Blue Bicycle Books, Charleston, SC


Booksigning with Michel Stone, Apr. 20!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Blue Bicycle Books will be at the Michael Mitchell Gallery, 438 King St., this Friday, Apr. 20, 6-8 pm for a signing with Michel Stone, author of The Iguana Tree.

Set amid the perils of illegal border crossings, The Iguana Tree is the suspenseful saga of Lilia and Hector, who separately make their way from Mexico into the United States, seeking work in the Carolinas and a home for their infant daughter. Stone examines the obstacles each faces in pursuing a new life: manipulation, rape, betrayal by family and friends, and exploitation by corrupt officials. The Iguana Tree is a universal story of loss, grief, and human dignity.

(Hub City Press, 220 pp, hb. $24.95)

###

Filed in Uncategorized | | Comments (0)


Upper King Street Design Walk this Thursday!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Stop in for a glass of wine during the Upper King Street Design Walk and meet the authors of Janie Mitchell, Reliable Cook, Lisa Foster and Mary Lou Coombs. The authors will be in the store this Thurs., Apr 19, 5-7:30 pm. Janie Mitchell, Reliable Cook is a non-fiction account of an ex-slave’s life, offering a snapshot view of Charleston from 1862-1931 based on Mitchell’s personal writings. The book chronicles her life as well as her relationship with her owners, the Rutledge family, and her later employment with other Charleston families. Fans of Mary Chesnut’s Diary and The Letterbook of Eliza Lucas Pinkney are sure to enjoy this wonderful piece of history.

(Evening Post Books, 104 pp. hb., $29.95)

####

Filed in Events | | Comments (0)


Booksigning with Governor Nikki Haley, Mon., April 9, 6 pm

Thursday, March 22, 2012

S.C. Governor Nikki Haley will visit Blue Bicycle Books, Mon., Apr. 9, 6 pm to sign her new memoir Can’t Is Not an Option: My American Story (Sentinel, hb., $27.95, 256 pp.).

NOTE: Signing tickets are required to meet Governor Haley!

1. Books must be purchased from Blue Bicycle Books. Each book comes with a ticket for entrance into the signing line.

2. We have a limited amount of the Governor’s book — we encourage you to pre-order, either online or by calling 843-722-2666.

3. Books purchased from other stores or online entities are not allowed.

4. Books are for sale in the store now, and will be sold at a special outside kiosk on Monday afternoon. The book-selling line is separate from the signing line.

5. Gov. Haley will be inside, but the line will likely extend onto the sidewalk. First-come, first-serve, rain or shine. You will not be admitted without a yellow signing line ticket.

6. Can’t make it? We will ship signed pre-ordered books with the Governor’s signature. The only way to get a personal inscription is to wait in line.

Thank you!

More about Can’t is Not an Option:

The daughter of Sikh parents who migrated from Punjab, India, Nikki Haley’s family faced ignorance, prejudice and sometimes blatant hostility as the first Indian family in a small South Carolina town. Consultants told her she couldn’t win elections — “Your dad wears a headdress,” one said, referring to her father’s turban. She went on to become the first woman and first minority to occupy the South Carolina governor’s mansion.

Haley, 40, discusses her rise to the statehouse and eventually the governorship, including her endorsement by Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and what she calls sexist allegations of adultery during her campaign.

For more information please contact:
Jonathan Sanchez

Filed in Events, News, Uncategorized | | Comments (0)


Italian Luncheon with author Katie Crouch, Apr. 20!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Joins us and Katie Crouch for our first author luncheon of 2012, Fri., Apr. 20, 12-2pm at our next door neighbor,  Osteria la Bottiglia. Katie is a longtime friend of the store and the author of two of our all-time best sellers: Girls in Trucks and Men and Dogs. Last year she published The Magnolia League, the first book in a Young Adult trilogy. This is a fantastic event to treat a friend or give as an early Mother’s Day gift.

Tickets cost $25 and include a delicious Italian lunch, author talk, and a champagne-and-dessert book signing at Blue Bicycle. Click here to purchase tickets or give us a call at (843) 722-2666.


###

Filed in Author Luncheon | | Comments (0)


Random Tales of a College Math Professor signing, Mar. 29!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Professor emeritus at the College of Charleston Mick Norton will be at the store Thurs., Mar. 29, 4-6 pm to sign copies of his book, Random Tales of a College Math Professor.

Many believe that math and humor must be mutually exclusive, or that the life of a college professor must be boring. Ha!  Written for a popular audience, this book presents stories about expert witnessing, consulting, teaching, being a professor, and about how probability (think random events) impacted someone’s life in a very direct way.

Random Tales of a College Math Professor (pb. 173 pp. $19.98)

###

Filed in Uncategorized | | Comments (0)


Purdy’s 14th Bridge Run Show!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The 14th annual Bridge Run show will be here at Blue Bicycle Books Thurs., Mar 29 at 7:30 pm. Local author and excellent parker Jonathan Sanchez will read new work, none of this old crap, and Blue Bike’s own Kristen Gehrman will perform a short set of her own micro-fiction. Runner or not, join us for this relentless tradition.

