An insider’s look at the creation of the wizarding world’s favorite sport, complete with a customizable 3D Golden Snitch wood model!
Quidditch is beloved by witches and wizards all over the wizarding world. With this deluxe model and book set, get a behind-the-scenes look at how Quidditch was imagined and brought to life for the Harry Potter films—complete with insights from the actors, filmmaking secrets, and thrilling artwork. This must-have package also includes everything you need to create your own customizable Golden Snitch wood model.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Won this book from GoodReads. I am ecstatic that I won this book. It is a short book that has behind the scenes on how they did the movie with the Quidditch game. Went through some great behind the scene secrets. It also has a golden snitch for you to create and paint. Go check this out.
It’s 1689. Sixteen-year-old Julie de Maupin is on the run with her boyfriend, a young swordmaster named Sérannes. They perform sword fights and songs in taverns to survive. But when a diabolical creature kills Sérannes, it also injures Julie in the attack. Plunged into the dangerous world of French magic, Julie needs to return to Paris to find the great magician that can heal her devastating wound so she can avenge Sérannes’s death. On the way, she finds the creature is controlled by a necromantic coven called the Shadow Holders. Defeated during the Affair of the Poisons, they’ve returned but this time with traitors in the royal court to crush Louis XIV and terrorize France. With her found family of magical and moggie misfits, Julie must use her sword, wits, and gender-bending wiles to send the threat back to Hell. But will they be enough? Magic is illegal, and so is dueling. But that won’t stop La Maupin.
Maria Alexander is an Amazon #1 Bestseller of Young Adult Horror. Her short stories and nonfiction essays have appeared in numerous publications and acclaimed anthologies alongside living legends such as David Morrell and Heather Graham.
Her debut novel, MR. WICKER, won the 2014 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her first YA novel, SNOWED, won the 2016 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel, and was nominated for the 2017 Anthony Award for Best Children’s/YA Novel.
She lives in Los Angeles with two ungrateful cats, a Jewish Christmas caroler, and a purse called Trog.
Laurie Gilmore discusses & signs THE STRAWBERRY PATCH PANCAKE HOUSE, the newest in the Dream Harbor series, with her publisher, Jennie Rothwell
About this Event Barnes & Noble Clifton Commons is honored to announce we will be hosting Laurie Gilmore the bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and The Cinnamon Bun Book Store in an EXCLUSIVE early release of her latest book The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (Dream Harbor, Book 4) (B&N Exclusive Edition).
There will be a book signing following the discussion. The featured title The Strawberry Patch Pancake House must be purchased from our store to gain access the signing line.
Customers attending our event on March 15th will have EXCLUSIVE EARLY ACCESS and be able to purchase a copy of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House BN Exclusive edition three days before the official release!! This early release opportunity is only available at Barnes & Noble Clifton Commons. The featured title will be released to the general public on March 18th.
Special Instructions RESERVE YOUR TICKET AT THE LINK BELOW
About this Event Join Barnes & Noble – Clifton in Clifton, NJ on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, as we welcome New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Years series, Gregory Maguire, to celebrate the release of ELPHIE: A Wicked Childhood (B&N Exclusive Edition). This riveting story reveals what happened to young Elphaba before her witchy powers took hold in Wicked.
BONUS!: This special ELPHIE: A Wicked Childhood (B&NExclusive Edition) features unique stenciled edges, a designed case stamp, color illustrated endpapers, and a ribbon marker.
To make this event safe and enjoyable for all attendees, please read the below guidelines ahead of buying a ticket, so you know what to expect on the day. To avoid disappointment, we must stress that there will be no access to the event for non-ticketholders.
