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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T110000
DTSTAMP:20260512T185930Z
CREATED:20260512T185930Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185930Z
UID:10015256-1781953200-1781953200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Daniel Brewer and Paul Paolilli read from & sign Pondering: A Story in Cinquains
DESCRIPTION:This lyrically written and gorgeously illustrated ode to ponds is crafted in a uniquely American poetic form called American cinquain. \nIn this glorious celebration of nature\, three girls walk an old trail in search of a hidden pond\, marveling at treasures they discover along the way–darting dragonflies\, croaking bullfrogs\, fluttering sycamore leaves\, and more. Written in a unique poetic form called American cinquain\, the story seamlessly weaves together an invitation to readers to immerse themselves in nature\, while also bringing attention to this endangered ecosystem. The info-packed pages at the end of the book include an overview of the pond ecosystem and the current threat to it\, as well as an exploration of the cinquain form.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-daniel-brewer-and-paul-paolilli-read-from-sign-pondering-a-story-in-cinquains/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/daniel-brewer-and-paul-paolilli.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T185702Z
CREATED:20260512T185702Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185702Z
UID:10015255-1781809200-1781809200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Joan Lunden discusses & signs Joan: Life Beyond the Script
DESCRIPTION:In this fearless and inspiring memoir\, trailblazing journalist Joan Lunden pulls back the curtain on the defining moments that shaped her extraordinary life–from breaking barriers on national television to reshaping motherhood\, survivorship\, and aging on her own terms. \nSince bursting onto the national morning news scene in 1980 as cohost of Good Morning America\, Joan Lunden has been a catalyst for revolutionary societal changes. She didn’t just report the headlines; she made headlines for shattering the mold in a news industry dominated by older white men and rewrote the rules entirely. In a bold move that challenged workplace norms\, Joan was one of the first to bring her newborn daughter to work so she could continue breastfeeding\, showing the world that she could be a dedicated mom and a top-tier journalist at the same time. \nIn her 50s\, after raising three grown daughters from her previous marriage\, Joan and her husband\, Jeff Konigsberg\, welcomed two sets of twins via surrogate\, proving women can embrace motherhood at any age. \nThen\, in her 60s\, Joan discovered she had breast cancer. She bravely went public with her diagnosis\, chronicling her journey and fearlessly posing bald on the cover of PEOPLE. Standing in her truth\, she became an advocate for women to be better informed about the disease. She even lobbied Washington to require mammogram testing results be made available to all women\, especially those with dense breast tissue. Her valiant efforts enabled early cancer detection and surely helped save countless lives. \nDuring the later-life care of her mother\, Glady\, Joan advocated again–this time for senior citizens. She testified before Congress to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to include senior care\, imploring that caregiving isn’t just something we do at the start of life– it happens at the end\, as well. \nAt every turn\, Joan has been willing to step out of her comfort zone while reinventing herself and the environment around her. JOAN: Life Beyond the Script shares the extraordinary transitions this journalist\, television host\, author\, and advocate has undergone and how she has influenced our life transitions as well. By deeply reflecting on the most pivotal moments in her life and career\, accepting the times when she faltered as much as when she was sure of herself\, Lunden encourages us all to be open to change and the profound transformations it brings. \n 
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-joan-lunden-discusses-signs-joan-life-beyond-the-script/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/joan-lunden.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260618T110000
DTSTAMP:20260608T230207Z
CREATED:20260608T230207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260608T230207Z
UID:10015281-1781780400-1781780400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Vroman's Summer Reading Program: Sophia Sings Sendak
DESCRIPTION:Join Sophia\, a professional musician from the band Cash & Skye and a Card & Gift Clerk at Vroman’s Bookstore\, in a morning of song\, dance\, and storytelling! Enjoy Maurice Sendak classics such as Chicken Soup with Rice\, Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters\, and more.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-vromans-summer-reading-program-sophia-sings-sendak/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Ice House,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260617T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T185430Z
CREATED:20260512T185430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185430Z
UID:10015254-1781722800-1781722800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Kerri Schlottman\, discusses & signs Daytime Moon
DESCRIPTION:Isa has a gift. Premonitions\, intuitive insight\, a knack for tarot. But she is adrift. \nYears ago\, she ran away from one coast to the other and never looked back\, but when her brother Cole unexpectedly shows up on her stoop\, she’s convinced that it’s time to go home. Back in the California desert\, Isa is swept up in her former life of late-night drag races by the Salton Sea\, beers with the locals\, and haunting reminders of the twin sister she lost and the mother she never got to meet. \nWhen Dane\, the man who raised them\, becomes terminally ill\, Isa is forced to confront everything she ran away from. In a posthumous letter\, his revelations ignite her fearless internal drive. Traveling up and down California highways\, through desert and forest\, roaring coastline and border towns\, Isa will follow the signs so delicately woven into the fabric of her life – a name\, a constellation\, a painting\, a gleam of recognition on the water’s surface. If she can piece them together\, she just might reunite the shattered remains of her beloved family. \nArtfully narrated\, Schlottman’s novel is an unforgettable journey through hidden stories\, the depths of women’s secrets\, the shimmering fluidity of memory\, and the magic of transmutation.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-kerri-schlottman-discusses-signs-daytime-moon/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/kerri-schlottman-rsvp.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T214538Z
CREATED:20260615T214538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T214538Z
UID:10015298-1781636400-1781636400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Shannon Algeo\, discusses & signs The Power in Your Hands: Liberate Yourself from Attachment to Technology
