NEW YORK, NEW YORK – September 18, 2008 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world’s largest bookseller, today announced that its New York City Brisingr release party hosted by bestselling author Christopher Paolini will be webcast live on Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com).  The event will be held at the Union Square Barnes & Noble (33 East 17th Street) in Manhattan on Friday, September 19, at 11 P.M. Fans who cannot make it to the event in person can log on to Barnes & Noble.com at 11:30 P.M. ET to watch Gerard Doyle, narrator of the Inheritance cycle audio books. Paolini will follow with a reading and Q&A session and then help usher in the midnight hour when Brisingr goes on sale.  Paolini will sign copies of Brisingr when the store begins selling the book at the stroke of midnight.  The webcast will be archived on Barnes & Noble.com for later viewing. 
 
Paolini is also participating this week in Barnes & Noble.com's Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Club, where he is discussing the Inheritance cycle books with readers from across the country. Fans can post questions for Paolini by signing on to www.bn.com/bookclubs.

Barnes & Noble stores across the country will celebrate the September 20 release of Brisingr by hosting special in-store events throughout the weekend. Select stores will stay open late on Friday, September 19, and begin selling copies of Brisingr at midnight. For information on all things related to the Inheritance cycle at Barnes & Noble, and for a listing of all Brisingr release parties, please visit www.bn.com/inheritance.