Vroman's Bookstore: Rebekah Faubion discusses & signs Lost Girls of Hollow Lake
2026-01-31 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
After a group of teens visits a dangerous island where three are left behind, the surviving girls realize they must return to confront the sinister force hunting them. This dark YA thriller is perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.
Eight were lost. Five were found. None will ever be free.
For Evie Williams, life is about to get a lot more complicated. Haunted by the events of a school trip to Hollow Lake National Park that went disastrously wrong, Evie and her friends returned changed, their lives forever marked by the mysterious Island they encountered–and the three girls they left behind.
Now, someone is picking off those who were involved, one by one. Their families, friends, and even online investigators are all caught in a deadly game. The stakes are raised when Evie receives a chilling message: to save her loved ones, she must return to the Island.
As Evie and the other “Lost Girls” navigate the treacherous terrain of the Island once more, they must confront the secrets they’ve buried, the horrors they witnessed, and the person–or thing–that’s hunting them. But some secrets refuse to stay hidden, and the Island demands a price for freedom.

Vroman's Bookstore: Gian Sardar discusses & signs Land of Dreams
2026-02-01 16:00, 2026-02-01 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
In the 1930s, scandal, secret loves, and murder shatter a woman’s Hollywood dream in a gripping novel by the USA Today bestselling author of When the World Goes Quiet.
It’s 1933, and though the country is stuck in the Great Depression, movies are the ultimate escape. But Hollywood is skilled at selling lies, and nothing is as it seems.
Frankie Donnelly is scrappy, smart, and ambitious. Her knack for spinning any story into stellar publicity has made her an invaluable “fixer” at RCO Studios, where she works under the tutelage of powerful Nico Marconi. Frankie’s latest fix is the upcoming marriage of Hollywood royals Jack Sawyer and June Finney, and millions of fans can’t wait to see their favorite silver-screen lovers tie the knot. But Frankie knows the truth: The marriage is an artful cover for Jack and June’s darkest secrets.
When a shocking murder occurs, allegiances fracture, the tabloids go wild, and a devastated public is left reeling. Frankie uncovers new layers of scandal and deception and is forced to choose which Hollywood player to protect and who to destroy. Now, more than ever, the country needs a happy ending–but at what cost?

Vroman's Bookstore: Christina Hammonds Reed discusses & signs The Johnson Four
2026-02-03 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
A 1960s teen pop group determined to conquer the music world must contend with the cost of fame–and a ghost with a grisly past–in this riveting family story from the New York Times bestselling author of The Black Kids.
Odysseus Johnson dreams of musical stardom for his three sons: Roman, the rebel, more interested in being a teenager than a performer; Rocco, arguably the most talented of the bunch but different in a way the world doesn’t understand; and dutiful River, the youngest, who dreams of fame just like his dad.
Driving back from another failed audition in Detroit, the Johnson boys encounter the ghost of Christmas Jones the Third, an effervescent, if lonely, little Black boy who carries the scars of his horrific past as an orphan and minstrel sensation. Desperate for family, Christmas begs the Johnsons to bring him home with them. When Odysseus refuses, Christmas stows away in the family Cadillac.
Despite their initial horror, Christmas becomes a part of the Johnson family. With the promise of opportunities in California, Odysseus moves the family out west, and the boys’ talent starts getting noticed. But just as the brothers are finally on the cusp of fame, Christmas commits a violent act that wreaks havoc on the Johnsons’ lives, and the family is torn asunder in the aftermath. Roman flees the country. Rocco is institutionalized. River’s solo star rises. Christmas disappears.
Spanning decades, roving from the rapacious music industry and the ravages of Vietnam to the dark corridors of a mental institution and the very planes of the afterlife, The Johnson Four is epic in scope. And at its beating heart is the unforgettable story of a family trying to find their way back to one another.