DESCRIPTION:“A moving and inspiring book about the most important topic facing all of us.” –Johann Hari\, author of New York Times bestselling book Stolen Focus \nWho will you become when you put down your phone and pick up your life? \nThe average smartphone user spends the equivalent of 61 to 80 days per year on their device. Smartphones have become the fifth limb of the human body as they move with us from the bathroom to the waiting room to the kitchen sink to the bed. But we aren’t just physically attached to our phones; we’re emotionally attached as well. \nNew research reveals how individuals with insecure attachment styles (anxious or avoidant) are more likely to develop a problematic or compulsive relationship with their smartphone. But all of us–regardless of our attachment style–are turning to our phones more and more to soothe and distract us\, which numbs our empathy\, diminishes the quality of our relationships\, and drains the part of our brain required for creative focus. The more time we spend on our screens\, the less time we spend engaging in our life with our own two hands. The good news is that we can course-correct by reclaiming the embodied and ensouled wisdom that our recent ancestors knew well. But digital detoxes are not enough. We need both personal and collective action to recover from the tsunami of digital distraction we now face. \nIn The Power in Your Hands\, psychotherapist and meditation teacher Shannon Algeo invites readers to reckon with their attachment to technology through understanding the connections between compulsive smartphone behavior and their unique attachment style in relationships. He guides readers on a journey of reconnection to their inner child’s needs for artistry\, self-expression\, and real human relationships. Through psychologically supported “rituals of remembering”\, readers will rewire their neuropsychology and reclaim their creativity so they can move from the despair of digitization to the fulfillment of re-humanization. \nWhile we must address this problem collectively\, only you can reckon with the underlying human needs\, desires\, fears\, and insecurities that keep you reaching for a phone that would sooner have you scroll into oblivion than connect with your soul. Your attention\, relationships\, and desires are yours. The power is in your hands.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/shannon-algeo-discusses-signs-the-power-in-your-hands-liberate-yourself-from-attachment-to-technology/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/shannon-algeo-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260616T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T185208Z
CREATED:20260512T185208Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185208Z
UID:10015253-1781636400-1781636400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: CJ Leede & Kyle Kouri\, in conversation with Chuck Tingle & Liz Kerin\, discuss & sign Headlights & The Problem Drinker
DESCRIPTION:Special Agent Daniel Stansfield is ready for a change. Burnt out and defeated by the job\, it’s his last day with the FBI. But before he can turn in his badge\, he’s summoned back to Denver\, the city he ran from four years ago\, with a chilling message: it’s happening again. \nSeemingly innocent people are waking up on the side of the highway\, with no memory of how they got there\, wearing the skin of victims they’ve allegedly never met. And they each share one haunting detail: a strand of a stranger’s hair is tied around their tongue. \nNow Daniel is pulled back into the gruesome cycle\, and every clue leads him deeper into the shadows of his own past. He will have to confront the ghosts of his traumatic childhood and face what’s been hunting him all along— before he and the people he loves become the next victims. \nAbout The Problem Drinker \nHis girlfriend is horror famous\, his own writing and acting is floundering\, and he is drinking to make sense of it all. \nKyle Kouri’s debut non-fiction collection is full of ‘whiskey courage’ staring at the abyss of family\, writing rejection\, relationships\, and his own drinking. From hijinks at AWP to hustling in the movie business\, Kouri bridges the gap in drama between indie and horror. \nAt turns hilarious and heartbreaking\, The Problem Drinker is the story of an artist living with another artist\, yearning to move the needle in his career\, amidst a sea of personal tragedies and comedies. If F. Scott Fitzgerald had one foot in the 2020s horror scene\, that’s the spirit of Kouri’s caustic and big-hearted\, lush and refreshingly candid debut.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-cj-leede-kyle-kouri-in-conversation-with-chuck-tingle-liz-kerin-discuss-sign-headlights-the-problem-drinker/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cj-leede-web-updated.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260615T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260615T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T185003Z
CREATED:20260512T185003Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T185003Z
UID:10015252-1781550000-1781550000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstoer: Reyna Grande discusses & signs Migrant Heart: Essay About Things I Can’t Forget
DESCRIPTION:An ambitious memoir in essays by beloved bestselling author Reyna Grande that illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival. \nWhat is the true power of stories? Can they heal the jagged edges of a traumatic childhood? Is the cost of telling the story worth the price of the cure? \nReyna Grande has spent her career capturing the raw reality of life across borders. In this intricate and deeply intimate memoir-in-essays\, the author of the landmark memoirs The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home again turns her gaze inward to explore the scars left by migration and the ongoing work of stitching herself back together. \nWith her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty\, Grande interrogates how living between two nations\, two languages\, and two identities has shaped the woman\, mother\, and writer she has become. Moving from the legacy of violence in her hometown of Iguala\, Mexico\, to a bittersweet family vacation in Europe spent reconciling her own impoverished past with her children’s world of abundance\, she uncovers startling truths about the nature of survival. \nWhether being racially profiled in the Arizona borderlands or finding unexpected wisdom from the slugs in her garden\, Grande unflinchingly asks: How do we bridge the gap between who we were and who we have become? How do we turn pain into power? When memory threatens to define us\, how can we use story to heal while still honoring our boundaries? \nMigrant Heart is a powerful testament to Grande’s role as a storyteller and cultural witness. It expands our understanding of life in the United States and the complex people who cross and live within its borders. It is an essential read for the seekers\, the dreamers\, and anyone who believes in the enduring\, transformative power of finding one’s voice.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstoer-reyna-grande-discusses-signs-migrant-heart-essay-about-things-i-cant-forget/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/reyna-grande-rsvp.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260613T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260613T150000
DTSTAMP:20260512T184716Z
CREATED:20260512T184716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T184716Z
UID:10015251-1781362800-1781362800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  C.L. Max Nikias discusses & signs American Trojan
