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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260810T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260810T190000
DTSTAMP:20260715T223933Z
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UID:10015756-1786388400-1786388400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Joss Richard discusses & signs Let’s Kiss & Tell
DESCRIPTION:A sex columnist and a news reporter realize a fake relationship can help them both professionally and personally—but they aren’t prepared for the real feelings that start to develop beyond the headlines—from the bestselling author of It’s Different This Time. \nLucy Reid is a sex columnist whose views on relationships aren’t exactly optimistic. She empowers readers to embrace their sexuality and challenge the idea that you need a partner to be happy—until her editor points out their audience is mostly coupled up . . . and maybe it’s time for something (or someone) new. To buy herself time\, Lucy impulsively claims she’s started a new relationship she can write about. Enter Marshall Oakley. \nMarshall is the new senior news writer at Lucy’s company. When they meet at a work event\, he reveals his ex of nine years is getting married\, and he needs a plus-one to keep his family off his back. They agree to fake date until the wedding—Lucy can write about finding “the one” before proving relationships don’t solve everything when they “break up”\, and Marshall gets a no-strings date to convince his friends\, family\, and ex he’s moved on. \nBut as they spend more time together\, the lines blur and each begins to reevaluate their views on love. As fear gives way to misunderstandings\, can they find the courage to rewrite their story with a happily ever after? \n  \nThis is a ticketed event at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Tickets include one entry and one copy of Let’s Kiss & Tell to be handed out at check-in. \nA public book signing with Joss and Lyla will follow the presentation. \nQuestions? email promo@vromansbookstore.com or call us at (626)449-5320
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-joss-richard-discusses-signs-lets-kiss-tell/2026-08-10/2/
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/2026/07/joss-richard.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260809T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260809T150000
DTSTAMP:20260709T234834Z
CREATED:20260709T234834Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T234834Z
UID:10015734-1786287600-1786287600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Books Search Search for your next favorite book Search Rey M. Rodríguez\, in conversation with Obed Silva\, discusses & signs Todos Somos Sagrados/All Are Sacred
DESCRIPTION:Poet and attorney Rey M. Rodríguez releases his debut Todos Somos Sagrados/All Are Sacred\, a tribute to the women of Proyecto Pastoral in Boyle Heights\, Los Angeles. Readings followed by Q&A with professor Obed Silva. \n“A treatise in poetry about one of the most important stories of our time-the formation and work of Proyecto Pastoral in Boyle Heights\, Los Angeles. Violence\, drugs\, and death plagued these streets\, which in the 1990s and into the 2000s were the most gang-inflicted in the country. But mothers stood up for healing\, peace\, for saving the children. Projects arose to help youth but also the unhoused and migrants. People in need. God’s work. Powerful figures like Father Greg Boyle met the call. Here Rey M. Rodríguez uses poems to carry their voices\, stories\, pains\, and joys. In Spanish and English\, in any language\, it’s a work of art\, a work of action.” \n-Luis J. Rodríguez\, former Los Angeles Poet Laureate\, author of Always Running\, La Vida Loca\, Gang Days in L.A. and It Calls You Back: An Odyssey through Love\, Addiction\, Revolutions\, and Healing \nRey M. Rodríguez is a writer\, advocate\, and attorney. He lives in Pasadena\, California. He is working on a novel set in Mexico City. He attended the Yale Writers’ Workshop and Palabras de Pueblo workshop. He participated in Story Studio’s Novel in a Year Program. He received his MFA in fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts in May 2026. His poetry is published in Huizache\, Anger is a Gift\, and Altadena Poetry Review. His interviews and book reviews can be found at La Bloga\, Chapter House’s Storyteller’s Corner\, Full Stop\, Pleiades Magazine\, and the Los Angeles Review. He is a graduate of Cornell\, Princeton\, and U.C. Berkeley Law School. His debut poetry collection\, Todos Somos Sagrados/All Are Sacred\, a tribute to the women of Proyecto Pastoral\, was published by El Martillo Press in May 2026. \nObed Silva was born in Chihuahua\, Mexico\, and immigrated to the United States as a toddler. After years in the gang lifestyle—which left him paralyzed from the waist down\, the result of a gunshot wound—he discovered the power of book learning\, earned a master’s degree in medieval literature\, and is now a respected English professor at East Los Angeles College. The Death of My Father the Pope (MCD/FSG) debuted in 2021\, and his follow-up memoir In the Hands of My Mother: A Tale of Love and Redemption (MCD/FSG) is slated for release in 2027.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-books-search-search-for-your-next-favorite-book-search-rey-m-rodriguez-in-conversation-with-obed-silva-discusses-signs-todos-somos-sagrados-all-are-sacred/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260808T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260808T130000
DTSTAMP:20260709T234525Z
CREATED:20260709T234525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T234525Z
UID:10015733-1786194000-1786194000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Teen Mindfulness Workshop with Jamie D. Roberts