Vroman's Bookstore: Usborne Day Storytime with Ms. Marie & Mr. Steve!
2026-02-04 11:00 - 11:45 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Join Vroman’s Mr. Steve and Ms. Marie on February 4th at 11 am for a special storytime, inspired by Usborne Publishing and their That’s Not My... novelty book series. We will have coloring and activity sheets, along with some fun reads!

Vroman's Bookstore: Robert Kalman, discusses & signs What’s It Like for You to Be an American?
2026-02-04 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Portraits of 76 representative Americans who offer their handwritten thoughts and feelings about being American.
With a live demonstration of how these American portraits were created.

Vroman's Bookstore: David A. Romero, discusses & Signs His Debut Novel The Enemy Sleeps
2026-02-05 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Spoken word artist and publisher David A. Romero releases his debut novel, The Enemy Sleeps, a supernatural thriller. Readings followed by Q&A with a Special Guest.
Who killed Eliza Vazquez? As a Mexican-American family moves from Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, into the sleepy suburban town of Harper, they are met with suspicion. Who is the so-called “Harper Murderer” Is it Michael Martinez, a construction supervisor with a quick temper and an anti-immigrant bias, Robert Parsons, a known racist with a number of secrets kept from his family and community, or Kenton Weaver, a disgraced former teacher who is haunted by the ghost of one of his former students? Grievances both new and old emerge as members of the Martinez family, the Parsons family, and Weaver become tangled in a disastrous chain of events before a shocking conclusion.
Original cover art by Art Carrillo. Advance reviews from Bram Stoker Award-winning author Pedro Iniguez, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author Naomi Hirahara, American Book Award-winning author Tim Z. Hernandez, American Book Award-winning author Lorna Dee Cervantes, Sergio Troncoso Award-winning author Marisol Cortez, Louis Meriwether Award-winning author Claudia D. Hernández-Warwas, McAllen, TX Poet Laureate Edward Vidaurre, and Pomona, CA Poet Laureate Natalie Sierra.

Vroman's Bookstore: Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes, discusses & signs The Pohaku
2026-02-06 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
From the award-winning author of Hula, a dazzling saga that moves from Hawaii to California and back, about the generations of women tasked with protecting the history and place that made them.
A young woman lies in a hospital bed in a coma, watched over by her estranged grandmother. Some say she jumped off the cliff; others say she was swept away by a wave. But her tutu at her bedside suspects something else is wrong, that the reason for the hardship and heartbreak in their family history is tied to a story that she’s never told–one about a powerful stone, the pohaku, that her family was tasked with protecting generations ago. In fits and starts, the grandmother begins . . .
We travel back in time to the eighteenth century, when the explorer James Cook becomes the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands. Cook arrives in pursuit of an ancient prophecy, a key that would unlock the mysteries of the world, but he is killed before he can learn about the mysterious stone–a stone born alongside future Hawaiian royalty, the key to something even more powerful than Cook could have imagined.
So begins a thrilling family saga of the women charged with protecting the pohaku, as it is taken from Hawai’i to California and possibly beyond, bringing fortune to the well-intentioned and misfortune to the bad. But with each successive generation, the fractures caused by its displacement widen until it becomes clear that the pohaku’s story must survive if there is to be any hope at all of the family’s–and a nation’s–reconciliation with their home, with nature, and with each other.
Reminiscent of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, and Tommy Orange’s There, There, The Pohaku is an immersive and bold novel about the history, perseverance, and resilience of the Hawaiian people.

Vroman's Bookstore: Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: The Bourbon Street Band Is Back by Edward Shankman
2026-02-07 11:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with featured book: The Bourbon Street Band Is Back by Edward Shankman. Caregivers and children aged 3-9 will enjoy story, craft activities, creative movement, and a mini-concert!