DESCRIPTION:American Trojan is the captivating story of a refugee who lost everything and then rebuilt it all\, an immigrant who defied the odds and achieved the American Dream; a visionary technologist who transformed the University of Southern California into one of the nation’s most prestigious private research universities. \nAt a time when many universities have succumbed to ideology over truth\, under Nikias’s leadership\, USC retained its academic integrity in the face of high-stakes negotiations\, high-rolling donors\, and the profound challenges of modern leadership. \nHailing from a humble village on the island of Cyprus\, Nikias steeped in thousands of years of history as he grew up. But when the Turkish invasion of 1974 destroyed everything his family had built\, he came to America to see what the Land of Opportunity had to offer. \nUpon completion of his graduate engineering studies\, he embarked on an academic career that established him as a pioneer in digital signal analysis\, lead him to collaborate on military projects with the U.S. Navy\, and eventually led him to USC\, which would forever alter the trajectory of his career and life. \nAgainst this dramatic backdrop\, American Trojan offers candid insights into how Nikias’ bold vision transformed USC into one of America’s most elite universities. More than a personal story\, it is a blueprint for leadership\, offering insights into how Nikias and his team strategized to meet formidable challenges to USC. \nAn urgent examination of higher education’s current crisis\, American Trojan provides a roadmap for renewal\, offering specific recommendations for how universities can reclaim their true mission of transmitting knowledge and cultivating young minds.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-c-l-max-nikias-discusses-signs-american-trojan/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260612T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260612T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T184524Z
CREATED:20260512T184524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T184524Z
UID:10015250-1781290800-1781290800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Laura Lekkos discusses & signs All the Little Ways
DESCRIPTION:In the vein of Pineapple Street and Such a Fun Age\, a smart\, heartfelt debut novel about two expecting mothers navigating motherhood\, family life\, and female friendship\, whose bond is threatened by a shocking revelation. \nVictoria and Liz barely breathe the same air\, but they collide headfirst when they meet in a group for expectant mothers and find common ground against all odds. \nVictoria\, forty-three\, is confident\, poised\, and powerful\, on the fast track to major career success in finance. Having kids is not in the plan. She had avoided love for decades–and hadn’t been too keen on female friendship either–when she fell for Ace\, a dashing man twenty years her senior. \nLiz\, thirty-two\, lives a fairly unstable life\, trying to make her situationship work and navigate a job on a vile reality dating show. She’s desperately wanted to experience motherhood for her entire life\, but anxiety and insecurity have landed her with a laundry list of failed romances. It’s an accident–ish–when she gets pregnant with her emotionally elusive boyfriend Preston’s baby just shy of a year into dating. \nWhen Liz and Victoria meet in a parenting class\, they both feel out of place amongst these pregnant women who seem to have it all figured out. They roll their eyes at the classic sign-off peppering the new mommy group chat: TIA (thanks in advance!). Alienated from these other women and due within a week of each other\, Victoria and Liz’s bond becomes a lifeline as they navigate their pregnancies and relationships. They grapple with impending motherhood together and lean on each other to navigate important decisions about family\, career\, and love. It’s the first successful female friendship in Victoria’s life and the first time Liz has felt so connected to an older\, wiser confidante. Maybe\, just maybe\, it will all be okay. \nBut as they grow more secure in their futures with each other’s support\, the friends confront a shocking turn of events that will change the course of both their lives. Victoria and Liz then must reckon with their relationships\, their impending journeys of motherhood\, and the strength of their own bond in this unforgettable work of women’s fiction.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-laura-lekkos-discusses-signs-all-the-little-ways/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/laura-lekkos.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260611T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260611T110000
DTSTAMP:20260608T225806Z
CREATED:20260608T225806Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260608T225806Z
UID:10015280-1781175600-1781175600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Summer Reading Program Kick-Off
DESCRIPTION:Dragons\, Duels\, and Dazzling Reads is a free Summer Reading Program for young readers in grades Pre-K-12. Join the Vroman’s Children’s Department on an adventure-filled journey\, designed to encourage a love of books amongst the youngest of readers\, with events and prizes (and dragons) along the way! \nTo participate:\n1. Stop by the Children’s Department to sign up and pick up a free reading log. Keep track of the books you have read throughout the summer–challenge yourself by reading ten or more!\n2. Attend at least one in-store event—our summer event list is below.\n3. Turn in your reading log on or after August 6th to claim your rewards! \nREADING EVENTS\nVroman’s Bookstore regularly offers author events for children’s books and young adult novels. Please check our website — or monthly e-newsletter — for upcoming author readings and signings: https://vromansbookstore.com/events/calendar \n\nThursday\, June 11th at 11 am: Summer Reading Kickoff\nJoin us on Thursday\, June 11th\, at 11am in the Vroman’s courtyard for the kickoff to our Summer Reading Program! We will have crafts and a special performance from the Society for Creative Anachronism. Children will be invited to create their own cardboard swords and shields as they embark on their Summer Reading journey. \nThe Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and recreation of pre-seventeenth-century culture and practices. We will be joined by members of the Southern California branch. For more information about their events—including sword fighting classes- visit sca-caid.org. \nThis event will take place outside on the Vroman’s paseo.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-summer-reading-program-kick-off/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/v2-summer-readingbanner1_0-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260610T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260610T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T184001Z
CREATED:20260512T184001Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T184001Z
UID:10015248-1781118000-1781118000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  James Ellroy discusses & signs Red Sheet