DESCRIPTION:Join us in the Vroman’s Event Space for an afternoon of mindfulness\, creativity\, and self-expression designed just for teens! \nIn this free interactive event\, teens ages 13–18 will explore emotion regulation\, identity\, and the art of showing up authentically through a hands-on expressive art activity that is equal parts creative and meaningful. We all wear different masks depending on who we are around\, and this event allows us to explore these roles we play. What does it feel like to be fully yourself? Who do you let in? This is a space to reflect\, create\, and just breathe. No experience necessary\, just bring yourself. \nLeading the event is Jamie Roberts\, LMFT\, therapist\, author\, and the person behind @neurodivergenttherapist. Jamie has spent over fourteen years working with teens and is the author of Mindfulness for Teen Anxiety and Neurodiversity for Teen Girls\, two books written to help teens understand themselves better and feel a little less alone in the process. Both books will be available for purchase at the event. \nJamie is also the founder of Equilibrium Counseling Services\, a teen and young adult mental health center in Southern California where all identities and brains are celebrated. She also founded NeuroPebble\, a neuroaffirming clinical training platform. She is the Neurodivergent Therapist throughout social media and is an active speaker on neurodivergent\, teen and LGBTQIA+ topics. Jamie is inspired by Ayesha Saddiqi’s quote\, “Become the person you needed when you were younger.” \nFor more information about Jamie and her work:
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-teen-mindfulness-workshop-with-jamie-d-roberts/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Vroman's Bookstore,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/jamie-roberts-1.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260808T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260808T110000
DTSTAMP:20260709T234018Z
CREATED:20260709T234018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T234018Z
UID:10015731-1786186800-1786186800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Reading Program: End of Summer Celebration
DESCRIPTION:Join Vroman’s Bookstore in the event space on August 6th at 11am for our last summer reading event of the season\, featuring special guest Heidi Moreno! Heidi will be reading from her new release\, But I’m a Pumpkin!: A Summerween Story\, and leading us in some fun arts and crafts! \nHeidi Moreno is a scary-cute enthusiast and a children’s book illustrator. She illustrated the recently published But I’m a Pumpkin!: A Summerween Story written by Kat Choppy\, So Many Questions: Abuela Becomes a US Citizen by Belen Medina as well as the part graphic novel The Chismosas Only Book Club by Laekan Zea Kemp. \nBe sure to stop by the Kid’s Info Desk from 11am-2pm to collect your prizes\, including free books and other rewards! If you are not able to make it in on this day\, we will continue to hand out prizes in the department while supplies last.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-reading-program-end-of-summer-celebration/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260807T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260807T190000
DTSTAMP:20260709T234303Z
CREATED:20260709T234303Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T234303Z
UID:10015732-1786129200-1786129200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Ariel Delgado Dixon\, in conversation with Sam Cohen\, discusses & signs Sourland
DESCRIPTION:A gripping\, propulsive novel about succession\, sex\, and revenge on a California marijuana farm \n“Deliciously written and compulsively readable . . . As the ex-lovers of a missing weed farmer grapple for control of her land and harvest\, they contend with the force of her presence and the complexities of their own pasts.”–Carmen Maria Machado\, author of In the Dream House and Her Body and Other Parties \nSapphire and her farm\, Sourland\, are fixtures of Northern California’s rugged wilderness\, offering refuge to rejects\, rebels\, and outcasts–anyone willing to work and learn. But the haven Sapphire has built is fractured when she suddenly goes missing\, her scorched truck abandoned on a mountain road. \nFrankie\, a disgraced ballerina and Sapphire’s former girlfriend and right-hand woman\, returns to Sourland\, claiming ownership of the farm. When she arrives\, Frankie finds that Fizz–Sapphire’s most recent lover\, an ex-baseball player with a preternatural green thumb–has already begun prepping Sourland for its biggest harvest yet. \nAs the two grapple for power\, the farm’s fate hangs in the balance\, and with it\, the future Fizz and Frankie each covet for themselves. Past demons and scorned admirers remain hauntingly close\, while the specter of Sapphire looms over the farm: in cryptic notes\, in bud-tender gossip\, in every blade of grass and whorl of smoke. \nA brilliantly constructed novel of desire and betrayal\, Sourland sparkles with the beauty and grime of the California woods. Dixon’s novel warns that our true nature catches up to us all–no matter how far we run.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ariel-delgado-dixon-in-conversation-with-sam-cohen-discusses-signs-sourland/
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/2026/07/ariel-delgado-dixon.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260805T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260805T190000
DTSTAMP:20260709T233721Z
CREATED:20260709T233721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T233721Z
UID:10015730-1785956400-1785956400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: D.K. Furutani\, in conversation with Naomi Hirahara\, discusses & signs When Mikan Road Was Ours
