a Mockingbird reusable tote.

The fun continues with this week's Throwback Thursday, which will celebrate the 1970s. Themed activities from the colorful decade include a Rubik's Cube Challenge, celebrating the iconic Rubik's Cube which has sold more than 350 million units worldwide. Exciting giveaways from the decade include Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Go Ask Alice book cover posters, both highly popular books with young readers and teens during the 1970s, available while supplies last.

Customers are then invited to come back to their local store for a series of can't-miss events honoring some of the hottest and most spectacular licenses in pop culture including the Minions Fun event on Friday, July 17, and Star Wars Saturday on Saturday, July 18. Manga Mania celebrates another pervasive genre in pop culture and closes the thrilling week on a high-note on Sunday, July 19, during which fans of the genre and new customers will have the opportunity to discover more about this popular style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels. Barnes & Noble has expanded its selection of Manga and Graphic Novels to double the size in all stores nationwide just in time for the Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble campaign.

Harper Lee Celebration – Monday, July 13, and Tuesday, July 14

Today, Monday, July 13, all Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will read Harper Lee's beloved classic To Kill a Mockingbird from start to finish. The Read-A-Thon will feature a variety of special guest readers, including local authors and celebrities at select stores throughout the country. Highlights include author of four New York Times bestselling novels Wally Lamb and Emmy and Tony Award winner Leslie Uggams at our Union Square store in New York City and Barnes & Noble Discover author Cynthia Bond, along with actress Joely Fisher, award-winning author Attica Locke and actress, activist and New York Times Bestselling author Annabelle Gurwitch at our Grove store in Los Angeles.

The Read-A-Thon is being hosted in anticipation of the release of Harper Lee's new novel, Go Set a Watchman, which goes on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, July 14. Barnes & Noble stores nationwide will open early at 7 a.m. so customers can get their copy first, and customers who visit the Barnes & Noble Café from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. will get a free tall hot coffee with their purchase of Go Set a Watchman. In addition, there's still time for customers to order Go Set a Watchman online at BN.com with guaranteed delivery on the on-sale date, July 14. Barnes & Noble said that all pre-orders of the hardcover edition of Go Set a Watchman (ISBN 9780062409850) placed on BN.com on or before 12 p.m. Eastern Time on July 13 will be delivered July 14, the on-sale date. Restrictions apply.*

Throwback Thursday 1970s – Thursday, July 16

New to Get Pop-Cultured this year, and the cornerstone of the exciting Get Pop-Cultured campaign, customers are invited to their local Barnes & Noble store every Thursday in July to join us for a nostalgic journey through the most iconic moments in pop culture from the 1950s through the 1990s. This Thursday, July 16, is dedicated to the 1970s, and all stores nationwide will be hosting fun themed activities based on the colorful decade including a 1970s-style Rubik's Cube Challenge, celebrating one of the most iconic and recognizable toys of that decade. The challenge is an interactive and fun event where customers will have 30 seconds to solve the cube before handing it off to the next person in line and trying again with another cube. The Rubiks Cube is one of the most popular toys across the world and has been heralded as a work of art. Customers should contact their local Barnes & Noble for more details on what additional events will be taking place to celebrate the 1970s.

As always during Barnes & Noble's weekly Throwback Thursday events, special deals from the decade will round out the excitement. This week, stores nationwide will have special offers including 50% off an exclusive hardcover edition of the 1970's bestseller Sophie's Choice featuring the original cover. Additionally, stores will have a giveaway of book cover posters for two of the most popular books with young readers and teens during the 1970s, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Go Ask Alice, while supplies last. In addition, the vinyl editions of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Fleetwood Mac's Rumors will be available for sale, and select NOOK Books^® iconic to the 1970s will be discounted to throwback prices for a limited time only: Jaws by Peter Benchley, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and Killer Angels by Michael Shaara will all be $1.99, while My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok and Terminal Man by Michael Crichton will be $2.99. Customers can also visit a specially crafted Throwback Thursday display wall in-stores, which will feature fun facts, images, products and more from the decade. It provides the perfect opportunity for customers to learn more about the time period and take pictures to share on social media, using the hashtags #TBT and #GetPopCultured.

Minions Fun – Friday, July 17, at 7 p.m.

On July 10, the Minions movie hit theaters nationwide, so there's no better time for the Barnes & Noble's Minions Fun event on Friday, July 17, at 7 p.m. Customers are encouraged to hurry to their local store to sign up now for Minions Fun as the event is expected to fill up quickly. During Minions Fun, participants get the invaluable opportunity to become a certified Minion and attend a thrilling Villain-Con in Barnes & Noble stores where they will use their discerning eye on the search for the most despicable villain to follow. Participants will also learn some Minion Banana Language, assemble Minions Goggles, receive a Villain-Con Villains Map and a Choose Your Villain sticker sheet, and have the chance to color a cast of villain characters, to become fully immersed in the Minions culture. After participating in the Minion-tastic event, customers will receive a hard-earned, personalized Minion Certificate of Excellence. Customers who are interested should contact their local store to sign up for the can't-miss event, as there is a limit to how many can participate.

