While NOOK owners might argue that reading is America’s Pastime, much of the country is preoccupied with the potential that this brand new Major League Baseball season brings. April is the time when every fan still clings to the hope that this is the year the home team will finally achieve immortal glory on the diamond.
Baseball has always been a cerebral sport, and there's no shortage of excellent books celebrating the game. To help pass the time on your team’s off days, we present a collection of baseball NOOK Books that range from an inspiring autobiography to a brand new John Grisham baseball tale.
From that first home run of 1923 to the storybook World Series matchup that pitted the Yankees against their nemesis from across the Harlem River—one so acrimonious that John McGraw forced his Giants to get to the Bronx in uniform rather than suit up at the Stadium—Robert Weintraub vividly illuminates the singular year that built a classic stadium, catalyzed a franchise, cemented Babe Ruth's legend, and forever changed the sport of baseball. The House That Ruth Built is available for $3.99 for a limited time.
The systematic analysis of baseball statistics, often called "sabermetrics," has evolved in recent years to resemble something of a science, attracting fans from diverse professional and educational backgrounds, all fascinated by the analysis itself and its insights into the game. But one problem has defied solution: estimating runs saved by fielders throughout history. Traditional statistics include errors and plays made, but not hits that could or should have been prevented. The latter can now be estimated using records of the location of every batted ball, but the underlying data exists only for recent seasons and has generally been withheld from the public. In Wizardry: Baseball's All-Time Greatest Fielders Revealed—available for $3.99 for a limited time—Michael Humphreys offers the long-awaited breakthrough.
Whatever happened to Calico Joe?
It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a twenty-one-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz.
In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records.
Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever…
In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes Calico Joe a classic.
On an overcast September day in 1993, Jim Abbott took the mound at Yankee Stadium and threw one of the most dramatic no-hitters in Major League history. The game was the crowning achievement in an unlikely success story, unseen in the annals of professional sports. In Imperfect, the one-time big league ace retraces his remarkable journey.
Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott as a boy dreamed of being a great athlete. Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who saw in his condition not a disability but an extraordinary opportunity, Jim became a two-sport standout in high school, then an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan.
But his journey was only beginning...
Free sample excerpts from these books are available for download on the product pages now!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search by author name to download these spectacular seasonal reads.
Read more...
It's National Poetry Month, which is always a reminder to expand my horizons and read some poetry on my NOOK. One book that really caught my eye this year is Poems After Midnight, a $0.99 collection of poems from a diverse group of poets like Frank O'Hara and Philip Levine. Poets have always been inspired by the mystery and poignancy of those dark nighttime hours when our imagination is most fertile, and the poems collected here celebrate that affinity.
If you’re ready to delve into some full poetry collections this month, we’ve created a list of titles that spans the entire canon—from Homer's The Iliad to Billy Collins' Horoscopes for the Dead. While Homer might be surprised to see his verse being devoured on an eReader, I’m pretty sure he’d just be happy to know his work is still being enjoyed almost 3000 years later. Check out these great NOOK poetry books here.
Free sample excerpts from these books are available for download on the product pages now!
Read more...
At long last, Mad Men finally returns for its 5th season this Sunday. After a long hiatus, the show that’s captivated viewers with its stylish recreation of 1960s Madison Avenue life is back.
If you’re looking to learn more about the smoke-filled and booze-fueled world of the mid-century advertising business, check out these illuminating NOOK Books:
Refresh your memory—it’s been almost a year-and-a-half since Season 2 concluded—with the comprehensive episode guide Kings of Madison Avenue. More than just a blow-by-blow recap, McClean’s book offers sociological and cultural context for the show’s themes and plot points.
In Mad Women, a real-life Peggy Olsen—Jane Maas—reveals what it was really like to be a young woman working on Madison Avenue in the ‘60s and ‘70s, leaving no secret untold. Think the ribald world of Sterling Cooper Draper Price is far-fetched? Think again.
The only Mad Men star bigger than John Hamm is the show’s impeccable fashion. In fact, life’s begun imitating art, with professional men and women taking a cue from the show and upgrading their work-day wardrobe to emulate their favorite characters. In her beautiful book, The Fashion File, the show's Emmy-award winning costume designer Janie Bryant takes readers behind the scenes, and into the closets, of Mad Men. Now anyone can look like they’ve stepped straight off of the set.
Free sample excerpts from these books are available for download on the product pages now!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search by author name to download these books before Sunday’s premiere.