Barnes & Noble reserves the right to make new rules and orders in its sole discretion with regard to COVID-19 at any time and any person not abiding by the Barnes & Noble directives will be refused entrance or directed to leave the premises. TICKET INFORMATION B&N ADMISSION – $31.99 (Admission + one signed copy of ELPHIE: A Wicked Childhood): **LIMITED QUANTITY AVAILABLE**:: A ticket PER PERSON includes:
One signed, personalized copy of ELPHIE: A Wicked Childhood (B&N Exclusive Edition). Admission to the event space and signing line with Gregory Maguire. Photos will be allowed as books are being signed and will be taken by a Barnes & Noble bookseller on the guest’s camera/phone across the table. No posed photos. Seating will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Any gifts for the author will be collected prior to the signing line. Other books by the author will be available for purchase at Barnes & Noble – Clifton. Due to health and safety and space limitations, those without a ticket will not be permitted into the event space. GUIDELINES No memorabilia will be signed at the event. No large bags will be permitted into the event. The exact time at which the event ends will be determined on the day. To avoid disappointment, we strongly advise you to arrive on time for the event. Late arrivals may not have the opportunity to meet the author. All event guidelines are subject to change. If you have any additional questions, please can call the store directly at: (973) 779-5500. Barnes & Noble may cancel this event at any time with or without notice to the ticket holders. Please note that Eventbrite is the only authorized dealer for this event. Each person must have a ticket to enter.
REFUNDS Attendees can receive refunds up to 1 day (24 hours) before your event start TIME OF 6 pm.
If you are unable to attend the event, Barnes & Noble – Clifton in Clifton, NJ will hold your books for seven days after the event. Please contact the store to arrange your pickup.
Should this event be canceled due to changing COVID-19 concerns, all customers will be refunded their ticket price to the original method of payment per Eventbrite’s refund policy.
Event guidelines are subject to change.
ABOUT ELPHIE:
Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, will grow to have a feisty and somewhat uncompromising character in adult life. But she is always a one-off, from her infancy; Elphie is the riveting coming-of-age story of a very peculiar and relatable young girl.
Young Elphie is shaped and molded by the behaviors of her promiscuous mother, Melena, and her pious father, Frex. She suffers ordinary childhood jealousies when her sister, saintly Nessarose, and brother, junior felon Shell, arrive. She first encounters the mistreatment of the Animal populations of Oz, which live adjacent to but not intertwined with human settlements, haunted by a Monkey and receiving aid from Dwarf Bears. She thrashes through her first bruising attempts at friendship, a possible lifeline from her tricky family life. And she gleans the benefits of an education, haphazard though it must be—until she arrives at the doors of Shiz University, about to meet the radiant creature that is Galinda.
Elphie is destined to be a witch; she bears the markings from childhood—most evidently in her green skin but more obscurely and profoundly in her cunning and perhaps amoral behaviors, as she seeks to make do, to slip by, to sneak out, to endure, and to aspire.
ABOUT GREGORY MAQUIRE:
Gregory Maguireis the New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Years, a series that includes Wicked—the beloved classic that is the basis for the blockbuster Tony Award–winning Broadway musical of the same name and the major motion picture—Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. His series Another Day continues the story of Oz with The Brides of Maracoor, The Oracle of Maracoor, and The Witch of Maracoor, and his other novels include A Wild Winter Swan, Hiddensee, After Alice, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, and Mirror Mirror. Some of his novels for children include Cress Watercress, Leaping Beauty, and Egg & Spoon, winner of a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. He lives in New England and France.
A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival, from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff
London, 1953. Louise is still adjusting to her postwar role as a housewife when she discovers a necklace in a box at a secondhand shop. The box is marked with the name of a department store in Paris, and she is certain she has seen the necklace before when she worked with the Red Cross in Nazi-occupied Europe —and that it holds the key to the mysterious death of her friend Franny during the war.
Following the trail of clues to Paris, Louise seeks help from her former boss Ian, with whom she shares a romantic history. The necklace leads them to discover the dark history of Lévitan—a once-glamorous department store that served as a Nazi prison, and Helaine, a woman who was imprisoned there, torn apart from her husband when the Germans invaded France.
Louise races to find the connection between the necklace, the department store and Franny’s death. But nothing is as it seems, and there are forces determined to keep the truth buried forever. Inspired by the true story of Lévitan, Last Twilight in Paris is both a gripping mystery and an unforgettable story about sacrifice, resistance and the power of love to transcend in even the darkest hours.
