Blue Bicycle Books

Join legendary local author Mary Alice Monroe at Wild Dunes Resort, Thurs., April 28, 6 pm to celebrate the release of A Lowcountry Wedding (Gallery, pb., 448 pp., $16), the fourth book in the Lowcountry Summer series.

Tickets are $35 for the reception and raffle ticket, or $40 for reception, raffle ticket, and a signed copy of A Lowcountry Wedding

For tickets please call 843-886-2307.

Includes a meet-and-greet and book signing with Mary Alice, Lowcountry food and beverage, wedding vendors, entertainment, and dancing. At 8 pm, the evening will close with two amazing and romantic prize drawings:

*Wild Dunes Romantic Getaway (Includes two night stay, dinner and welcome amenity with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries)

*Diamonds Direct Diamond Wedding Band to play at your event!

We love your kids, but think you might like a night off. Adults only please.

About the Author: Mary Alice Monroe is the author of nearly two dozen novels, several non-fiction titles, and children’s books. Her body of work reflects her commitment to the natural world through literature.  Monroe has served on the faculty of numerous writer’s conferences and retreats.  She is a featured speaker at events, both literary and conservation.  Known for her intimate portrayals of women’s lives, Monroe’s writing gained added purpose and depth with her books set in the Lowcountry.  An active environmentalist, Monroe draws themes for her novels from nature and the parallels with human nature, thus drawing attention to various endangered species and the human connection to the natural world.

About A Lowcountry Wedding: Nothing could be more enchanting than a summer wedding—or two!—in Charleston’s fabled lowcountry. A centuries-old plantation, an avenue of ancient oaks dripping moss, a storied ballroom, a sand dune at sunset… Yet when a stranger arrives, a long held family secret could silence the bells ringing for the Muir sisters. Scandals surface, family bonds are questioned, and promises are broken and renewed. In A Lowcountry Wedding Monroe delves into the heart of marriage, commitment, and family ties. Huffington Post calls the Lowcountry Summer series “the perfect beach read and a whole lot more.”

Join us Mon., May 9, at 5 pm, for the Charleston release party for J.R. Thornton’s debut novel Beautiful Country (Harper, pb., 320 pp, $16).

Set in modern-day China, this coming-of-age novel follows two friends, one American and one Chinese, both touring with Beijing’s Junior National Tennis Team. A top ranked junior tennis player in the U.S., Chase joins the practices of Beijing’s team and is immersed in the brutal world of Chinese sport.  Chase gains access to a culture rarely open to Westerners, and soon finds himself caught up in secrets. When his closest friend and teammate turns to him for help, Chase is faced with the dilemma of what to do when friendship, rules, and morals are in conflict.

J. R. Thornton graduated from Harvard in 2014 where he studied history, English and Chinese. An internationally ranked junior tennis player, he later competed for the Harvard men’s team and on the professional circuit. As a teenager he lived in Beijing and will return to China in the fall of 2016 as a member of the inaugural class of Schwarzman Scholars.

Join us Fri., June 3, 12 pm, for lunch at Stars Rooftop and Grill Room (495 King St.) with Dorothea Benton Frank. Dottie will talk and sign copies of her latest novel, All Summer Long (William Morrow, hb., 384 pp.). Our annual “Lunch with Dottie” has proven to be one of our liveliest, most fun events each year. Don’t miss it!

About the book: All Summer Long follows a prominent New York couple, Olivia, the quintessential New Yorker, and Nicholas, a true Southern gentleman, as they prepare to relocate to Sullivan’s Island. As Olivia hides her anxiety over the move and their impending financial issues, the two take off on a summer trip around the world with a host of rich eccentrics, leading them to the ultimate question: can money buy happiness?

Tickets for this event, part of our ongoing Author Luncheon Series, are $62 – included are a three course meal and signed hardback. Click here for tickets.

Dorothea Benton Frank is the author of fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. Born and raised on Sullivan’s Island, she now splits her time between Sullivan’s and New Jersey.

Blue Bicycle Books is proud to be the official bookseller for David Sedaris, Tues., April 19, 7:30 pm, at the Gaillard Center.

Tickets are on sale here.

The author of nine story and essay collections, including Me Talk Pretty One Day, Holidays on Ice, and most recently, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, David Sedaris has become one of America’s preeminent humor writers.

Read more about the event here.

Join us Thurs., Apr. 14, 6 pm at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, 360 Fishburne St., downtown Charleston, as author and yogi Kathryn Budig leads a yoga class on the Riverdogs baseball field.  (Cleats not required. Or encouraged, really.)

Buy event tickets here.

Can’t make it? Pre-order a signed copy of Aim True  (William Morrow, pb., $25) here.

About the book: In Aim True, Budig extends her empowering message beyond the mat. Life is an adventure that is meant to be explored, challenged, and fully lived. The best part? When you approach life with an open mind and heart, the possibilities are endless.

Whether your goal is to love who you are right now, reshape the way you view food, develop a meditation practice, or discover new ways to embrace the great balancing act that is life, this holistic approach to yoga, diet, and mindfulness has something for you. Filled with vibrant photographs and whimsical illustrations, this guide is as beautiful as it is life-changing.

About the author: Kathryn Budig is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher and author known for her accessibility, humor, and ability to empower her students through her message, “aim true.” She is a warrior for self-acceptance, honesty, and helping her students and readers find true balance. The Kansas native graduated from the University of Virginia with a double degree in English and Drama before moving to Los Angeles, where she trained under the tutelage of Maty Ezraty and Chuck Miller.