Read more...While everyone else is fixated on the meteorological prognostications of Punxsutawney Phil and his rodent brethren today, my memory strays to the unparalleled Bill Murray film Groundhog Day. The always-reliable Murray is at his cantankerously charming best playing a local weatherman who wakes up day after day, doomed to relive the day before. In his case, tomorrow never comes.
Last year, our blogger Paul Goat Allen introduced a fun list of Groundhog Day reads—books that you’ve read many times, and still can’t get enough of. A devoted science fiction and fantasy reader, Paul’s entries unsurprisingly included Dune and Treason, among others. This year, I’m adding my own addition, and I hope you’ll share some Groundhog Day books of your own.
My pick:
With such melancholy subject matter, it’s a bit surprising that I keep finding myself drawn to Iris Murdoch’s The Sea, The Sea . When a theater director retires to a seaside cottage, he quickly embroils himself in a real-life drama of Shakespearean proportions. As he single-mindedly pursues a married former flame, without regard for propriety or common sense, you both empathize and despise his single-minded mission.
Please add your Groundhog Day reads to the comments below, and share on Twitter, using #groundhogdaybook as well!
A free sample excerpt from The Sea, The Sea is available for download on the product page now.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Iris Murdoch” to download her many award-winning novels.
Read more...NOOK Books are perfectly-suited for instant gratification—available immediately whenever the mood strikes. But that shouldn’t stop you from looking ahead at exciting upcoming titles. With books, like everything else, much of the fun is in the anticipation.
That’s why we want to bring your attention to some of the most hottest NOOK Books coming down the pipeline. Think about it this way, pre-ordering a NOOK Book is like giving a little present to your future self. He or she will be thankful when the on-sale date arrives.
NOOK Books Coming Soon
On February 7, bullets will fly as Vince Flynn’s latest thriller, Kill Shot, hits stores. Fact meets fiction when the young Mitch Rapp takes on a deadly mission to hunt down the men responsible for the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack.
A different sort of drama can be found in Two Truths and a Lie, the third book in Sarah Shepard’s Lying Game series, also available starting February 7. Teen readers are entranced with this newest series from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Lies series. Shepard impeccably captures the social dynamic of a group of high school girls who are haunted by the disappearance of a former friend, in this Desperate Housewives meets Gossip Girl mash-up.
In late February, Jodi Picoult will release what is sure to be her newest bestselling novel, Lone Wolf. With each new book, Picoult’s evocative writing and adept plotting deservedly win her even more new fans. Picoult is known for tackling difficult issues head on, and in her latest, she explores the emotional family struggle that follows a devastating accident. A father lies on his deathbed, while his daughter and estranged son wrestle with the decision of whether to end his life, or hold on to a slim hope that he’ll survive. Picoult’s latest tour-de-force is bound to be worth the wait.
There are many more great NOOK Books coming soon. Click here to explore them all.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search by author name to pre-order these highly-anticipated books now.
Read more...This week we’re welcoming a lot of new NOOK owners to the NOOK Blog. Since so many NOOKs were unwrapped over the holidays, I want to make sure that everyone is finding plenty of great books to start downloading right away.
Our NOOK Facebook community is packed with passionate and avid readers, so we asked seasoned NOOK owners which books they’d recommend for new NOOK owners. Here are some of their top picks:
Even before it was a blockbuster movie, The Help by Kathryn Stockett was a hit among NOOK readers, and they still recommend it as a can't-miss read.
Epic fantasy is more mainstream than ever, and George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series couldn't be hotter. HBO's Game of Thrones TV series is attracting new fans to this longtime fantasy fan favorite. Start with the first book, A Game of Thrones, to see why NOOK readers are so passionate about this saga.
Non-fiction readers deemed Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit an instant classic, and her latest book, Unbroken, is another critically-acclaimed bestseller. This account of the legendary Olympic runner and World War II Airforce hero Louis Zamperini is one of the most powerful books in recent memory.
Stephen King has dominated the bone-chilling suspense market for almost four decades, but his latest novel, 11/22/63, is a fascinating departure from his stock-in-trade. In this alternative history, King asks: What if you could turn back the clock and prevent JFK's assasination? Would you do it, and what would the ultimate consequences be?
With the upcoming release of One for the Money - the film based on Janet Evanovich's irresistible Stephanie Plum series - the mega-bestselling author has never been more beloved. So it's no surprise that NOOK readers recommend her hilarious mysteries, including the latest, Explosive Eighteen, as top picks.
Free sample excerpts from these books are available for download on the product pages now!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search by author name to download these reader-recommended titles.
Read more...
