Shop Barnes&Noble.com - Why Not?

Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States. It operates mainly through its chain of bookstores headquartered in New York City. The company is known for large, upscale retail outlets, many of which contain cafes serving Starbuck's Coffee, and for deeply discounted bestsellers. The company operates over 700 stores (as of October 2010) in all 50 US states in addition to over 600 college bookstores.


Barnes & Noble originated in 1873 when Charles Barnes opened a book-printing business in Illinois. The first true bookstore was set up in 1917 in New York City. Before creating its website, the company sold books directly to customers through mail-order catalogs. It first began selling books online in the late 1980's, but the company's website was not launched until 1997. The site now carries over 2 million titles.


I first fell in love with Barnes & Noble bookstores in the late '90s. I was living in a small town at the time and when the store opened up, it was a BIG deal. The atmosphere was so appealing. I was immediately lured in. Reading has always been a hobby of mine, so I would go there and spend hours looking at the latest releases and sipping on a latte. I still enjoy doing that.


Even though Barnes & Nobles is technically my competitor (since I own an online bookstore, too) I still shop there. I think they have an amazing business model. I have tried to implement some of their strategies. I have learned from them. I know The Quality Corner will never be as big as Barnes & Noble. I don't even hope to. I've only wanted to have a small piece of the business. However, I firmly believe in the saying, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So, I have become an affiliate of Barnes&Noble.com. You will see links to their products on my blog. Since B&N is such a large company, they are able to offer some great prices. Honestly, it's hard for me to have competitive prices. I want my readers to get the best possible deals. As an affiliate, I will pass on the best deals to you. Enjoy!

The Firm by John Grisham - Now on TV

John Grisham's bestselling novel, The Firm, has been turned into a television show. The 2-hour pilot aired on NBC Sunday, January 8. The show is regularly scheduled to air on Thursday evenings. "The Firm" continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere and his family 10 years after the events of the novel. As a young associate, McDeere brought down a prestigious Memphis law firm, which operated as a front for the Chicago mob -- and his life was never the same. After a difficult decade, which included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection program, Mitch and his family now attempt to reclaim their lives and their future -- only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere. 

The executive producers are Grisham, Lukas Reiter ("Law &; Order," "Boston Legal"), John Morayniss ("Haven," "Hung"), Michael Rosenberg ("Hung," "Skins") and Noreen Halpern ("Rookie Blue," "Hung"). The cast includes Josh Lucas as Mitch McDeere, Callum Keith Rennie, Molly Parker, Natasha Calis and Juliette Lewis.

I watched the premiere and I was very impressed. When I first heard about the show, I wondered how the writers would keep it fresh week after week. I guess that still remains to be seen. However, the premiere really whet my appetite. The show seems very interesting and I can't wait for the next episode. Set your DVR - you won't want to miss this show.

For additional information, go to www.nbc.com/the-firm

Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible

Paula Deen recently released a new cookbook.  At this time of year, many people are cooking and baking more frequently.  I certainly am.  I have baked brownies, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, bread pudding and zucchini bread in the past few weeks.  I can hardly believe it!  We've had dessert every evening.  This new cookbook is right on time.  I love Paula Deen's cooking show.  She is a woman after my own heart.  I love to cook and I love butter!

Here is the publisher's synopsis of Deen's new cookbook -

For those who love cooking, the Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible (2011) provides a huge recipe collection of southern meals and hospitality. The various recipes framed in this regional cuisine book illustrate the diversity and originality of southern cuisine. Major highlights in this recipe book by Paula Deen include gumbos and collards; barbecues and pies; etc. This regional cuisine book also features 100 “how-to” illustrations that demonstrate techniques to peel a shrimp; to make sweet potato balls without getting marshmallow all over your hands and more. The vibrant, colorful photos included in this recipe book by Paula Deen make the cookery book more engaging and appealing. The Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible (2011) has been dialectically structured and starts with hot and cold appetizers and ends with cakes, cookies, and pies.

In true Paula fashion, here is a note from her about the new book -

Hi, y’all!

This book is my proudest achievement so far, and I just have to tell y’all why I am so excited about it. It’s a book of classic dishes, dedicated to a whole new generation of cooks—for every bride, graduate, and anyone who has a love of a great Southern meal. My family is growing and expanding all the time. We’re blessed with marriages and grandbabies, and so sharing these recipes for honest, down-home dishes feels like passing a generation’s worth of stovetop secrets on to my family, and yours.

I’ve been cooking and eating Southern food my whole life, and I can tell you that every meal you make from this book will be a mouthful of our one-of-a-kind spirit and traditions. These recipes showcase the diversity and ingenuity of Southern cuisine, from Cajun to Low-Country and beyond, highlighting the deep cultural richness of our gumbos and collards, our barbecues and pies. You may remember a few beloved classics from The Lady & Sons, but nearly all of these recipes are brand-new—and I think you’ll find that they are all mouthwateringly delicious. It is, without a doubt, a true Southern cooking bible.