Vroman's Bookstore: Petra Lord, discusses & signs Queen of Faces: Deluxe Edition
2026-02-07 16:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
This limited deluxe edition is printed with one-of-a-kind etched, gold foil edges, stunning foil on the case, and a striking printed endpaper map!
“The ruthless, remarkable world you’ve been waiting for.” –Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of These Violent Delights
“A twisty, dark academia fantasy . . . I was hooked from the very first page.” — Marie Lu, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Skyhunter
This dark academia fantasy follows a desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy who faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, Brandon Sanderson, Lev Grossman, and R.F. Kuang.
Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. But Ana can’t afford to escape it, even as the wealthiest in Caimor buy and discard expensive designer bodies without a thought. When she fails to gain admittance to the prestigious Paragon Academy–and access to the healthy new forms the school provides its students–her final hope implodes. Now without options, Ana must use her illusion magic to try to steal a healthy chassis–before her own kills her.
But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor’s smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.
With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of renegades: an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters–and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.

Vroman's Bookstore: Maurene Goo, discusses & signs One & Only
2026-02-09 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club in the adult debut from the author of YA Reese Pick Throwback– a funny and fresh love story of a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything.
She knows what her happily ever after looks like. And it’s not him.
Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all–for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their fated. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee…for everyone but Cassia.
For ten years, Cass has been searching for her fated, a man named Daniel Nam. But he’s still nowhere to be found.
And so, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cass decides to do something for herself. She impulsively has a fling with Ellis. He’s twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But she’s surprised by their connection and their fling feels like something more–up to the moment he introduces her to his boss… Daniel Nam.
As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, a family secret is revealed that will make her question everything she’s ever known. Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate…or make her own.

Vroman's Bookstore: Christine Platt discusses & signs Less Is Liberation: Finding Freedom from a Life of Overwhelm
2026-02-10 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
From lifestyle trailblazer and author of The Afrominimalist’s Guide To Living with Less, a practical guide to move beyond decluttering your space and, instead, declutter your life.
Less Is Liberation welcomes those who are tired and weary to embark upon a journey of self-discovery. This is an invitation to understand the interconnectedness of overwhelm and our overall well-being.
For years, the constant pursuit of success silently wreaked havoc on Christine Platt’s happiness and health. While taking a personal pause, Christine discovered how her limiting beliefs about selfishness led to self-abandonment and a life of overwhelm. So, she decided to use the same intentional living strategy that helped her reduce overconsumption: choose less.
With the perfect balance of wit and wisdom, Christine shares the necessities to come into alignment with Self and offers a roadmap for anyone ready to do the same. Less Is Liberation is more than a self-help guide; it is a call-to-action to tap into our most underutilized superpower: being intentional with our choices.

We do not have to have so many things–we can choose less.
We do not have to have so many obligations–we can choose less.
We do not have to have so many priorities–we can choose less.
We do not have to have so many relationships that feel transactional–we can choose less.

We must simply learn how to be intentional about honoring ourselves.
Less Is Liberation is an invitation to pause and begin the beautiful work of choosing ourselves over the profit and pleasure of others. It invites us to let go of behaviors that hinder our growth. It is time to embrace less as a gateway to find freedom from our lives of overwhelm, and a pathway to the life we want and deserve. Because we are not here for a life of doing. We are here for a life of being.

Vroman's Bookstore: Valentine's Day Storytime with Mr. Steve and Miss Marie!
2026-02-11 11:00 - 11:45 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Join Mr. Steve and Ms. Marie on February 11th at 11 am for a special Valentine’ s-themed storytime. We will be doing Valentine’s crafts and celebrating all types of love with some fun reads and lovely songs!

A Night Out in Playhouse Village
2026-02-11 17:00 - 20:30 | CA
Playhouse Village Foundation looks forward to welcoming you to A Night Out in Playhouse Village at the legendary Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena – an evening for the community to come together and enjoy comedy, food, silent and live auctions. This event is made possible through the generosity of our host, Johnny Buss and the Ice House, and our Lead Sponsor Lagerlof Cares.
A Night Out in Playhouse Village seeks to raise funds to support Playhouse Village Foundation’s efforts to build community in the heart of Pasadena. The event will raise funds specifically to support free events this summer at Playhouse Village Park, streetscape projects, community art, and more.
As the cultural heart of Pasadena, Playhouse Village envisions walkable streets, an exciting mix of retail and entertainment destinations, bustling restaurants, thriving employers and institutions, historic and contemporary housing, and a wide array of free events – all combining to create a dynamic urban village in the heart of Pasadena.

Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - SenLinYu discusses Alchemised
2026-02-11 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.
A SHE READS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.”
Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.
In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.
According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?
To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.

Pasadena Playhouse: Amadeus
2026-02-11 20:00 - 22:45 | Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
The stage is set at Pasadena Playhouse for a riveting, white-hot rivalry between two composers: Antonio Salieri, the court’s celebrated musician, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the vulgar prodigy whose brilliance threatens everything Salieri holds dear. Lavishly laced with biting wit, this Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece dives deep into ambition, envy, and the intoxicating cost of genius. Amadeus unfolds in a world where music ignites obsession and drama crescendos into legend.

Pasadena Heritage: Women's Work: The Art and Craft of Weaving in Rural Morocco
2026-02-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Pasadena Heritage, The Blinn House 160 N Oakland Ave, Pasadena, 91101, United States
Morocco is a country known for the intricacy and breadth of its craftsmanship. While men produce many of the country’s artisanal goods, rug weaving has, for centuries, been the domain of women. Across Morocco’s tribal regions, distinct weaving styles reflect local histories, outside influences, and the aesthetics of the Amaizgh, indigenous weavers. As stewards of cultural knowledge, these artisans hold a respected place within their communities.
This lecture examines the history of weaving in rural Morocco, tracing the transformation of the woven rug from a domestic practice to a global commodity. It concludes by considering the most significant changes that have shaped the Moroccan rug weaving industry over the past two decades.

Vroman's Bookstore: Jacob Soboroff discusses & signs Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster
2026-02-12 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore
A “gripping, unshakeable firsthand account” (San Francisco Chronicle) of the firestorm that consumed Los Angeles, from the MS NOW reporter and New York Times bestselling author of Separated, who covered the fires on the ground as an LA native.
“Read[s] like a sci-fi thriller.” –Los Angeles Times
On the morning of January 7, 2025, a message pinged the phone of Jacob Soboroff, a national reporter for MS NOW. “Big Palisades fire. We are evacuating,” his brother texted within minutes of the blaze engulfing the hillside behind the home where he and his pregnant wife were living. “Really bad.” An attached photo showed a huge black plume rising from behind the house, an umbrella of smoke towering over everything they owned. Jacob rushed to the office of the bureau chief.
“I should go. I grew up in the Palisades.”
Soon he was on the front line of the blaze–his first live report of what would turn out to be weeks covering unimaginable destruction, from both the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, in Altadena. In the days to come, Soboroff appeared across the networks of NBC News as Los Angeles was ablaze, met with displaced residents and workers, and pressed Governor Gavin Newsom in an interview on Meet the Press. But no story Soboroff has covered at home or abroad–the trauma of family separation at the border, the displacement of the war in Ukraine, the collapse of order in Haiti–could have prepared him for reporting live as the hallmarks of his childhood were engulfed in flames around him while his hometown burned to the ground.
But for Soboroff, questions remained after the fires were controlled: what had he just witnessed? How could it have happened? Is it inevitable that something will happen again? This set Soboroff off on months of reporting–with firefighters, fire victims, political leaders, academics, earth scientists, wildlife biologists, meteorologists, and more–that made him keenly aware of how the misfortune of seeing his past carbonize was also a form of time travel into the dystopian world his children will inhabit. This is because the 2025 LA fires were not an isolated tragedy, but rather they are a harbinger–“the fire of the future,” in the words of one senior emergency management official.
Firestorm is the story of the costliest wildfire in American history, the people it affected, and the deeply personal connection to one journalist covering it. It is a love letter to Los Angeles, a yearning to understand the fires, and why America’s new age of disaster we are living through portends that–without a reckoning of how Los Angeles burned–there is more yet, and worse, to come.