Author Biography
Pam is the author of several novels, including her most recent The Woman With The Blue Star, as well as The Lost Girls of Paris and The Orphan’s Tale, both instant New York Times bestsellers. Pam was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. She attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge University in England. Upon receiving her master’s in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. The position provided a unique opportunity to witness and participate in operations at the most senior levels of government, including helping the families of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims secure their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, observing recovery efforts at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and attending ceremonies to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II at sites such as Bastogne and Corregidor.
Following her work at the Pentagon, Jenoff moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Jenoff developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.
Having left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school at the University of Pennsylvania, Jenoff practiced law at a large firm and in-house for several years. She now teaches law school at Rutgers.
We may be different, but our hearts beat the same.
In southern Africa, there is a belief called ubuntu—the idea that we are all connected. No matter where we’re from or who we are, a person is a person through their connections to other people. With simple, lyrical text and charming artwork, this lively picture book first published in South Africa is the perfect introduction to the concept of ubuntu for young kids. A celebration of friendship and kindness, the book shows children the many ways that we are all one.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
It is a powerful book about self-love and love for everyone, regardless of how someone looks or where they come from. The positive message is one children will take with them every day. The illustrations were superb. They were beautiful and went perfectly with the text. The colors and illustrations were so vibrant and happy. It’s a happy book that will connect all who read it. Our differences are what make us unique and amazing. Let’s empower love and acceptance for humankind; let’s welcome everyone to feel loved.
Author Biography
Refiloe Moahloli grew up in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. As aunt to many nieces and nephews who consider her to be ‘one of them’ due to her modest height, life with them inspires a number of stories floating in her head at any given time. Refiloe plays hockey, is a keen Instagrammer ‘refiloemoahloli’ and a full-time couch coach of South Africa’s cricket teams.
Please join us in welcoming author Shelby Van Pelt as she celebrates the release of Remarkably Bright Creatures in paperback! She will be in conversation with Lynda Cohen Loigman.
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors – until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:
-You must purchase a paperback copy of Remarkably Bright Creatures at our location to attend the event.
If you have any questions, please call the store at 201-445-4589
In Thick as Thieves, the latest laugh-out-loud installment in the Kenni Lowry Mysteries, Tonya Kappes delivers the perfect blend of southern charm, small-town drama, and a jaw-dropping mystery.
Sheriff Kenni Lowry should be blissfully planning her wedding, but Cottonwood, Kentucky has other plans. When Judge Horace Blackwell is found murdered in his chambers, Kenni is thrown into a case packed with family feuds, a mysterious inheritance, and secrets buried—literally—beneath the town.
With her ghostly Poppa offering his usual (and sometimes unwelcome) advice, her trusty hound Duke, and her fiancé Finn by her side, Kenni is racing to solve the case before the killer strikes again. As the trail winds through high-stakes poker games, long-forgotten tunnels, and scandalous secrets, Kenni realizes the culprit may be closer to home than she ever imagined.
Can Kenni crack the case and keep her wedding plans on track, or will the murderer make sure she never makes it to “I do”?
Perfect for fans of southern cozies with sharp humor, clever twists, and just the right amount of romance, Thick as Thieves will keep you guessing (and laughing) until the last page.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
A sheriff in a wedding dress solving a murder makes for an interesting murder mystery. This cozy murder mystery will leave you guessing who the suspect is until the very end. Judge Horace is murdered in his chambers, sending Kenni Lowry, the sheriff, into a wild goose chase to find the murderer.
Kenni is in the process of planning her wedding with Finn, and her mother wants her to have a proper southern wedding. I had many laughs throughout the encounters with Kenni and her mom.
I enjoyed having Poppa (the ghost of Kenni’s grandfather) stopping by to help Kenni figure out the murder. He is a wonderful addition to the storyline. He is funny and provides guidance when Kenni most needs it.