DESCRIPTION:Winner of Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us contest\, a gripping\, sincere debut novel set across four generations of a Japanese American family living in California’s vibrant agricultural heartlands\, exploring the sharp edges of inheritance and what it means to truly belong. \nAmid a sweltering Los Angeles heat wave\, Murano\, a reclusive high school English teacher\, is muddling through life. Reeling from his father’s sudden death as well as his own recent cancer diagnosis\, he passes time hazily grading papers and appeasing disgruntled parents while counting down each day until summer vacation. \nThe monotony breaks when he inherits his great-uncle Benjiro’s unpublished memoir. What Murano expects to be a grim reminder of his position as the half-white son of the family’s outcast instead whisks him away to 1930s California\, to a time when the Murano family was inseparable\, relishing life together on their bucolic farm. As the memoir introduces him to relatives he never knew existed and unearths hidden complexities of the past\, Murano is pulled close to the Japanese identity he’s dismissed all of his life. Faced with the reality of his family’s dissolution\, Murano becomes determined to understand its breaking point following their incarceration in American concentration camps during World War II\, no matter what hidden truths he might uncover about his ancestors or himself. \nLovingly crafted with poignant and profound attention to historical detail\, When Mikan Road Was Ours is a rich meditation on belonging that seamlessly blends the intricacies of heritage\, the resilience of family bonds\, and the struggle to reconcile a past filled with both heartache and hope. \n  \nBorn and raised in Southern California\, D.K. Furutani is the author of When Mikan Road Was Ours\, winner of Simon & Schuster’s third-annual Books Like Us contest. His work has received support from the Periplus Collective and the Tin House workshops. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three cats.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-d-k-furutani-in-conversation-with-naomi-hirahara-discusses-signs-when-mikan-road-was-ours/
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/2026/07/dk-furutani-2.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260802T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260802T210000
DTSTAMP:20260709T225708Z
CREATED:20260709T225708Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T225708Z
UID:10015728-1785657600-1785704400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Sale July 25 - August 2
DESCRIPTION:Vroman’s Summer Sale starts on Saturday\, July 25th! Sale is located upstairs in the Vroman’s Event Space. All sales are final. May not be combined with other discounts.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-sale-july-25-august-2-2/2026-08-02/
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/2026/07/summer-sale-2025-2_0.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260801T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260801T190000
DTSTAMP:20260709T231847Z
CREATED:20260709T231847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T231847Z
UID:10015729-1785610800-1785610800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Gregory Orfalea discusses & signs Wonder and Shame
DESCRIPTION:Could you throw yourself away? Frank Matter asks himself this question as he boards a one-way flight to Syria. He might as well ask: Can you find your life by losing it? \nIn spring 2016\, after a run of personal sorrows\, Frank\, a lapsed Catholic clinging to one last scrap of faith\, undertakes a dangerous journey to his family’s village of origin outside Damascus on a two-pronged rescue mission. He hopes to scoop up his deaf cousin Dayzi\, whom he has loved since they were young\, and escape with her to America\, but their progress is halted by the terror and upheaval of the Syrian Civil War. \nIn the refugee camp of half a million people where they find themselves\, Frank takes on another quixotic mission: to teach a deeply traumatized collection of orphans the game of American baseball. Everything and everyone resists it. Frank’s obsession will not only test his resolve and bedrock sense of reality. It will risk his life and the lives of everyone he is trying to help. It will transform them. He and his adoptive family will wonder: How do you hold on to fair play\, honesty\, and respect for common ground in an increasingly cynical\, callous\, and power-driven world? Can healing happen–for an individual\, a community\, a country–in the face of abysmal violence\, and if so\, how?
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-gregory-orfalea-discusses-signs-wonder-and-shame/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260723T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260723T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T221758Z
CREATED:20260615T221758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T221758Z
UID:10015303-1784833200-1784833200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Brooke Nevils discusses & signs Unspeakable Things: Silence\, Shame\, and the Stories We Choose to Believe
DESCRIPTION:A powerful and personal examination of our most persistent and dangerous misunderstandings\, myths and stereotypes about sexual harassment and assault \nIn 2017\, Brooke Nevils made a confidential HR complaint about one of the most powerful and familiar faces in media. Twenty-four hours later\, the highest paid morning news anchor in history was fired\, stunning millions of Americans in one of the MeToo era’s defining stories. Demanding answers–and the intimate details of the most personal and painful humiliation of her life–the press soon discovered her identity. \nBut hers was not the kind of black-and-white story the media knew how to tell. There’d been no explicit threats. She hadn’t screamed\, fought\, or gone to the police. Instead\, she returned to her abuser again and again in a frantic attempt to “fix” an impossible situation that threatened her livelihood and the people closest to her. Yet as MeToo unfolded\, Brooke learned that messy stories like hers were far from the exception\, and that nearly everything she’d believed about sexual harassment and assault–and how victims react to it–was wrong. She began a yearslong effort to confront and understand her own experience\, not simply as a woman reckoning with her past\, but as a journalist confronting the critical questions that MeToo asked but ultimately left unanswered. \nThrough groundbreaking interviews with leading clinicians\, forensic professionals\, attorneys\, and frontline researchers\, Unspeakable Things challenges our understanding of consent\, power\, and the lingering\, often misunderstood effects of trauma and shame. Despite its rarefied setting at the height of fame\, power\, and American media\, Brooke’s story serves as a textbook example of an all-too-common scenario that continues to devastate lives and enable abusers. This book is a powerful re-examination of everything we think we know\, the start to a new conversation\, and–for anyone who has ever felt ashamed\, hopeless\, alone\, and afraid–a light in the dark.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-brooke-nevils-discusses-signs-unspeakable-things-silence-shame-and-the-stories-we-choose-to-believe/