Vroman's Bookstore: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Vroman’s: Omid Scobie & Robin Benway, discuss & sign Royal Spin
2026-02-14 15:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
She can handle the press…but can she handle the Palace?
With the British monarchy reeling from a wave of scandals, young American politico Lauren Morgan is plucked from the White House press office to breathe new life into the Buckingham Palace communications team and improve the royal family’s streak of bad headlines. But the Palace is an institution steeped in tradition and strict protocol, and Lauren quickly discovers that change is far from easy, or welcome, especially when you’re dealing with culture clashes, displeased royal aides, and a risky new love interest—or two.
Just as Lauren finds her footing at work—and with a charming royal reporter who may be more than just a press contact—an unexpected encounter from her past threatens the career she’s worked so hard to build. And when scandal looms over the dashing duke who Lauren has developed a special bond with, she finds herself torn between duty, loyalty, success, and happiness.
From London’s high society clubs to the sacred corridors and rarely seen spaces of Buckingham Palace, Royal Spin is a fun, humorous, and heartfelt novel that reminds us of the importance of chasing your dreams, and that the most rewarding journeys are often the messiest.

Vroman’s & the Altadena Historical Society Present: Michele Zack, in conversation with Michelle Huneven, discussing & signing Altadena: Between Wilderness & City
2026-02-16 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
90th Anniversary Special Commemorative Edition
The Altadena Historical Society commissioned noted journalist, historian, and Altadena resident Michele Zack to write the history of Altadena over 20 years ago. This hardcover edition features historical photographs and illustrations, many of which were reproduced for the first time in the original printing. The Altadena Historical Society is reissuing the book in celebration of its 90th anniversary with a hardcover that includes enhanced photographs and a mention of the Eaton Fire. The book received an Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History in 2010. It earned high praise from scholars.

Vroman's Bookstore: Peter Alan Lesser, in conversation with Tom Zehnder, discusses & signs Live at McCabe's Guitar Shop
2026-02-17 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Hosting icons and legends of folk, blues, bluegrass, jazz, spoken word, and world music since 1969.
A decade after Gerald McCabe opened up a guitar repair shop in Santa Monica, California, legendary folk musicians Elizabeth Cotten and Mike Seeger came looking for a way to earn money to get back home. Their inaugural performance kick-started a concert series that has featured some of the world’s finest musicians–including Doc Watson, Jackson Browne, Bill Monroe, and Linda Ronstadt–in one of the most intimate performance spaces on the West Coast.
Against a backdrop of guitars in a room often packed to the rafters, music rang out to fill every corner. But audiences weren’t the only ones who left with cherished memories. Enjoy behind-the-scenes stories from artists like Rosanne Cash, Taj Mahal, Lucinda Williams, Arlo Guthrie, and many more as they look back on their experiences at McCabe’s. From picking up a new hobby to serendipitous meetings of future bandmates, there was never a dull moment in the shop.
This is your backstage pass to the untold stories of one of California’s most celebrated music venues and those who performed live at McCabe’s Guitar Shop.

Pasadena Heritage: Botanical Blueprints: The Pioneering Heritage of Anna Atkins
2026-02-19 08:00 - 17:00 | Blinn House, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Pasadena Heritage invites the public to step back into the Victorian era for a hands-on exploration of the “blueprints of nature.” This immersive heritage workshop celebrates the groundbreaking work of Anna Atkins (1799–1871), the English botanist and photographer who transformed scientific documentation through art and innovation. Atkins produced the first book illustrated entirely with photographs, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843), using a revolutionary cameraless printing process that continues to captivate audiences today.
What Participants Will Experience
The HistoryGuests will discover how Atkins used the cyanotype process—developed in 1842 by her family friend Sir John Herschel—to carefully document delicate botanical specimens such as ferns and algae. Her work beautifully bridged science, art, and early photography.
The ScienceThe workshop explores the chemistry behind the iconic “sun print.” Paper treated with iron salts reacts to ultraviolet light, producing the rich Prussian blue tones that define cyanotypes. This elegant process reveals the powerful intersection of natural light and scientific discovery.
The CraftParticipants will create their own botanical cyanotype using locally gathered plant materials. By arranging specimens on light-sensitive paper and harnessing the power of sunlight, each guest will produce an archival-quality print to take home—experiencing the timeless practice of preserving nature through handmade heritage, just as Atkins did nearly two centuries ago.
Ideal for artists, nature lovers, history enthusiasts, and anyone curious about early photography, this workshop offers a thoughtful opportunity to slow down, observe closely, and create something beautiful rooted in the past.