New York Times bestselling author Chris Culver’s newest thriller, Just Run, is available now for just $0.99!
Fans of cerebral, fast-paced thrillers will immediately be drawn to Dr. Renee Carter, a mathematics professor who got her street smarts from her poker-playing dad. Where others see a jumble of numbers, she sees patterns that can sometimes lead to shocking conclusions. When she and a colleague start closing in on some nefarious activity lurking in a secret database, and then he turns up dead, Renee is suddenly catapulted into a dangerous conspiracy. As the conspiracy widens and the danger grows, Renee has only one choice: Just run!
A free sample excerpt from Chris’s book is available for download on the product page now!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Chris Culver” to download his bestselling books now.
Read more...
Angie is one of 25 avid Susan Mallery fans who have formed the 2011 Fool’s Gold Varsity Cheerleading Squad. The cheerleaders are telling friends and total strangers about how much they love the Fool’s Gold romances, earning prizes along the way. Among this very enthusiastic group, Angela is a standout. She went to a Florida resort for a week and formed a Susan Mallery Fan Club with other resort goers, talking Fool’s Gold around the pool, handing out bookmarks in the lobby, and convincing forty readers that Only Mine was a perfect beach read! Back at home, Angie regularly visits her local Barnes & Noble to put a Fool’s Gold bookmark into every Susan Mallery book on the shelf, as a special gift for Susan’s fans. And of course, she’s driving a car that’s decorated with a Fool’s Gold car magnet.
When we offered Angie the chance to interview Susan for an exclusive NOOK Blog post, she jumped at the opportunity. Who better to ask the questions that every fan wants to know than the biggest fan of all! The latest Fool’s Gold book, Only His, is available now for NOOK.
Angie: I LOVE your new Fool's Gold series set in a small town in California and the corresponding web site (www.foolsgoldca.com)! One of my favorite characters is Jo, the owner of Jo's Bar which caters to women by showing HGTV and Project Runway and serving men in the back. Is Jo going to get her HEA and/or can you give us any hints about her?
Susan: Lots of readers are very intrigued by Jo, as are the people in Fool’s Gold. Jo arrived in town three years ago and opened her female-centric bar. She’s made a lot of friends but has remained very tight-lipped about her past. Rumors have been flying – is she an abused wife fleeing from her spouse? Is she a mafia princess in Witness Protection? You’ll learn more about where Jo comes from (and where she’s going) in ONLY HIS, available on September 27.
Angie: We've all heard the stories of fans following authors into restrooms, naming children after characters, etc. What is the craziest, funniest, wildest or most touching thing one of your fans has ever done?
Susan: I love my readers. Love, love, love them. The most touching moments for me are when readers tell me they read my books to get through difficult times. Even more emotional, when they're reading my books to a friend or family member going through a tough time.
I did get a great letter once from a woman who had just gone through a hideous move. They had traveled cross country with three small children, two of whom were sick. They arrived at their house and the furniture didn't. It was stuck somewhere. She was completely on the edge. They had nowhere to go, little money and she was five seconds from hysteria.
Her husband ran to the grocery store, got take out, bubble bath and a random book, which happened to be mine. After he got home, he told her to lock herself in the bathroom, take a bath and read until she was feeling better. My book (okay and the great guy and the bath) brought her back from the edge and she's been a fan ever since.
Angie: By following you on Facebook--and you're a lot of fun, BTW--I learned that you meet up with other author friends for a plot group. Can you tell us something about this group? Are there any "rules" you follow? What is the biggest benefit to this? Would you suggest aspiring authors get involved in plot groups?
Susan: Thank you! I have a lot of fun on Facebook with my readers. (www.facebook.com/susanmallery) We play games, and I often come to them to help me name characters. In 2010, they even created a character from scratch – veterinarian Cameron McKenzie, who will be the hero of a Christmas ebook I’m putting out this year, Only Us: A Fool's Gold Christmas. (Actually, my Facebook fans created Cameron, his daughter Kaitlyn, and their sheltie Noah.)
My plot group meets twice a year. Each member of the group comes with rough thoughts on two stories. We devote two hours to each story, recording each session. When we first start, we let the ideas fly. I liken it to a jazz ensemble – we riff off each other. It’s invigorating! We allow the person whose book we’re brainstorming to direct us away from any ideas that don’t work for her. By the time each session ends, we should have identified the story’s main conflict and each of the major turning points, providing a basic framework for the plot.