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/2026/06/brooke-nevils.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260721T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260721T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T221455Z
CREATED:20260615T221455Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T221455Z
UID:10015302-1784660400-1784660400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Dr. Niki Elliott discusses & signs Heart-Centered Connections: Seven Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children Thrive
DESCRIPTION:A transformative guide for anyone working with the child who is left out\, left behind\, or labeled “difficult.” \nHeart-Centered Connections teaches the best practices to support kids who are misunderstood and marginalized–those who are neurodivergent\, have a learning disability\, or are trauma survivors. They have extraordinary potential waiting to be unleashed. \nHeart-Centered Connections is based on decades of groundbreaking research with over 1\,000 child-serving professionals–principals\, teachers\, foster care program directors\, social workers\, and parents. Dr. Elliott offers seven pillars that will help you create environments where kids can achieve their full potential. Children mirror adults’ emotions\, which is why the first pillar is Self-Awareness. What is your state when you engage with the child? Other pillars include Interpersonal Awareness\, Neuroinclusive Spaces\, Activated Genius\, Engaged Learning\, Mindful Communication\, and Heart-Centered Repair. You will learn how to: \n– Increase your ability to handle stress so you remain composed when a child acts out \n– Establish stronger bonds\, even with kids who initially seem defiant \n– Teach in a way that creates joy and confidence \n– Design neuroinclusive environments in which youth of all abilities can flourish \n– View the child from a new perspective\, offering them choice and dignity \n– Help the child settle their nervous system state so they can focus and learn \nIn this practical book\, Dr. Elliott brings clear guidance and a hopeful message: when safety\, compassion\, and trust come first\, real learning can begin. Heart-Centered Connections shows you how to create that foundation.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-dr-niki-elliott-discusses-signs-heart-centered-connections-seven-essential-skills-for-helping-neurodiverse-and-marginalized-children-thrive/
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/2026/06/dr-niki-elliott.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260719T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260719T160000
DTSTAMP:20260615T215117Z
CREATED:20260615T215117Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T215117Z
UID:10015300-1784476800-1784476800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Local Author Day Introducing Esma Ali\, Paul J. Ramirez & Kimberly Lee
DESCRIPTION:Esma Ali presents Was Jesus A Narcissist?: A Muslim’s Defense of Jesus!\nAs a Christian\, I found this book thought provoking. Well-researched. It has helped me understand the Muslim mindset. I appreciate Esma’s use of Psychology in her illustrations. \n-Anne Nolty\, PhD\, Psychologist\, Pasadena\, CA. \nAs a Catholic\, I have immensely enjoyed the reading!!! Esma Ali brings out perspectives that have never crossed my mind. The book has enhanced an understanding of my own faith as well as Islam. Although I disagree with some of her statements\, I recommend this book. A good educational source for everyone! \n-Adolfo Sanchez\, Accountant \nAs a Bible Study Pastor\, I have grasped the Muslim viewpoint on scripture. This book has enhanced my knowledge. Esma Ali has demonstrated a thorough understanding of the Bible. \n-Jolene Cadenbach\, Pastor\, Arcadia Congregational Church \nAs a Muslim\, I value this book. Esma Ali has illuminated me about the Bible. Her work has enabled me to converse intelligently with Jews and Christians.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-local-author-day-introducing-esma-ali-paul-j-ramirez-kimberly-lee/
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/2026/06/local-authors-600-x-600-3_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260718T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260718T120000
DTSTAMP:20260709T191356Z
CREATED:20260709T191235Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260709T191356Z
UID:10015717-1784376000-1784376000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Family Coloring Day
DESCRIPTION:Join the Vroman’s Children’s Department on July 18th at 12pm for a family coloring extravaganza\, featuring the work of viral coloring sensation Coco Wyo! \nWe will supply the coloring sheets and art supplies\, alongside some sweet treats and other surprises for participants! Suitable for all ages\, with a $5 (plus taxes & fees) entrance ticket per participating person. \nThis is an in-store ticketed event. The ticket includes general admission to the event. The Coco Wyo team will not be present at the event. \nQuestions? Email promo@vromansbookstore.com
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/380823/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Craft & DIY,Free,Kids,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Family-Coloring-Day.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260717T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260717T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T214900Z
CREATED:20260615T214900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T214900Z
UID:10015299-1784314800-1784314800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Michael Elias discusses & signs Bender’s L.A.