I sincerely hope that this book will take its place in your kitchen for many years to come, as I know it will in mine. Here’s to happy cooking—and the best part, happy eating, y’all!

Best dishes,

Paula Deen

I just love Paula Deen.  If you like her as much as I do, you'll love her new cookbook.  Buy Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible at www.thequalitycorner.com

Author Spotlight - Nicholas Sparks

I think it's interesting to peer into the background of various authors.  I enjoy learning about how they got started with their career and what their day-to-day life is like.  Recently, I have added a feature to my blog and newsletter - "Author Spotlight."  This feature will allow fans to get to know the person behind our favorite reads.  Here is Nicholas Sparks' biography:

Nicholas Charles Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 31, 1965, the second son of Patrick Michael (1942-1996) and Jill Emma Marie (Thoene) Sparks (1942-1989). His siblings are Michael Earl Sparks (b. Dec. 1964), and Danielle Sparks (b. Dec. 1966, d. June, 2000). As a child, he lived in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska, finally settling in Fair Oaks, California, at the age of eight. His father was a professor, his mother a homemaker, then an optometrist’s assistant. He lived in Fair Oaks through high school, graduated valedictorian in 1984, and received a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.

After breaking the Notre Dame school record as part of a relay team in 1985 as a freshman (a record which still stands), he was injured and spent the summer recovering. During that summer, he wrote his first novel, though it was never published. He majored in Business Finance and graduated with high honors in 1988.

He and his wife Catherine, who met on spring break in 1988, were married in July 1989. While living in Sacramento, he wrote his second novel that same year, though again, it wasn’t published. He worked a variety of jobs over the next three years, including real estate appraisal, waiting tables, selling dental products by phone, and started his own small manufacturing business which struggled from the beginning. In 1990, he collaborated on a book with Billy Mills, the Olympic Gold Medalist, and it was published by Feather Publishing before later being picked up by Random House. (It was later re-issued by Hay House Books.) Though it received scant publicity, sales topped 50,000 copies in the first year of release.

He began selling pharmaceuticals and moved from Sacramento, California to North Carolina in 1992. In 1994, at the age of 28, he wrote The Notebook over a period of six months. In October 1995, rights to The Notebook were sold to Warner Books. It was published in October 1996, and he followed that with Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005), At First Sight (a sequel to True Believer) (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010) and a non-fiction memoir, Three Weeks With My Brother (2004), written with his brother, Micah, all with Warner Books / Grand Central Publishing. All were domestic and international best sellers, with almost $80 million in worldwide sales, and were translated into more than 45 languages. His newest book, The Best of Me, will be released in October 2011.

The film version of Message in a Bottle, starring Kevin Costner and Robin Wright, was released in 1999, A Walk to Remember, starring Mandy Moore, was released in January 2002, and The Notebook, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, was released in June, 2004. Nights in Rodanthe, starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane, was released in September 2008. Dear John, starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried, and The Last Song, starring Miley Cyrus and Greg Kinnear, were released in 2010 to great box office success. The Lucky One, starring Zac Efron, has a tentative release date of spring 2012. His ancestry is German, Czech, English and Irish; he’s 5’10” and weighs 185lbs. He is an avid athlete who exercises daily. He attends church regularly and reads approximately 125 books a year. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. Along with his wife, he founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina, and he spent five years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. Nicholas lives in North Carolina with his wife and family.

SOURCE:  www.nicholassparks.com

Book Review - "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks has become known as the king of love stories.  In his novel, Safe Haven, he tells the story of a young woman looking for a fresh start.  Katie has moved to the small North Carolina town of Southport.  She finds a small, cozy cottage to live in and she begins working as a waitress at the local diner.  Southport is a quiet southern town that suits Katie well.  Her aim is to live a quiet life and leave her past behind.

As she goes about her daily activities, Katie encounters a local shop owner.  Alex is immediately interested in this mysterious, attractive young woman.  He is a widower raising two small children on his own.  He perceives that Katie has been through a lot in her life.  Slowly, a friendship is cultivated and a romance ensues.  Katie and Alex are very cautious with their hearts.  Despite their initial apprehension, they fall in love.  It is a heartwarming romance.

Regardless of Katie's efforts to leave her past behind, it comes back to haunt her.  The past threatens her chance for happiness with her new love, Alex.  In the end, their love prevails against all odds.

At first glance, Safe Haven may sound like just another love story.  However, Nicholas Sparks has such a gift for engaging the reader in the story.  The way the characters come to know each other and fall in love is captivating.  Sparks weaves in the story of Katie's past throughout the novel and grips the reader's attention.  This technique was reminiscent of another beloved Sparks novel, A Bend in the Road.  As readers are given brief glimpses into the past, our interest is piqued.

Safe Haven reminded me very much of the 1991 psychological thriller film, Sleeping With the Enemy, starring Julia Roberts.  I enjoyed this novel very much.  My only criticism is for the ending.  I was not a fan of the implications at the end.  I don't want to give it away, so I'll say no more.  Judge for yourself.  Overall, I give this book "two thumbs up."

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