Vroman's Bookstore: Simona Supekar, discusses & signs Stock Photo (Object Lessons)
2026-02-20 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things.
Part memoir, part cultural criticism, Stock Photo mines the significance of the stock photo in our everyday lives, from the ads and websites we browse, to the menus and memes that we consume. Through interviews with stock photography experts, photographers, models, consumers, and other stakeholders, Simona Supekar explores the evolution of the industry by tracing the creation of a stock photo from concept to usage while highlighting significant historical moments.
Supekar weaves in her own experiences as a keyworder for a stock photography company while reckoning with her Asian American/South Asian identity in a post-9/11 world. Stock Photo also addresses how these images have the power to shape our perceptions about race, class/caste, gender, ability, and more, thus underscoring the importance of representation even in something as innocuous as a stock photo.

Vroman's Bookstore: Lars Kenseth reads from & signs Call Me Moby
2026-02-21 11:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
A lovable white whale tries to befriend a shipful of sailors with hilarious results, in this clever debut from a celebrated New Yorker cartoonist and television writer. Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen and Jory John.
Meet Physeter Macrocephalus – but you can call him Moby.
He’s got the BIGGEST toothy smile. He’s always up for a game of tag. And his backflips can’t be beat! Who wouldn’t want to be his pal?
So when he meets a ship full of sailors out on the ocean, he just knows they will get along swimmingly. Moby is as fin-tastic and friendly as he can be, but the guys still seem a little…salty. What could he be doing wrong?
This clever riff on the Melville classic is at its heart a story about how to make friends – and find ones who appreciate the real you.

USC PAM: Exhibition Tours@PAM: Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry
2026-02-21 11:00 | USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 North Los Robles Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
USC Pacific Asia Museum invites visitors to take part in a guided tour of Mythical Creatures: The Stories We Carry, the museum’s newest exhibition by Korean American artist and muralist Dave Young Kim. This immersive experience explores the immigrant journey through the visual language of myth, offering deeper insight into the stories and symbolism behind the work.
Tickets include museum admission and free parking. PAM Members and USC students receive free admission and are encouraged to RSVP in advance at pamrsvp@usc.edu.

Pasadena Heritage: 200 Years of Black Pioneers in Pasadena and Los Angeles
2026-02-21 15:00 - 17:00 | Pasadena Heritage, The Blinn House 160 N Oakland Ave, Pasadena, 91101, United States
Pasadena Heritage happily presents 200 Years of Black Pioneers in Pasadena and Los Angeles,
Many don’t realize just how deep the roots of the African American community run in Southern California. This talk brings those stories to the forefront, exploring the lives and legacies of pioneering Black individuals and communities whose impact shaped Los Angeles and Pasadena from the very beginning.
We’ll look at:

The Pobladores, the original 1781 settlers of the Pueblo of Los Angeles — more than half of whom had African ancestry.
Pío Pico, the last Mexican governor of California, of African and mestizo heritage.
Biddy Mason, a midwife who went from newly freed slave to one of the largest commercial landowners in Los Angeles within just two decades.
Paul R. Williams, the first licensed African American architect west of the Mississippi, who designed more than a thousand buildings across Southern California.
Jackie Robinson, who excelled in four sports at John Muir High School, Pasadena City College, and UCLA before breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.
Tom Bradley, Los Angeles’s first African American mayor, who led the city for two decades, from 1973 to 1993.
This hybrid program will be presented by Dave Nufer, Pasadena Heritage docent and Board member, and Steven McCall, docent and recent Board Chair of the Los Angeles Conservancy.