DESCRIPTION:It’s late October 1962. The Cuban Missile Crisis has just concluded. The Russkies blinked and pulled their ICBMs out of Cuba. Attorney General Robert Kennedy fears reprisals from seething commies. He orders a red probe and puts the LAPD on the job. \nFreddy Otash is injudiciously named the lead investigating officer. He’s a stone-cold criminal with police sanction and a harrowing dope habit. He homes in on a red-front trade union. There’s a murder on Halloween night. It may link to ex-VP and current gubernatorial candidate Richard Nixon and two commie snuffs from eight years back. Freddy’s overworked and overamped. He’s running the probe\, and Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman—Tricky Dick Nixon’s head goons—have hired him to keep Nixon away from the smear-minded press. \nL.A. is coming unglued. Ex-cop/lawyer Tom Bradley is running for a city council seat and pushing the Rumford Fair Housing Act. Playboy kingpin Hugh Hefner is along for the ride\, out to exploit racial tension and peddle untold copies of his smut rag. \nRed Sheet is James Ellroy’s most crazed kamikaze run and a daring\, subversive work of fiction.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-james-ellroy-discusses-signs-red-sheet/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/james-ellroy.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T160000
DTSTAMP:20260512T171354Z
CREATED:20260512T171354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T171354Z
UID:10015245-1780761600-1780761600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Merrill Joan Gerber discusses & signs Someone Should Know This Story: Selected Stories
DESCRIPTION:“‘Someone Should Know This Story’ is both the name of this book and the wish of my heart\,” writes Merrill Joan Gerber in the introduction to this retrospective collection of twenty-five stories written over a period of four decades\, many of which won awards and appeared in widely read periodicals such as The New Yorker\, The Atlantic\, Redbook\, and Mademoiselle. \nGerber takes her teacher Andrew Lytle’s advice to “follow the thread back into the labyrinth” of the heart and its secrets. Finding its starting place with the crises of everyday family life-its conflicts\, betrayals\, confinements\, and its devastating losses-she and her characters constantly reencounter themselves and the persistent yearning to “convey to others what we are” with grace and breathtaking honesty.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-merrill-joan-gerber-discusses-signs-someone-should-know-this-story-selected-stories/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/merrill-joan-gerber.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T113000
DTSTAMP:20260512T171123Z
CREATED:20260512T171123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T171123Z
UID:10015244-1780745400-1780745400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: This Is a Moment by Micah Player
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with the featured book: This Is a Moment by Micah Player. Caregivers and children aged 3-9 will enjoy a story\, creative movement\, and a mini-concert!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-pasadena-conservatory-of-music-presents-musical-storytime-this-is-a-moment-by-micah-player/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Kids,Music,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/storytime-600-x-600-16.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260605T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260605T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T170841Z
CREATED:20260512T170841Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T170841Z
UID:10015243-1780686000-1780686000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Dr. Darby Saxbe\, in conversation with Ken Bensinger\, discusses & signs DAD BRAIN
DESCRIPTION:When we talk about the transformative experience of birth and child-rearing\, we almost always focus on mothers. While biomedical research oversamples men\, the opposite is true when it comes to research on birth and parenting. In the past few decades\, studies have proliferated on how women’s bodies and brains change as they begin their families. Headlines and movie plotlines revolve around overworked moms—often accompanied by the image of inept dads muddling through a diaper change. The antiquated\, but persistent\, implication is that moms are “natural” parents\, instinctive and nurturing\, and dads are better left to the boardroom and golf course. With DAD BRAIN: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men’s Lives (Flatiron; June 9\, 2026)\, psychologist and researcher Darby Saxbe leverages 15 years of studying fathers to do a deep dive into the science behind fatherhood—and what she finds will upend the way we think about men as parents. \nInspired in part by her own hands-on\, solo father\, Saxbe started asking important questions: What if men are natural parents\, too? Does having a baby change men’s bodies and minds? What happens when fathers engage in child-rearing tasks? Saxbe shares hot-off-the-presses findings from her own laboratory studies\, from neuroimaging scans and hormone samples to father-child interactions. In writing DAD BRAIN\, she interviewed dozens of first-time fathers and traveled the world to connect with other scientists doing groundbreaking work. Full of fascinating stories and insights\, DAD BRAIN showcases the science and culture of fatherhood and celebrates dads who are leaning into parenting.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-dr-darby-saxbe-in-conversation-with-ken-bensinger-discusses-signs-dad-brain/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/dr-darby-saxbe-rsvp_1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260602T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260602T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T170501Z
CREATED:20260512T170501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T170501Z
UID:10015242-1780426800-1780426800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Jennifer Keishin Armstrong discusses & signs Parks and Rec
DESCRIPTION:From the New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia\, the definitive story of the creation and legacy of Parks and Recreation\, with exclusive interview content from its cast\, crew\, and creators\, as well as an introduction by Nick Offerman \nMore than fifteen years after Parks and Recreation premiered\, it has become a streaming and pop culture staple. It’s beloved for its jokes\, characters\, and expressions–the show even created a now widely observed holiday\, Galentine’s Day. How did it all happen and how did the show transform from a ratings disappointment into a cult classic? Pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reveals all this and more in the definitive history of the show\, which is as full of humor\, optimism\, and heart as Parks and Recreation itself. \nThrough new and exclusive interviews\, as well as deep insight and smart and entertaining pop culture analysis\, Armstrong tells the story of how Parks and Recreation came to be: how it grew from The Office’s success and Obama-inspired optimism\, how producers assembled one of TV’s most lovable casts but barely survived a mediocre first season\, how the show found its voice by getting more political and more romantic\, and how it became a cultural force despite middling ratings during its network run\, going on to become a television savior of the Trump era and a modern classic. \nLovingly told and deeply researched\, Parks and Rec is the ultimate history of the show that taught us what’s important in life: friends\, waffles\, and work.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-jennifer-keishin-armstrong-discusses-signs-parks-and-rec/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/jennifer-armstrong.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260527T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260527T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T212607Z