###

Filed in Events | | Comments (0)


Local Author Night, Mar. 16!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Join us at the store for our local author night, Fri., Mar. 16, 4-6 pm. Four local and regional authors will be signing copies of their books– a great opportunity to sample the literary talent in our community.

Valerie Perry is the author of Upper King Street, a sweeping love story set right in the heart of downtown Charleston. Lucy is a sassy, intelligent gallery owner downtown who lives by strict self-prescribed rules for life. She falls hard for Sam, a preservation contractor with a taste for adventure travel. Set amidst Charleston’s glorious mansions, gardens, and exquisite architecture, Upper King Street offers a fast-paced, rollicking tale of love, misunderstanding, growth, and discovery. Perry works in historic preservation downtown Charleston.

Upper King Street (Create Space, pb., 300 pp. $15)

 

Philip Gerard is a Southern essayist and author of The Patron Saint of Dreams.  This collection of 15 narrative essays is about moments when seemingly small decisions have large consequences: enduring the terror of  a hurricane, having a heart attack while hiking, hearing a disturbing secret from an old sailor who has kept it for 60 years, discovering an imposter who maintains his dual life long after death. Filled with uncanny and mysterious details, Gerard reveals true mysteries that give meaning to life. Gerard teaches Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.

The Patron Saint of Dreams (Hub City Press, pb., 200 pp. $18)

Rev. Peter Lanzillotta is the founder of Interfaith Services of the Lowcountry and author Spirit, Time, and the Future. Drawing on various theological perspectives such as contemporary Biblical studies, scientific exploration, feminism, and Jungian philosophy, this book examines the new Age of the Spirit and what it means for us today and in the future.  Challenging religious status quos in favor of an inclusive mindset, Lanzillotta promotes an expansive and inclusive Holy Spirit that can guide personal and societal transformation. Lanzillotta is a scholar and spiritual counselor residing downtown Charleston.

 Spirit, Time, and the Future (O’Brian & O’Brian, pb., 174 pp. $16)

Jesse Hale is the author of Island Castaways, a story of survival and adventure. Ethan and Julie are young Atlanta professionals who decide to take a yearlong sabbatical along with some close friends. Casting their corporate lives aside, they head to an island off the Caribbean coast of Belize. They envision paradise, but their journey is filled with challenges of survival, near-death experiences, and underwater surprises, including a hurricane and an encounter with modern day pirates. Jesse lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife and teaches 5th grade. This is his second book.

Island Castaways (Shades Creek Press, pb., 278 pp. $13)

###

Filed in Events, Uncategorized | | Comments (0)


Diary of a Mad Fat Girl signing with author Stephanie McAfee

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Author Stephanie McAfee will be at the store Thurs., Mar. 15, 4-6 pm to sign  Diary of a Mad Fat Girl, her hilarious new novel.

Gracelia “Ace” Jones is a sassy high school teacher, known in her small town of Bugtussle, Mississippi, for an outsize presence and a mouth to match. But this time that big mouth might get her into big trouble…. Ace knows that something bad is brewing when her best friend cancels their annual spring break trip to be with a man she’s kept a secret for months. On top of that, the love of her life has shown up with a marriage proposal one year too late and Ace herself has been accused of sleeping with a student. Needless to say, Ace is mad! Taking matters into her own hands, she uncovers a multitude of other scandals plaguing the small town. Lauded for her sassy wit, McAfee weaves a fast-paced plot that will sure to make you laugh.

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl (NAL Trade, pb., 368 pp. $15)

 

###

 

 

Filed in Events | | Comments (0)


Booksigning with Tim Owens, author of The Search Committee

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Blue Bicycle welcomes author Tim Owens to the store Fri., Mar. 9, 5-7 pm to sign The Search Committee.

A mismatched team of seven hit the road in an Econoline church van on a mission to find a new pastor. They don’t agree on much other than the stops at Hardee’s for coffee and a biscuit. But they stick to the call, trying to slip undetected into worship services across the Southeast—all in hopes of stealing a preacher for their congregation.

Forced to spend countless hours together, these very different personalities from different generations begin to bond. Their lives are profoundly changed as they love and support each other through their personal difficulties.

 

The Search Committee (Tyndale House, pb., 400 pp., $13)

 

###

 

 

Filed in Uncategorized | | Comments (0)


Taylor Polites signs The Rebel Wife, Thurs., Feb. 16

Monday, February 13, 2012


Author Taylor Polites will visit Blue Bicycle Books  Thurs., Feb 16, 5 – 7 pm to sign his new novel, The Rebel Wife , a story that confronts old Southern stereotypes and speaks to the profound impact the civil war had on the Southern nobility.

Augusta Branson is a young widow from an elite antebellum family trying to survive in Reconstruction Alabama. Finding herself in the ashes of a broken civilization, stained by the reputation of her Union-sympathizing husband, she must now fend for herself and her son.

“Peeling back layers of deceit and myth combined, Taylor Polites takes us into an era we barely understand. The flawed human heart that finally comes to understand ‘the truth’ is at the heart of this enduring, suspenseful novel.”  —Patti Callahan Henry

The Rebel Wife (Simon & Schuster, hb. 304 pp. $25)

###

Filed in Events, Uncategorized | | Comments (0)