Barnes & Noble attracts ‘Mockingbird’ fans for ‘Watchman’ release in Merced
Monique Anguino, 16, was the first person Tuesday to get a copy of “Go Set a Watchman” at the Merced Barnes & Noble.
She pre-ordered the book months ago and waited outside the store 15 minutes before its early 7 a.m. opening.
Anguino enjoyed reading Harper Lee’s first published novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” in school and hoped to enjoy “Watchman” just as much – despite the reviews.
Set in Lee’s fictional Maycomb, Ala., in the 1950s, “Watchman” was written before “Mockingbird” but takes place 20 years later. Reviews and reports of the book’s raw account of an elderly, racist Atticus Finch have been lukewarm.
“I read the reviews about Atticus, but I feel I need to read the book to see what they mean,” she said.
Though there wasn’t a lengthy line at 7 a.m., Rich Lopez, assistant store manager, said he expected a steady flow all day of customers coming to buy the book. “I’m sure we’ll be busy throughout the day,” he said. “It usually is when we have a big release like this.”
Lopez said the store’s usual clientele likely would show up closer to the standard opening time, 9 a.m.
Amazon.com has called “Watchman” its most popular pre-order since the last Harry Potter book, which came out in 2007. At Barnes & Noble, the comparisons were not to a phenomenon such as Potter, but to a follow-up: Mary Amicucci, the superstore chain’s vice president for adult trade and children’s books, said pre-orders were the highest since the 2009 release of Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol,” his first novel since “The Da Vinci Code.”
To celebrate the release of “Watchman,” Barnes & Noble stores across the nation held a “Mockingbird” read-a-thon Monday. Stores gave free “Mockingbird” totes to the first 20 customers who bought “Watchman” and served free coffee until 10 a.m.
Barnes & Noble’s two-day “Harper Lee Celebration” is part of a monthlong program called “Get Pop-Cultured.”
Every Thursday, the stores feature famous literature from a specific 1900s decade. Other events include comic days, “Minions” fun and Dr. Seuss events. The store’s manager, Vicki Bailey, said the Minions event already is full.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Merced’s Get Pop-Cultured events:
7 p.m. Friday: Minions Fun. Become a certified Minion and attend Villain-Con in our stores to help search for the most despicable villain to follow. Activities and giveaways round out the fun.
Saturday: Star Wars Saturday. Fans of all ages join us for exclusive products, activities, cosplay, trivia and for a chance to win a Star Wars character standee.
Sunday: Manga Mania. Discover this popular style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels. Enjoy a special offer, activities and giveaways.
7 p.m. July 24: Fangirl Friday. Fangirls unite and celebrate fandom. Get introduced to the Women of Marvel, enjoy cosplay, giveaways and much more.
July 25: Vinyl Day. Explore the assortment of vinyl records with events celebrating vinyl culture, including giveaways, special offers and exclusives.
July 26: James Patterson Day. Celebrate America’s bestselling author with a special one-day-only offer on all adult, kids’ and teen books by James Patterson.
7 p.m. July 28: What Pet Should We Get? In celebration of the newly discovered Dr. Seuss book “What Pet Should I Get?,” kids of all ages are invited to help Barnes & Noble decide what pet the store should get at a special Storytime event.
7 p.m. July 31: Dr. Seuss Spectacular. Join Barnes & Noble in a celebration of Theodor Seuss Geisel, known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss. There’s fun to be done!
This story was originally published July 14, 2015 at 10:11 AM with the headline "Barnes & Noble attracts ‘Mockingbird’ fans for ‘Watchman’ release in Merced."