CREATED:20260318T212607Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T212607Z
UID:10015128-1779908400-1779908400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Vroman's Fiction Reading Group
DESCRIPTION:The Vroman’s Fiction Reading Group explores contemporary fiction -long and short– from a diverse selection of writers.  Enjoy lively discussions at our one-hour meetings.  Our Fiction Reading Group is free and inclusive – there are no requirements or criteria to join. We announce upcoming titles 3-6 months in advance and choose titles that are available in paperback.  Drop by our next meeting! \nMay’s pick is Human Acts by Han Kang.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-vromans-fiction-reading-group/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/heading-26-1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260521T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T212323Z
CREATED:20260318T212323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T212323Z
UID:10015127-1779390000-1779390000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Natalie Lemle discusses & signs Artifacts
DESCRIPTION:For readers of The Cloisters and Counterfeit\, Natalie Lemle’s debut novel offers an insider’s view into the world of stolen artifacts and the hidden networks that link museums to organized crime\, when a woman is forced to remember the summer she spent on an archaeological dig in Italy\, as everyone she knew then may now be in danger. \nSuccessful trusts and estates attorney Lena Connolly is asked by a colleague to assist on a case: the Italian government claims an artifact was looted and sold to a museum illegally\, and is seeking repatriation. The object in question is a cup made of dichroic glass\, which would have been rare even in Ancient Rome\, let alone thousands of years later. \nLena has done everything she can to put the study abroad summer she spent on an archaeological dig in the Italian Alps behind her. Her dreams of being an archaeologist were shattered when her mentor\, Cyrille\, disappeared\, and her enigmatic boyfriend Giamma went dark\, but with this new case\, the past comes roaring back. \nTold in alternating timelines\, Artifacts follows young Lena as she falls in love with both archaeology and Giamma on the streets of Torino while her adult self pieces together what truly happened on the dig\, now a fully restored Roman villa with World Heritage status. The dichroic cup\, Lena discovers\, may have been taken from the very site she helped unearth. \nPowerful and exuberant\, Natalie Lemle’s Artifacts brings readers behind the museum glass and asks questions about cultural heritage and the historical preservation of our shared sense of humanity.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-natalie-lemle-discusses-signs-artifacts/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/natalie-lemle.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260519T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260519T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T212021Z
CREATED:20260318T212021Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T212021Z
UID:10015126-1779217200-1779217200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Alyssa Villaire discusses & signs The Neon Sky
DESCRIPTION:For fans of Stephanie Garber and Maggie Stiefvater comes the bewitching sequel to The Glittering Edge\, where magic is real\, witches make irresistible boyfriends\, and keeping secrets is dangerous–but not as dangerous as the truth. \nPenny Emberly didn’t expect to fall head over heels for Alonso De Luca last summer–or to discover that he’s a witch. Together with their friend Corey Barrion\, they managed to save her mother from a deadly spell. Now autumn has arrived\, and Penny believes they can take on anything. \nBut darkness is descending on the small town of Idlewood. Corey is desperate to undo the bloody legacy that made his family rich. The price\, however\, is steep: to unravel the magical bargain made by his grandfather\, Corey must take a life. \nAs Corey wrestles with an impossible choice\, Alonso begins to change. The more he pushes the limits of his magic\, the more volatile\, violent\, and possessive he becomes. When tragedy strikes one of their classmates\, the trio is forced to confront a terrifying question: is Alonso being consumed by something that’s bent on the destruction of everyone around him–especially Penny and Corey? \nAs supernatural forces drive them apart\, Penny\, Corey\, and Alonso must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice before more blood is spilled–even if it means losing each other.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-alyssa-villaire-discusses-signs-the-neon-sky/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/alyssa-villaire.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260518T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260518T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T211759Z
CREATED:20260318T211759Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T211759Z
UID:10015125-1779130800-1779130800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Tiffany Ezuma discusses & signs Major Gift: An 831 Stories Romance
DESCRIPTION:The widow of a tech mogul is determined to give her wealth away–and keep one secret from the journalist tasked with telling her story. A hot new take on the billionaire romance. \nWhen Ndidi Davis’s husband unexpectedly dies\, she’s left bereft–and with $2.1 billion in the bank. She channels her grief into launching a charitable foundation\, but the endeavor is made more complicated by Geoffrey Campbell\, an ambitious\, perceptive journalist assigned to profile her philanthropic pursuit. Geoffrey’s reporting slowly uncovers Ndidi’s whole heart–and some parts of her past she’s worked hard to keep out of the public eye.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-tiffany-ezuma-discusses-signs-major-gift-an-831-stories-romance/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tiffany-ezuma.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260517T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260517T110000
DTSTAMP:20260318T211208Z
CREATED:20260318T211208Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T211208Z
UID:10015124-1779015600-1779015600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Local Author Day (Young Readers Edition) Introducing Susana Porras & Matt Bolinger
DESCRIPTION:Susana Porras presents Danny’s Trails\nDanny’s Trails: Mossley\, England\, is loosely based on a true story and is filled with youthful creativity\, and 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\, walkable trail\, and map makes it engaging for readers of all ages.\nMatt Bolinger presents Dino Babies in Space \nFrom deep within the primordial bog emerges… the debut Graphic Novel of the Dino Babies comic series!!! There’s a rock barreling through space at about a million miles per hour about to collide with Earth and cause the most catastrophic climate event the world has ever known!! But in the deep recesses of a secret government facility\, a group of renegade dino scientists has kidnapped an elite group of dino babies. Follow along as Brik\, Luna\, Chonk\, and Yo-Yo begin their journey through the farthest reaches of space in a last-ditch effort to find a new homeworld. What kind of strange creatures\, and crazy adventures will they have along the way??