Tonya’s murder mystery was well planned with multiple suspects. Each one has a motive to want Judge Horace dead. She mixed in Kenni’s wedding plans with her sheriff’s responsibilities, making the story entertaining. You will be shocked to find out who the real killer is.
Author Biography
Tonya Kappes has written more than 180 southern cozy mysteries, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists, including USA Today . Best known for stories charged with southern charm, emotion and humor and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband in northern Kentucky. Now that her four boys have flown out of the nest, Tonya writes full-time in her camper!
You can find her all over social media and at Tonyakappes.com .
If there’s one man that fledgling art photographer Diane Petit really, really, actively hates, it’s fragrance mogul Sebastian Darcy who stole her father’s company—and wrecked the man’s health in the process. But the arrogant SOB had better brace himself because Diane has vowed revenge. And revenge she will have.
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. It had my two favorite things, Paris and Darcy. It can’t get better than that. Loved that Darcy’s family owned a perfume business, which caused drama between him and Diane. I loved the chemistry between both characters. Darcy was rich and stuck up, and Diane was out for vengeance. If you love Pride and Prejudice, check out this adaptation of Darcy being French and his the scheme he decides to do with Diane.
Author Biography
Alix Nichols is a caffeine addict, a fan of Mr. Darcy and an award-winning author on Book Riot’s list of 100 must-read international romances. She pens sexy romantic comedies and romantic fantasy. Her books have been described as “pure pleasure” (Kirkus Reviews) that “keep fans of romance hanging off the edge of your seat” (RT Book Reviews). At the age of six, she released her first book. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper. Decades later, she still writes. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), and her books have topped bestseller charts around the world. She lives in France with her family and their almost-human dog.
Hattie Hoffman has spent her whole life playing many parts: the good student, the good daughter, the good girlfriend. But Hattie wants something more, something bigger, and ultimately something that turns out to be exceedingly dangerous. When she’s found brutally stabbed to death, the tragedy rips right through the fabric of her small-town community.
It soon comes to light that Hattie was engaged in a highly compromising and potentially explosive secret online relationship. The question is: Did anyone else know? And to what lengths might they have gone to end it? Hattie’s boyfriend seems distraught over her death, but had he fallen so deeply in love with her that she had become an obsession? Or did Hattie’s impulsive, daredevil nature simply put her in the wrong place at the wrong time, leading her to a violent death at the hands of a stranger?
Full of twists and turns, Everything You Want Me to Be reconstructs a year in the life of a dangerously mesmerizing young woman, during which a small town’s darkest secrets come to the forefront…and she inches closer and closer to death.
Evocative and razor-sharp, Everything You Want Me to Be challenges you to test the lines between innocence and culpability, identity and deception. Does love lead to self-discovery—or destruction?
My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars
I am shocked after finishing this book. Hattie and Peter had a forbidden love that ended terribly. In my mind, I kept on figuring out who the suspects were. In the end, I didn’t expect what truly happened. I loved that the author broke the story into three perspectives. Made the story strike you like lightning while being chased by a roller coaster. I couldn’t stop feeding into the story. Each page brought me closer to the lust, anger, frustration, hopes, dreams, mystery, murder and freedom. It was a very tough story to read because of the characters’ relationship and the terrible murder. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this amazing story. Bravo Mindy, thanks for the thrill.
Author Biography
My name is Mindy Mejia and I’m a writer. I write because, ever since I was six years old, my favorite game has been pretend. My life doesn’t have symmetry, theme, symbolism, or meditated beauty and I gravitate toward these things like a houseplant to the sun. I love the perfect words; I love how ‘fierce’ and ‘confounded’ and ‘swagger’ look on the page and how my chest expands when I read them. I write because I believe in the reality of my fantasies, the truth in my fabrications. I’ve always had stories sneaking around my head, thrillers like LEAVE NO TRACE and EVERYTHING YOU WANT ME TO BE, and sometimes I inhabit those stories more than my own life. (Best not to mention that last part to my husband, kids, or boss.)
FabulousReader4Ever 