Vroman's Bookstore: Susan Walter discusses & signs Murder at 30,000 Feet
2026-02-21 16:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Under the cover of turbulence, a killer strikes. With nowhere to land and nowhere to hide, who will save the passengers from this nightmare at 30,000 feet?
It’s a ticket to paradise. Flight 868 with nonstop service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Over a dozen tipsy passengers are off to a destination wedding. A team of high school baseball players is headed to a tournament. The plane is packed with people eager to escape their lives, and others who can’t wait to return to their beloved home.
But sweet anticipation turns to terror when a lightning strike short-circuits the avionics and plunges the plane into darkness. When the lights come back on, a passenger is found brutally murdered, with only a bewildered air marshal to solve the crime. He soon realizes that several passengers are harboring dark secrets, but the identity of the murderer eludes him. There’s only one certainty: the killer is on the plane.
Thousands of feet above the earth with thunderstorms closing in, the danger outside is as grave as the mounting threat within. Can the captain outrun the storm? Or will the murderer among them bring the plane down first?
Passion, betrayal, and murder collide in this high-stakes, locked-room mystery. A must-read for fans of T.J. Newman and Jeneva Rose.

Third@First: The Belrose Duo Plays Romantic Favorites
2026-02-21 16:00 - 17:00 | CA
David Garrett (cello) and Junko Ueno Garrett (piano) offer the beloved Rachmaninov Sonata and favorite encore pieces.

Vroman's Bookstore: Local Author Day (Young Readers Edition) Introducing Susana Porras
2026-02-22 11:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Susana Porras presents DANNY’S TRAILS – Mossley, England. Danny’s Trails: Mossley, England, is loosely based on a true story and is filled with youthful creativity, lessons in inner awakening, and mindfulness. This children’s book is appropriate for children ages 6-9. Consequently, the story’s imaginative use of real landmarks, a walkable trail, and a map makes it engaging for readers of all ages.

Vroman's Bookstore: Michelle Maryk, discusses & signs The Found Object Society
2026-02-23 19:00 | Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101, United States
Description
An atmospheric speculative suspense novel following a mysterious society offering its members the chance to relive the death of another person—and the self-destructive woman determined to uncover its secrets
This ambitious, genre-bending debut is perfect for fans of time-travel ﬁction including Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and Gareth Brown’s The Book of Doors
For twenty years, Greta Davenport has lived with the guilt of surviving the accident that killed her parents. She’s tested the limits of her own mortality ever since, but little gives her the dopamine rush she craves. Not until the night she almost drunkenly crashes her car into a tree, and a peculiar blank card slides under her front door—an invitation to the Found Object Society. What she discovers there is beyond comprehension: an opulent, subterranean playground filled with aisles of objects from different eras and regions of the world. Pick an object and go on a voyage to relive the final moments of the person who died holding it, along with an unparalleled, irreplicable high. Greta’s hooked, but she can’t quiet her questions about the society and its enigmatic creators, the answers to which have implications far beyond her growing dependence on the voyages. Death is addictive, and what she uncovers will put her entire life into question.
A fever dream of a novel with episodic, time-traveling chapters told from multiple points of view, The Found Object Society examines the depraved whims of the ultrarich and the breadth of unresolved trauma—all while asking how grief and the choices we make in its aftermath can change the course of our lives. Michelle Maryk’s wholly original and ambitious debut opens an impeccably wrought speculative world of greed, power, and destiny.

About the Author
Michelle Maryk graduated from Cornell University with a degree in English and attended the Yale Writer’s Workshop. For the better part of twenty-five years, she’s been a successful voiceover, on-camera commercial, and comedic actor, and she is a dual Swedish and US citizen. The Found Object Society is her debut novel.