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-local-author-day-young-readers-edition-introducing-susana-porras-matt-bolinger/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/local-authors-600-x-600-updated-kids-2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260514T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260514T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T210948Z
CREATED:20260318T210948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T210948Z
UID:10015123-1778785200-1778785200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Steven J. Ross discusses & signs The Secret War Against Hate
DESCRIPTION:From the author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Hitler in Los Angeles\, the definitive story of the intrepid activists and spies who fought against a resurgent movement of hate in America. \nAmericans today like to believe that the end of World War II brought a new era of tolerance in the United States. But antisemitism and racism went up-not down-after the war’s end. Violence broke out in cities across the country\, and the number of organized hate groups more than doubled from 1940 to 1946. In this shocking account of a resurgence of White Supremacy in America\, celebrated historian Steven J. Ross reveals how four key leaders-Emory Burke\, J. B. Stoner\, James Madole\, and George Lincoln Rockwell-worked together to “finish the job Hitler had begun\,” launching deadly attacks on Jews and African Americans and building a network of terrorists across the U.S. In response to this “war of hate\,” three men-Arnold Forster of the Anti–Defamation League\, George Mintzer of the American Jewish Committee\, and James Sheldon of the Non–Sectarian Anti–Nazi League-along with dozens of men and women\, launched a multipronged effort: They infiltrated\, monitored\, and undermined these hate groups\, putting their own safety on the line and scoring important victories that\, today\, have been all but forgotten. \nTracing the extraordinary work of these unsung heroes\, The Secret War Against Hate provides a groundbreaking reconsideration of the legacy of the “Good War\,” and essential reading on how America today can beat hate once again and build a just and united nation.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-steven-j-ross-discusses-signs-the-secret-war-against-hate/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/steven-j-ross.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260513T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260513T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T210616Z
CREATED:20260318T210616Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T210616Z
UID:10015122-1778698800-1778698800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Jenna Ramirez discusses & signs Burnout Summer
DESCRIPTION:For fans of Tessa Bailey\, Emily Henry\, and Elle Kennedy: a beachy friends-to-lovers romance through a post-grad journey that will have readers cheering (and falling in love!) along. \nFour years after graduation\, life isn’t going the way Camille Luna expected. Her corporate career is soul-sucking\, she’s in debt from student loans\, and her breakup with her ex has created a serious rift between her college best friends. When her spiraling lands her in jail for the night\, it’s Danny Brennan –the lovable burnout from their college clique– who bails her out and offers the perfect solution to her quarter-life crisis: a summer by the beach. \nCam is whisked away to Elswick\, Rhode Island\, where former slacker Danny has taken over his uncle’s restaurant and turned it into a seaside hotspot. But while Danny has grown into a devoted boss and dog dad\, his carpe diem life philosophy is still as fiery as ever. The hazy summer days start to blur between shifts at the restaurant\, dips in the ocean\, and a reignited passion for writing\, all alongside Danny who makes her laugh like nobody else. Cam can’t help but wonder –is it the salty waves that have her feeling so renewed\, or is it the carefree friend she always overlooked? But summer can’t last forever\, and Cam’s looming student debt reminds her at every turn that the frigid air of corporate office life is waiting. \nAs September approaches\, Cam must decide between snuffing out the flames with Danny in order to keep her beloved friend group together and return to the corporate grind–or falling into his forbidden arms and setting her old life ablaze.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-jenna-ramirez-discusses-signs-burnout-summer/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jenna-ramirez.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260512T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260512T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T192822Z
CREATED:20260318T192822Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T192822Z
UID:10015121-1778612400-1778612400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Jennifer Lee & LeUyen Pham\, in conversation with Gene Luen Yang\, discuss & sign As I Dream of You
DESCRIPTION:Franny and Sam are each other’s entire world. So what do you do when your world ends? Frozen’s Jennifer Lee and Lunar New Year Love Story’s LeUyen Pham deliver a tour de force young adult romance with a supernatural twist. \nFalling in love is supposed to hurt. That’s what Franny and Sam\, two cynical teens raised on tales of heartbreak and loss\, have come to understand. But when they fall for each other\, they find the reality of love is something else entirely—it’s electrifying\, effortless\, all-encompassing\, and easy. Theirs is a love that can conquer anything…maybe even death. \nAfter a shocking accident ends the couple’s life together before it can really begin\, Sam finds himself drowning in thoughts of Franny. He simply can’t imagine a world without her in it. And soon\, he doesn’t have to. In a series of vivid lucid dreams that blur the line between reality and fantasy\, the two find each other again and vow to never separate. But as time goes on\, cracks begin to form in their perfect world\, and unsettling truths become harder and harder to ignore. \nThis heartrending yet life-affirming romance from Disney’s Jennifer Lee is paired with breathtaking\, career-best art from LeUyen Pham. The result is a sublime YA graphic novel that’s poised to become a classic.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-jennifer-lee-leuyen-pham-in-conversation-with-gene-luen-yang-discuss-sign-as-i-dream-of-you/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/jennifer-lee-leuyen-pham.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260508T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260508T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T192316Z
CREATED:20260318T192316Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T192316Z
UID:10015119-1778266800-1778266800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Mario Garcia discusses & signs Rupert García: The Making of an American Artist\, a Testimonio