Star Wars Saturday – Saturday, July 18

On December 18, Episode VII in the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters and is guaranteed to be a box office blockbuster. To increase the anticipation for its huge success, Barnes & Noble stores nationwide are hosting a celebratory Star Wars Saturday event, which will give fans of all ages (whether they like Rebels, Wookies, Storm Troopers, Jedi Knights, or all of the above) the amazing opportunity to visit their local store and participate in cosplay and fun themed activities, including trivia, and crafts. Customers should contact their local Barnes & Noble for more details on what events will be taking place to celebrate Star Wars during the event.

Exciting giveaways will be available to amplify the force at the event, including the opportunity to enter for the chance to win a life-sized Yoda standee at the close of the Get Pop-Cultured celebration. Other featured giveaways at the event include a Star Wars water bottle pouch, a Star Wars timeline poster, a William Shakespeare's Clone Army Attacketh poster and a Star Wars Marvel comic sampler, available while supplies last. Customers should contact their local Barnes & Noble for complete details.

Manga Mania – Sunday, July 19

Fans of Manga and those just discovering the exciting genre can come to Barnes & Noble on Sunday, July 19, to learn more about this popular style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels. During the Manga Mania event, all stores nationwide will feature a very special offer of buy 2 get the 3^rd free on all Manga running through July 25. On July 19, stores will host a "Learn to Draw Manga" event for all ages based on the techniques of artist Chris Hart. The day of the event, select Chris Hart Manga drawing books will be 30% off and there will be giveaways of posters and samplers of favorite Manga series. Customers should contact their local Barnes & Noble for more details.

Just in time for the Get Pop-Cultured celebration, and due to strong customer demand and the growing popularity of Manga and Graphic Novels, Barnes & Noble has expanded its selection. All Barnes & Noble stores now feature a larger assortment of new titles, with eye-catching signage on bookshelves that directs customers to series and characters they'll want to know more about, making for easier browsing and discovery. Customers should visit their local Barnes & Noble for more details about Manga and Graphic Novels and to shop the expanded selection today.

Authors, Illustrators, Celebrities and More

Throughout the Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble campaign, stores across the country are welcoming customers' favorite authors, illustrators, and celebrities. Major highlights during week three include Mary McDonough of The Waltons (Barnes & Noble in Denver, CO),

Cindy Williams of Laverne & Shirley (Barnes & Noble at The Grove in Los Angeles) and bestselling author Chris Colfer of Glee (Barnes & Noble at the Grove in Los Angeles). Customers should contact their local Barnes & Noble store to find out which authors will appear during Get Pop-Cultured.

Get Pop-Cultured Sweepstakes from NOOK^®

At all Get Pop-Cultured events and throughout the month of July, customers can visit the NOOK Counter to enter for a chance to win a $1,000 Barnes & Noble Gift Card. To enter, customers can visit the NOOK Boutique^® at their local Barnes & Noble store anytime between July 1 and July 31, where they should look for the specially created Get Pop-Cultured NOOK App^™ on the NOOK devices displayed.

Get Pop-Cultured on Social Media

Pop culture fans should follow Barnes & Noble on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and like Barnes & Noble on Facebook for the very latest information on Get Pop-Cultured with Barnes & Noble, including announcements about upcoming events and promotions. Pop culture fans can also follow NOOK on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Instagram.

Barnes & Noble will be announcing more events, including exciting author appearances and signings, as well as giveaways and exclusive content and products, throughout the Get Pop-Cultured month of July. For a full schedule of local events and author appearances, and for more details regarding giveaways, competitions and sweepstakes, visit www.bn.com/GetPop-Cultured.

*Expedited delivery applies only to orders of Go Set a Watchman delivered to valid US addresses. All other products purchased with this order will be delivered separately as and when indicated in the order.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. BKS is a Fortune 500 company and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. The Company operates 648 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites, BN.com (www.bn.com). The NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC operates 724 bookstores serving over five million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained by visiting the Company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

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About Nook Digital, LLC

NOOK reading and entertainment products make it easy to Read What You Love, Anywhere You Like^™ with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive digital reading experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to the expansive NOOK Store^® of more than 4 million digital books in the US and UK, plus periodicals, comics, apps, movies and TV shows, and the ability to enjoy content across a wide array of popular devices through Free NOOK Reading Apps^™. Find NOOK devices in Barnes & Noble stores and online at www.nook.com, as well as leading retailers including Best Buy, Walmart, Target and many others. NOOK products are available in the United Kingdom at leading retailers; NOOK content can be purchased at www.nook.co.uk.

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