DESCRIPTION:In the coke-dusted canyons and deal-making rooms of 1970s Los Angeles\, Bender’s L.A. follows writer David Bender as he sets out to remake his life – romantically\, professionally\, and spiritually – after his wife walks out in Puerto Vallarta with a single sentence and a suitcase. \nWhile the Vietnam War casts its shadow\, Bender runs afoul of Nixon’s FBI\, plays tennis with fugitive Abbie Hoffman\, arms himself against a homicidal producer\, and goes back in time to fall in love with a young Marilyn Monroe. Bender weaves through a world of players\, radicals\, writers and artists including a woman suspiciously like Eve Babitz. \nHaunted by his New York past and guided by his Sun Tzu-quoting agent Neil Navitz\, Bender begins to wonder whether success has cost him the things that mattered – or whether he ever truly possessed them. \nWith a comic edge\, Elias offers a bitter-sweet meditation on love\, memory\, and the moral compromise of the Hollywood illusion machine and the misfits it often mangles along the way. In this tragicomedy of nostalgia and recovery\, Bender prevails.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-michael-elias-discusses-signs-benders-l-a/
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/2026/06/michael-elias-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260716T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260716T110000
DTSTAMP:20260615T214236Z
CREATED:20260615T214209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T214236Z
UID:10015297-1784199600-1784199600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Reading Program: Stuffed Animal Sleepover
DESCRIPTION:Your stuffed animals are invited to an overnight sleepover in the Vroman’s Children’s Department! The plushies will get a chance to experience the fun of a bookstore after dark\, climbing ladders\, browsing books\, and making new friends! \nDrop your plushie off at the Kids Info Desk on Wednesday\, July 15th\, between the hours of 5-8 pm\, and then come back on Thursday\, July 16th\, at 11 am to see all the mischief they’ve gotten up to throughout the night! We will have a slideshow and craft in the morning.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-reading-program-stuffed-animal-sleepover-2/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/website-event-image-18_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260715T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260715T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T213928Z
CREATED:20260615T213928Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T213928Z
UID:10015296-1784142000-1784142000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Fatimah Asghar discusses & signs Daughter of the Mountains: Poems of Heartbreak & Homecoming
DESCRIPTION:A tender\, searching collection that breaks open notions of faith to ask how a daughter\, alienated from kin\, can find love and a home in the world\, from the award-winning author of If They Come for Us and When We Were Sisters \n“There is\, in Daughter of the Mountains\, an almost supernatural sense of connectedness\, compassion. It’s a blueprint and a manifesto. I sit in stunned gratitude at its guidance.”–Kaveh Akbar\, New York Times bestselling author of Martyr! \nat the edge of an edge \nis an edge. at that edge \nis a cliff. beyond that cliff \nis me. \nExiled from ancestral homelands\, how can one find a place for themself in the world? In this stunning sophomore collection\, the acclaimed poet Fatimah Asghar unweaves residual grief to reckon with their relationship to Allah\, long-estranged but deeply loved kin\, the landscape of their ancestors\, and love itself. \nIn meditative poems\, Daughter of the Mountains grapples with multiple facets of fulfillment\, betrayal\, love\, loss\, and longing\, illustrating how place\, lineage\, and environment inform the practice of spirituality and vice versa. With wisps of humor\, imagery that is as beautiful as it is startling\, and powerfully disruptive formal invention\, this is an intimately lyrical and explosive collection.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-fatimah-asghar-discusses-signs-daughter-of-the-mountains-poems-of-heartbreak-homecoming/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260714T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260714T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T213726Z
CREATED:20260615T213726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T213726Z
UID:10015295-1784055600-1784055600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Marisa Solis & Elizabeth Dougherty discuss & sign The Complete Expert-To-Author Guide: Plan\, Write\, and Publish Your Nonfiction Book
DESCRIPTION:Learn how to turn your expertise into a clear\, compelling nonfiction book that reaches the people who need it most. \nWhether you’re a consultant\, coach\, educator\, healthcare provider\, or entrepreneur\, writing a book can expand your influence and help more people benefit from your ideas. The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide provides a practical\, step-by-step roadmap for moving from concept to finished manuscript without getting stuck along the way. \nWritten by veteran editors and book coaches Marisa Solis and Elizabeth Dougherty\, who have guided hundreds of nonfiction books from idea to publication\, this hands-on guide walks you through every stage of the writing process with clarity and confidence. \nHere’s what makes The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide an essential resource: \n– A Clear Road Map for Writing Your Book: Follow a proven framework that takes you from initial idea to completed manuscript with manageable\, actionable steps. \n– Designed for Experts and Professionals: If your profession involves helping people improve their lives\, turn your knowledge into an advice-based nonfiction book. \n– 25 Practical Exercises and Writing Tools: Writing prompts\, preformatted templates\, and market analysis exercises help you clarify your message and stay focused. \n– Structure Your Book with Confidence: Develop your advice-based book’s premise\, fine-tune your framework\, and strengthen your table of contents upfront–making writing faster and less stressful. \n– Navigate the Publishing Process: Write a book proposal\, explore publishing paths\, and build the platform needed to reach your audience. \nIf you’ve been thinking about writing a book but aren’t sure where to start or how to finish\, The Complete Expert-to-Author Guide gives you the structure\, strategy\, and support to bring your book to life.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-marisa-solis-elizabeth-dougherty-discuss-sign-the-complete-expert-to-author-guide-plan-write-and-publish-your-nonfiction-book/