DESCRIPTION:This is the first biography of the renowned American Chicano visual artist and activist Rupert García\, drawing on fifty hours of interviews conducted over thirty years and accompanied by eighty images. This in-depth oral history gives an unparalleled look at García’s life and work\, tracing his evolution as an artist and the political upheavals that shaped his life and worldview. \nMario T. García’s testimonio places Rupert García’s art in historical perspective\, from his beginnings as a working-class Mexican American from California’s Central Valley\, his coming of age in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War\, his involvement in the antiwar movement during the San Francisco State student strike in 1968-69\, and his participation in the Chicano Movement and beyond. Influenced by history and politics\, García’s vital works of art represent a changing world through the eyes of an artist\, speaking to issues of poverty\, racism\, capitalism\, war\, and the role of the artist in society. \nHis art–from revolutionary silkscreen posters to monumental pastels to portraits of political icons like Frida Kahlo\, Che Guevara\, and Dolores Huerta–serves to critique history and reassess it. It is work that will endure for generations to come.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-mario-garcia-discusses-signs-rupert-garcia-the-making-of-an-american-artist-a-testimonio/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/mario-garcia.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260507T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260507T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T192104Z
CREATED:20260318T192104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T192104Z
UID:10015118-1778180400-1778180400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Nicole Maggi\, discusses & signs Lost in Yellowstone: A National Park Mystery Volume 2
DESCRIPTION:A foot in a geyser. A school in the wild. A truth no one saw coming. \nWhen a human foot is ejected from a geyser in Yellowstone National Park\, Special Agent Emme Helliwell of the National Park Service is assigned the chilling case. \nTasked with identifying the victim and uncovering what led to such a grisly end\, Emme is drawn into the park’s vast\, unforgiving wilderness–and into the orbit of a private school for at-risk teens where extreme backcountry excursions are part of the curriculum. As disturbing truths begin to surface\, Emme must also confront personal fault lines\, including the unresolved tension with an ex-boyfriend who’s suddenly back in her life and assigned to the same case. \nIn a place where danger hides behind natural beauty and good intentions can mask darker motives\, Emme must navigate both treacherous terrain and emotional landmines to solve a mystery that could cost her everything.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-nicole-maggi-discusses-signs-lost-in-yellowstone-a-national-park-mystery-volume-2/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nicole-maggi.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260506T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260506T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T191837Z
CREATED:20260318T191837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T191837Z
UID:10015117-1778094000-1778094000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Davin Malasarn discusses & signs The Outer Country
DESCRIPTION:This tender\, elegant debut examines the struggle of holding a family together when secrets threaten to unravel it. \n“Both a book of demons and a book of uncommon grace; an instant classic in the queer canon. Davin Malasarn is an exquisite writer of the heart.”–Justin Torres\, author of Blackouts \nSisters Manda and Siripon have been divided by continents for years\, estranged since their parents decided to send just one of their daughters from Phet Buri to America–the foreign land they call “the Outer Country.” As the eldest\, Manda assumed she would be the first to go. When their parents chose Siripon\, the more obedient second daughter\, the decision sparked a lifetime of rivalry. \nThe birth of Siripon’s son brings the sisters back together. Despite the disorientation of Los Angeles and the difficulty of sharing her sister’s home\, Manda becomes a second mother to Ben\, a precocious only child who fills her with fierce joy. But as Ben grows increasingly effeminate\, her joy transforms to fear. Believing that the spirit of a dead girl has possessed her beloved nephew–and that her sister won’t do anything to fix matters–Manda and Ben’s father\, Kamron\, secretly arranges a Buddhist exorcism. The ceremony sets off a decade of anxiety-induced illness and bullying\, even as the ritual burrows beyond Ben’s memory. \nFor Ben to grow into his authentic self\, he must accept his queerness and confront the scars of his past. He attempts to navigate his family’s tense relationships and live amidst the damage. But how long can they all go on before the truths are uncovered? \nFrom the mangrove forests of Thailand to a modest stucco house in Los Angeles to the sandstone quadrangles of Stanford\, The Outer Country is at once epic and intimate in scope\, a breathtaking journey across cultures and generations.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-davin-malasarn-discusses-signs-the-outer-country/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/davin-malasarn.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260502T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260502T113000
DTSTAMP:20260318T190620Z
CREATED:20260318T190620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T190620Z
UID:10015116-1777721400-1777721400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with featured book: If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen. Caregivers and children aged 3-9 will enjoy story\, craft activities\, creative movement\, and a mini-concert!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-pasadena-conservatory-of-music-presents-musical-storytime-if-i-built-a-car-by-chris-van-dusen/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260430T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T190318Z
CREATED:20260318T190318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T190318Z
UID:10015115-1777575600-1777575600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Jordan Harper\, in conversation with S.A. Cosby\, discusses & signs A Violent Masterpiece