The biggest benefit is that getting ideas from different minds opens up your own mind and sends you in directions that you didn’t anticipate – which means more surprises for the readers. I adore my plot group, but I couldn’t recommend it for every writer because every writer works differently. What I will suggest to aspiring writers is that you try it to see whether it works for you.
Angie: It's meant so much to me to be a part of the Varsity Fool's Gold cheerleaders and I know you are a reader as well as a writer. Have you ever had your own "fan girl" moment? Tell us about it.
Susan: I saw my local TV weather guy in my grocery store the other day. Does that count? Actually it kind of freaked me out. He must have been doing a local shoot because he was wearing TV make-up and buying yogurt. It was strange. Both the make-up and the yogurt.
Okay--fan moments... I do have authors whose work I adore, but being published and all, I try to be cool about it. You know, say hi, introduce myself. But on the *inside* I'm jumping and shrieking.
Angie: Finally, I know you are releasing a women's fiction book each year--The Best of Friends in 2010 and Already Home in 2011. Can you tell me something about the new one to be released in 2012?
Susan: Barefoot Season (April 2012) is the first book of my brand new Blackberry Island series. Michelle and Carly grew up on Blackberry Island closer than sisters, until two shocking acts of betrayal tore them apart. As the book starts, Michelle, who’s been wounded in Afghanistan, is returning to the island for the first time since she fled ten years earlier. Carly is the last person she wants to see, but Michelle is forced to work with her former best friend to save the inn they both love.
A free sample excerpt from Susan’s books are available for download on the product pages now.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Susan Mallery” to download her popular books.
Visit Susan Mallery online at www.susanmallery.com!
Read more...
An autumn chill is already in the air across much of the country. While it’s hard to say goodbye to the summer months, fall’s bounty certainly offers great new opportunities for the home cook.
These three wonderful NOOK cookbooks will help you transition from fresh tomato salad to more rib-sticking fare this autumn.
101 Autumn Recipes Cookbook has you covered all season long. Football fans will fall in love with tailgating fare like cheddar bacon balls, trick-or-treaters will be lined up at your door for spider web cookies, and you’ll have a new holiday classic on your hands with herb garden turkey breast.
Quick & Easy Autumn Cookbook is tailor-made for busy families who still value the importance of a home-cooked meal. With most recipes containing 8 ingredients or fewer and with a prep time of around 30 minutes, you can enjoy wholesome meals without too much fuss. There’s even a chapter devoted to everyone’s favorite cold-weather time-saver: the slow cooker!
If you're looking for a cookbook exclusively geared for Halloween merrymaking, Taste of Home Halloween! is the book for you. This comprehensive book, from the folks behind the popular Taste of Home magazine, features old-fashioned classics like caramel apple dip, and inventive new fare like hot chocolate spin-off: bubblin' swamp juice. For cute, clever and creepy holiday treats, look no further.
Free sample excerpts from these cookbooks—including recipes—are available for download on the product pages now!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search by title to download these indispensable autumn cookbooks.
Read more...
Today we remember those whose lives were forever changed by the events of September 11, 2001. In the new book, The Legacy Letters: Messages of Life and Hope from 9/11 Family Members, relatives of those lost on 9/11 share their thoughts in touching letters to their lost loved ones. These courageous family members share their grief and loss, and hope— speaking in their own words, with love, courage, and strength enough to inspire us all.
The Legacy Letters was compiled by Tuesday’s Children, an organization dedicated to supporting the 9/11 children into adulthood while continuing to address the evolving needs of this population. All royalties benefit programs to help 9/11 family members.
The following letter is excerpted with permission of the publisher, and is just one of many that are included in this moving and inspiring collection.
Letter writer: Jennifer Laychak (daughter)
Age: 16
Dear Dad,
I was seven years old when you were killed. I am now sixteen. I have spent more than half of my life without you. A lot of time has passed, yet those of us who lost someone will never be the same. People think that we have “moved on,” but I prefer to think that we have moved forward. Our loss will always be a part of who we are. It is part of our story. As I reread what I wrote in my diary as a little girl, I am amazed at how the thoughts and feelings transcend time. I still have the same thoughts (although my spelling has improved). I will always miss you.
People focus on the significant moments. You weren’t here for my first date, to teach me to drive, or to watch me perform on my school’s dance team. You won’t be here for my graduation or to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. However, it isn’t just the monumental moments that you are missing. It is the small everyday moments. That’s what I miss the most. I have to take comfort in knowing that you are within me. I have many of your physical traits that are a part of who I am. I also have some of your character traits as well. Most importantly, I will always carry you in my heart.
Love,
Jenny
Read more...