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/2026/06/marisa-solis-elizabeth-dougherty-rsvp.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260711T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260711T160000
DTSTAMP:20260615T225256Z
CREATED:20260615T213453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T225256Z
UID:10015294-1783785600-1783785600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Nadia Paredes discusses & signs Art Therapy for Every Day: 365 Tools & Exercises to Help You Create\, Heal & Grow
DESCRIPTION:Find your creative flow\, soothe nerves\, and reconnect with yourself through art therapy. \nArt is the best medicine–and by tapping into our creativity regularly\, we can develop tools to help us feel better\, calmer\, and more resilient. \nArt Therapy for Every Day features 365 accessible and engaging exercises\, each designed to help you develop self-awareness\, explore your emotions\, and find relief from stress and trauma. Each exercise focuses on a specific intention\, can be completed with everyday art supplies\, and is designed to fit easily into your day. \nWhether you want to better regulate your emotions\, find joy in the creative process\, or simply seek a meaningful and hopeful alternative to idle online scrolling\, Art Therapy for Every Day unlocks the simple yet transformative power of self-expression\, day after day.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-nadia-paredes-discusses-signs-art-therapy-for-every-day-365-tools-exercises-to-help-you-create-heal-grow/
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/2026/06/nadia-paredes.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260709T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260709T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T210938Z
CREATED:20260615T210938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T210938Z
UID:10015292-1783623600-1783623600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Barry Lyga discusses & signs Every Hunter is Hunted
DESCRIPTION:From the world of Barry Lyga’s New York Times bestselling I Hunt Killers trilogy comes a thrilling adult mystery about the hunt for a monstrous serial killer. \nBrides are being murdered on their wedding nights. Soaked in blood and draped in lace. With nothing left behind to help them find the killer\, the FBI is at an impasse. Their only\, desperate hope is to convince Jasper Dent\, the son of two serial killers and a former teen prodigy at hunting down such monsters\, to emerge from his self-imposed exile. \nWhen he was a teenager\, both of Jasper’s parents were members of a secret society of serial killers. Today\, his father is in prison\, and his mother is in a coma\, both results of their final confrontation with Jasper years ago. Now wealthy from a bestselling memoir about his parents\, Jasper still carries the scars from their parenting–and the uncanny\, unwanted ability to understand killers that they instilled in him. \nJasper wants nothing more than to hide from his past – cash his royalty checks and never think about murder and blood again. But he knows the only way to find any meaning or redemption in his life is to face his demons once again. His skills rusty\, his confidence shaken\, Jasper races against a ticking clock\, frantically seeking to solve the impossible mystery before more women meet a horrific end.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-barry-lyga-discusses-signs-every-hunter-is-hunted/
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/2026/06/barry-lyga.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260708T170000
DTSTAMP:20260615T210658Z
CREATED:20260615T210639Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T210658Z
UID:10015291-1783497600-1783530000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: William A. Hoffman discusses & signs Exploring Southern California: 80 Outings for the Urban Adventurer
DESCRIPTION:Exploring Southern California: 80 Outings for the Urban Adventurer is a fun travel book with a unique format.  Each outing is laid out with a convenient\, two-page format – summary\, background\, itinerary\, map and nearby attractions.  Busy folks can choose their outing\, grab the book and go!  With over 500 captioned\, color photos covering six counties from Santa Barbara to San Diego\, the book is a delight to read.  With Hoffman’s background as a tour guide\, teacher\, and urban planner\, Exploring Southern California is much more than a touristy beach guide.  The book’s appendices on architectural styles\, walking streets\, historic preservation\, and trivia quizzes make it intellectually engaging and a reference you’d return to repeatedly.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-william-a-hoffman-discusses-signs-exploring-southern-california-80-outings-for-the-urban-adventurer/
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/2026/06/william-hoffman.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260707T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260707T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T205156Z
CREATED:20260615T205156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T205156Z
UID:10015290-1783450800-1783450800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Ray Morton discusses & signs King Kong: The History of a Movie
DESCRIPTION:The 1933 KING KONG was not just a terrifying monster movie. It was also an epic fairy tale\, a tragic love story\, and a landmark piece of cinema that introduced one of the most beloved characters in motion picture history-a universally recognizable cultural icon whose legacy encompasses a vast multimedia universe consisting of more than ten feature films as well as numerous television shows\, books\, comics\, toys\, collectibles\, and even a Broadway musical. \nIn this extensively revised and updated edition of a classic book first published two decades ago\, King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon is the definitive account of the most famous simian in pop-culture history. It spans the whole of the Eighth Wonder’s filmography\, chronicling in detail the making of every Kong movie beginning with the 1933 original and continuing through the giant gorilla’s Japanese adventures and the epic Dino De Laurentiis and Peter Jackson remakes before concluding with the most recent films that place the great ape within an ever-expanding “Monsterverse.” Author and Kongophile Ray Morton also offers entertaining looks at the character’s appearances in other media\, along with plenty of trivia and reflections on the franchise’s enduring appeal. Packed with photographs and based on extensive new research and exclusive interviews\, this is by far the most complete and comprehensive guide to all things Kong. \nIncluded here are: \nThe creation of the Kong character by Merian C. Cooper \nThe development\, production\, and release of the original 1933 film and its many successors \nThe Cartoon Kong: the giant gorilla’s animated incarnations. \nKong on the Stage: theatrical productions featuring the Eighth Wonder. \nKong on the Page: the many publications devoted to the great ape. \nThe Sons of Kong: Kong variants\, spoofs\, and rip-offs such as Mighty Joe Young\, Queen Kong\, and A*P*E*. \nThe Kongs that Never Were: Kong projects that never made it to the screen \nThe innumerable Kong-related products generated over the past century