DESCRIPTION:The next epic crime novel from Jordan Harper\, a story of Los Angeles power brokers and those at the edge\, and a single shattering incident that threatens to bring it all crashing down. \nLos Angeles\, right now. America with its back up against the wall. This Frankenstein’s monster of crimes and lurid dreams sewn together into something like a city. \nA city ready to explode: A Hollywood pedophile is arrested\, and is ready to tear down the city to get his freedom. A young woman goes missing — and men in black rubber gloves who look like cops clean out her apartment in the middle of the night. And the serial killer known as the LA Ripper is on the loose\, leaving tragic/graphic/brutal crime scenes in his wake. Three people trying to keep their heads above the dirty water will find themselves coming together to unite these strands into one enormous\, unspeakable crime … \nJake Deal is a gonzo live-streaming nightcrawler\, beaming the city’s chaos straight to his audience of blood-hungry subscribers\, giving them the view from the top of the mushroom cloud — until a job he can’t refuse drags him back into his old life of Hollywood glamour\, drugs\, sex and sleaze. Armed with cameras and hidden mics\, he’ll infiltrate private clubs\, gather high-class dirt — and stumble onto a conspiracy woven into the center of LA’s most powerful men\, who call themselves “The Kids in the Candy Store.” \nDoug Gibson is a street lawyer\, who fights for his clients against the army of cops\, prosecutors and judges – he is the knife they bring to the gunfight. But when he’s hired by a Hollywood pedophile ready to sell out his friends for a chance for freedom\, he’ll take on a fight bigger than he could have imagined. And when his client “commits suicide” in prison\, Gibson will have to stop being a weapon – and become a warrior. \nKara Delgado works for an underground private concierge company – a make-a-wish foundation for the terminally rich. She scores drugs\, makes connections\, and plans multi-million dollar sex parties.She has learned the secret truth of this world: there are no rules\, only prices. Her best friend Phoebe has gone missing\, and Kara’s the only person who knows that Phoebe’s place was wiped clean of evidence by men in black rubber gloves. But when she begins to unravel the mystery of what happened to Phoebe\, and its connection to the killer known as the LA Ripper\, it will drag her into the dark heart of the city. \nAs Jake\, Doug and Kara all investigate these crimes\, they’ll encounter ketamine-addled sitcom stars\, bloody riots\, homeless gangsters\, a killer cop on death row\, secret vaults in Beverly Hills\, tech-bro orgies\, medical cannibals\, true crime junkies\, private security wet-work teams\, reality shows\, street takeovers\, car chases\, coyotes\, a sadistic Tarzan\, and a three day\, fifty million dollar wedding\, before everything is revealed and they must each make their choice about how to fight back in this violent world before the bloody\, blazing conclusion.\n \nThis is a ticketed program and will take place at Vroman’s Bookstore\, located at 695 E. Colorado Blvd\, Pasadena\, CA 91101. \nYour Eventbrite ticket will include a copy of A Violent Masterpiece\, to be handed out at check-in on the night of the program.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-jordan-harper-in-conversation-with-s-a-cosby-discusses-signs-a-violent-masterpiece/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260428T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260428T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T185941Z
CREATED:20260318T185941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T185941Z
UID:10015114-1777402800-1777402800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Scott Kurashige\, in conversation with Dr. Margo Okazawa-Rey\, discusses & signs American Peril
DESCRIPTION:This probing account shines a new light on the problem of anti-Asian violence and inspires us to build lasting solidarity. \nDuring the COVID-19 pandemic\, racist demagoguery fomented a campaign of terror against Asian Americans. But these attacks were part of a much longer pattern that made anti-Asian racism integral to the outbreak of white supremacist\, misogynist\, and colonial violence across 175 years of U.S. history. Written in the radical spirit of Howard Zinn\, American Peril represents the culmination of thirty-five years of study and activism by award-winning scholar Scott Kurashige. \nFrom the lynching of Asian immigrants during the exclusion era to the U.S. military’s slaughter of Asian civilians\, the book connects domestic and global events that have been erased from the official record. Going beyond victimhood\, it traces the rise of Asian American community protest and activism in response to the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin and other overlooked tragedies. While many have worked to legislate and prosecute hate crimes\, Kurashige argues that hope lies in grassroots activism for multiracial solidarity.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-scott-kurashige-in-conversation-with-dr-margo-okazawa-rey-discusses-signs-american-peril/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260427T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260427T190000
DTSTAMP:20260318T184705Z
CREATED:20260318T184657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T184705Z
UID:10015113-1777316400-1777316400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Maria Semple\, in conversation with Jennette McCurdy\, discusses & signs Go Gentle
DESCRIPTION:“Maria Semple is a treasure.” –Los Angeles Times \nThe New York Times bestselling author of Where’d You Go\, Bernadette returns to form in her most exuberant and life-affirming novel yet with the story of one woman’s cheerful determination to live a life of the mind only to have the heart force its way in. \nAdora Hazzard has it all figured out. A Stoic philosopher and divorcée\, she lives a contented life on New York City’s Upper West Side. Having discovered that the secret to happiness is to desire only what you have\, she’s applied this insight to blissful effect: relishing her teenage daughter\, the freedom of being solo\, and her job as a moral tutor for the twin boys of an old-money family. She’s even assembled a “coven”–like-minded women who live on the same floor in the legendary Ansonia–and is making active efforts to grow its membership. Adora’s carefully curated life is humming along brilliantly until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger. \nSoon\, her ordered world is upended by black-market art deals\, secret rendezvous\, and international intrigue . . . and her past–which she has worked so hard to bury–lands like a bomb in her present. Inflamed by unquenchable desire\, Adora finds herself a woman wanting more: and she’ll risk everything to get it. \nAdora Hazzard’s journey of self-discovery will grip you from the start. Romantic\, hilarious\, intelligent\, and bursting with the stuff of life\, Go Gentle is a thrilling story of one woman’s mid-life transformation\, cementing Maria Semple in the pantheon of our most exciting and important contemporary writers.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-maria-semple-in-conversation-with-jennette-mccurdy-discusses-signs-go-gentle/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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