Blue Bicycle Books

Unfortunately our Fri., March 7, 12 pm event with Patricia Moore-Pastides, first lady of the University of South Carolina,  has been cancelled.

Purdy, the longtime resident cat of Blue Bicycle Books, passed away Tues., Feb. 18, 2014.

Commonly seen sunning in the store window, lounging on a book, or tucked away behind a shelf, Purdy brought joy to countless visitors and book lovers. A common question from customers, shocked to see a pet in a King Street shop, was “Is that a real cat?”

She endured toddlers’ aggressive pettings and tail-pullings, and was always willing to be picked up, carried and cuddled by fans. Many visitors came not to browse books at all, but to see her. College students who missed their cats back home would drop in to get “a cat fix.” One couple from Holland who keep a second home in Charleston made daily CARTA pilgrimages from West Ashley, bringing treats and conversation.

Purdy was born in Dallas, Tex., and adopted by Jim and Lee Breeden, the previous owners of Blue Bicycle Books (then Boomer’s Books). Jim was a history professor at Southern Methodist University and she kept showing up at his doorstep, begging for food. They brought her to Charleston to live at Boomer’s, where she roomed with another cat named Grumpy. (Interestingly, before Grumpy’s death in 1999, Purdy was the less-sociable cat of the pair, usually hiding behind a shelf.)

In 2007, when Jonathan Sanchez bought the store from the Breedens, Purdy conveyed with the sale. The bookstore was her home and it was agreed by both parties that she would suffer if uprooted.

In her eighteen years at the store, Purdy became something of a local celebrity, and is possibly the most photographed cat in Charleston history. In a time when many feel the book world is becoming too corporate and impersonal, the presence of a living, breathing, “real” cat was a heartening emblem of the charms and warmth of a locally-owned, bricks-and-mortar bookstore.

She was a dear friend and co-worker and will be greatly missed.

Blue Bicycle Books is excited to host the release of the YA debut All That Glows, (HarperTeen, pb., $9.99) by local writer Ryan Graudin.

Graudin will read and sign copies of her debut novel Sat., Feb. 15, 5 pm at Blue Bicycle Books.

All that Glows follows Emrys, a spirited Fae, as she is assigned the task of guarding the infamous Prince Richard, whose recklessness and royal blood make him irresistible to dark forces. When an ancient force targets the monarchy, Fae must excavate London’s underworld of magic to find the source of the threat. In the midst of dark magic, palace murder, and paparazzi, What Emrys doesn’t expect, however, is for the adventurous Richard to challenge not only her magic but also her heart.

Ryan Graudin was born and raised in Charleston, and graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Creative Writing in 2009. She lives here with her husband and their wolf-dog. Her second book, The Walled City, will be released later this year.

Join us Mon., Jan. 13, 4 – 6 pm, as we celebrate the release of Lowcountry favorite Karen White‘s newest mystery, Return to Tradd Street (NAL Trade, pb., 336 pp., $15). The fourth book, in her House on Tradd series, Karen White takes us back  South of Broad in a page-turning novel of mystery, ghosts, and real estate.

About the book: Psychic Realtor Melanie Middleton is doing what she can to leave her past, especially her recent heartbreak over writer Jack Trenholm, behind; but she can’t seem to put it all to rest. While trying to finish renovating her Tradd Street property before her baby arrives, she begins hearing a ghostly cry at night. She tries to ignore it until she finds the remains of a baby in the foundation of her house. While uncovering the baby’s death, she ends up revealing long-buried secrets about her house, and in doing so, wakes up a malevolent force.

About the author: Karen White started her professional life as a businesswoman before shifting to writing and publishing her first novel in 2000. Though The Time Between is her first hardback novel, she has written over fifteen, including a mystery series set in Charleston. She writes women’s southern fiction, or what she refers to as “grit lit,” and is currently living in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and their dog, Quincey.

Chef John Besh will sign copies of his latest book Cooking from the Heart (Andrews McMeel, hb., 320 pp., $39.98) at Blue Bicycle Books, Tues., Dec. 17, 12 to 1:30 pm.