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ray-morton-discusses-signs-king-kong-the-history-of-a-movie/
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/2026/06/ray-morton.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260701T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260701T190000
DTSTAMP:20260615T204009Z
CREATED:20260615T204009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T204009Z
UID:10015288-1782932400-1782932400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Linda Codega\, discusses & signs Pasha the Storm
DESCRIPTION:Moby-Dick meets The Bone Shard Daughter in this swashbuckling queer fantasy adventure packed with piracy\, political intrigue\, and the eternal souls of the drowned\, for fans of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi and Black Sun. \nAn exiled pirate queen hunts a killer whale on the high seas\, while caught between a power-hungry empress and a revolutionary conspiring to end her reign . . . \nPasha the Northern Storm was once the most infamous Meridian pirate who ever sailed the sister oceans. Now\, a decade into her exile\, Pasha’s afterlife is being held hostage by Atle\, an absurdly attractive noble who knows far too much about pirate magic–but not enough about sailing to realize how dangerous Pasha really is. \nMinister Atle Itaavar is duty-bound to serve the Kingdom of Garda\, but as Queen Thivaldís gathers support for her ambitions of empire\, Atle turns to treason to stop her. In order to destroy the Queen’s new necromantic navy\, Atle plans to steal the Queen’s flagship\, kidnap a washed-up pirate to sail it\, and track down a legendary killer whale to bring it down. \nBut the hunt for the great undying whale drags Pasha\, Atle\, and the crew of the Dog into a cosmic reckoning as they face threats from ghosts and gods alike–and the Queen of Garda is close behind.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-linda-codega-discusses-signs-pasha-the-storm/
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/2026/06/linda-codega-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260627T180000
DTSTAMP:20260615T203600Z
CREATED:20260615T203600Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T203600Z
UID:10015287-1782579600-1782583200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Concert on The Paseo With the Pasadena Conservatory of Music Jazz Faculty
DESCRIPTION:Join Vroman’s Bookstore this summer outside on the Vroman’s paseo for an unforgettable evening of live jazz\, presented in partnership with the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-concert-on-the-paseo-with-the-pasadena-conservatory-of-music-jazz-faculty/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Music,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Vromans-Summer-Jazz-Series-.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T210000
DTSTAMP:20260615T222051Z
CREATED:20260615T222051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T222051Z
UID:10015304-1782421200-1782421200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Sale July 25 - August 2
DESCRIPTION:Vroman’s Summer Sale starts on Saturday\, July 25th! The sale is located upstairs in the Vroman’s Event Space. \nAll sales are final. May not be combined with other discounts.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-sale-july-25-august-2/
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/summer-sale-2025-2_0-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T191258Z
CREATED:20260512T191258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T191258Z
UID:10015260-1782414000-1782414000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  William Loving\, in conversation with Ivy Pochoda\, discusses & signs Fells Point
DESCRIPTION:What begins as a personal journey of late-life reckoning becomes a noir-tinged meditation on memory\, mortality\, and the search for purpose. By turns darkly funny and melancholic\, Fells Point captures a soul—and a city—at a crossroads. \nDaniel Doyle Jr.\, a jaded\, middle-aged corporate communications flack in Baltimore\, is drifting through life under a literal death sentence: a congenital heart defect that could take him any day. Determined to reclaim some meaning\, he sets out to truly see and understand his city for the first time\, creating a “bucket list” of cultural landmarks\, lost institutions\, and personal haunts across Baltimore. But as he traverses the city’s past and present\, he realizes he’s being followed by a mysterious stranger who seems to appear wherever he goes. Is it paranoia\, coincidence\, or something more sinister? \nBio: \nWilliam Loving is the author of three novels\, including City of Angles\, Blue Earth River\, and his latest\, Fells Point. Before turning to fiction\, he worked as a journalist at the Los Angeles Times and the Minneapolis Star Tribune\, covering city life\, politics\, and culture. His fiction reflects a journalist’s sharp eye for character and place\, blending wit\, suspense\, and a deep connection to the cities that have shaped him. He lives in Pasadena\, California\, with his wife.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-william-loving-in-conversation-with-ivy-pochoda-discusses-signs-fells-point/
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/william-loving.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260625T110000
DTSTAMP:20260615T203008Z
CREATED:20260615T203008Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T203008Z
UID:10015286-1782385200-1782385200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Summer Reading Program: Marie’s D&D Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Vroman’s Summer Reading Program: Marie’s D&D Workshop\n\nThu\, 6/25/2026 \n– 11:00am\n\nPlace: \n\n\n\nVroman’s Bookstore\n695 E. Colorado Blvd\nPasadena\, CA 91101-2116\n\n\n\n\nRSVPto Vroman’s Summer Reading Program: Marie’s D&D Workshop\n\nChildren’s Event\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoin Vroman’s Bookstore on Thursday\, June 25th at 11 am for a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired oneshot adventure\, led by Vroman’s very own game master and storyteller\, Marie. The audience will control one character\, with every decision up to a vote! This event is for children ages 6+. A digital device with internet capabilities is highly recommended for participation.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-summer-reading-program-maries-dd-workshop/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/website-event-image-18_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260624T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T215652Z
CREATED:20260512T215652Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T215652Z
UID:10015261-1782327600-1782327600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: 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 nor 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! \nJune’s pick is The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden \n  \nFiction Reading Group meetings are held inside Vroman’s Bookstore on the second floor in the
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-fiction-reading-group-4/
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/heading-26.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260623T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260623T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T191019Z
CREATED:20260512T191019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T191019Z
UID:10015259-1782241200-1782241200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  David Litt discusses & signs It’s Only Drowning: A Memoir
DESCRIPTION:A former Obama speechwriter moves to the Jersey Shore and learns to surf with the help of his brother-in-law: a tattooed\, truck-driving Joe Rogan superfan. \nDavid\, the Yale-educated writer with a fear of sharks\, and Matt\, the daredevil electrician with a shed full of surfboards\, had never been close. But as America’s crises piled up and David spiraled into existential dread\, he noticed that his brother-in-law was thriving. He began to suspect Matt’s favorite hobby had something to do with it. \nDavid started taking surf lessons. For months\, he wiped out on waves the height of daffodils. Yet\, after realizing that surfing could change him both in and out of the water\, he set an audacious goal: riding a big wave in Hawaii. He searched for an expert he could trust to guide and protect him–and when he couldn’t find one\, he asked Matt. Together\, they set out on a journey that spanned coasts\, and even continents\, before taking them to Oahu’s famously dangerous North Shore. \nIt’s Only Drowning is a laugh-out-loud love letter to surfing–and so much more. It’s an ode to embarking on adventures at any age. It’s a blueprint for becoming braver at a time when it takes courage just to read the news. Most of all\, it’s the story of an unlikely friendship\, one that crosses the fault lines of education\, ideology\, and culture tearing so many of us apart.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-david-litt-discusses-signs-its-only-drowning-a-memoir/
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/david-litt.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260622T190000
DTSTAMP:20260512T190819Z
CREATED:20260512T190819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T190819Z
UID:10015258-1782154800-1782154800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Teo Rivera-Dundas discusses & signs Slow Guillotine (Zero Street Fiction)
DESCRIPTION:Slow Guillotine follows three broke weirdos whose collective desire to make and think about art is constantly interrupted by their art-industry-adjacent minimum-wage jobs. Throughout the novel\, the three friends’ day jobs in a failing independent bookstore\, a sterile gallery in downtown Manhattan\, and miscellaneous living rooms across the Long Island birthday-party-clown circuit interweave with their attempts to come to terms with their precarity\, gender-dysphoric embodiment\, and the floating dream of collective liberation. \nSpanning one year and told through an obsessive first-person present tense\, Slow Guillotine brings the bildungsroman structure through the autofictional looking glass\, questioning how “coming of age” could be feasible in a society of debtors\, wage laborers\, and renters.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-teo-rivera-dundas-discusses-signs-slow-guillotine-zero-street-fiction/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,Ice House,Vroman's Bookstore
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260620T150000
DTSTAMP:20260512T190623Z
CREATED:20260512T190623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T190623Z
UID:10015257-1781967600-1781967600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: ; Tom Lin discusses & signs Babylon\, South Dakota
DESCRIPTION:From the author of the Carnegie Medal in Fiction winner The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu comes a tantalizing\, American West saga about a Chinese American family trying to survive on their Dakota farm as a powerful\, mysterious\, and morally dubious military secret shapes their lives. \n“Lin’s gossamer prose is patient and full of wonders.”– Ed Park\, author of Same Bed Different Dreams and An Oral History of Atlantis \nWhen Saul Keng Hsiu and his wife\, Mei Lee\, move from China to the United States to take possession of a 160-acre homestead bequeathed to them by a distant relative\, all they have are the possessions on their back\, some hidden gold\, and a pocketful of chrysanthemum seeds. After a rocky start and a long\, harsh winter\, the couple find themselves successfully raising chrysanthemums and livestock\, and soon after\, a daughter\, Mara. \nBut when representatives from the US Army Corps of Engineers buy an acre of the Hsiu’s farmland and begin building a missile silo\, the inexplicable starts to occur: Mara can commune with the animals on the farm\, Mei develops a hidden talent for augury\, and the chrysanthemums become impervious to everything. When the Hsius learn that the project on their farm is an effort to make America’s nuclear deterrent invulnerable\, they see firsthand the long arm of power and empire. \nIn the years and generations that follow\, increasingly impacted by the silo and its residue\, the Hsius experience strange\, wondrous\, and tragic events on their farm. An ambitious epic and an ode to the beauty and glory of our connection to the natural world\, Babylon\, South Dakota\, upends the idea of “strangers in a strange land” to become a classic American story. It is a daring novel about how choices reverberate across generations and asks us what we owe to one another.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-tom-lin-discusses-signs-babylon-south-dakota/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Books,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
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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
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