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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251110T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251110T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T222415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T222415Z
UID:10014419-1762801200-1762804800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Souvankham Thammavongsa discusses & signs Pick a Color
DESCRIPTION:From Giller Prize and O. Henry Award winner Souvankham Thammavongsa comes a revelatory novel about loneliness\, love\, labor\, and class\, an intimate and sharply written book following a nail salon owner as she toils away for the privileged clients who don’t even know her true name. \n“I live in a world of Susans. I got name tags for everyone who works at this nail salon\, and on every one is printed the name ‘Susan.'” \nNing is a retired boxer\, but to the customers who visit her nail salon\, she is just another worker named Susan. On this summer’s day\, much like any other\, the Susans buff and clip and polish and tweeze. They listen and smile and nod. But beneath this superficial veneer\, Ning is a woman of rigorous intellect and profound complexity. A woman enthralled by the intricacy and rhythms of her work\, but also haunted by memories of paths not taken and opportunities lost. A woman navigating the complex power dynamics among her fellow Susans\, whose greatest fears and desires lie just behind the gossip they exchange. \nAs the day’s work grinds on\, the friction between Ning’s two identities–as anonymous manicurist and brilliant observer of her own circumstances–will gather electric and crackling force\, and at last demand a reckoning with the way the world of privilege looks at a woman like Ning. \nTold over a single day with razor-sharp precision and wit\, Pick a Color confirms Souvankham Thammavongsa’s place as literature’s premier chronicler of the immigrant experience\, in its myriad\, complex\, and slyly subversive forms.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-souvankham-thammavongsa-discusses-signs-pick-a-color/
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/2025/10/souvankham-thammavongsa.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T222143Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T222143Z
UID:10014418-1762614000-1762617600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Tigest Girma\, discusses & signs Eternal Ruin
DESCRIPTION:Like all ruinous things\, he came from the abyss. \nKidan Adane has finally embraced her darkness. She’s killed without remorse\, lied\, and broken Uxlay University’s most sacred law by inviting elusive rogue vampires\, the Nefrasi\, into Uxlay. \nTrapped with a violently unstable vampire\, and reeling from her sister’s return\, Kidan wields her anger like a weapon. She vows to master her house and protect the sacred artifact hidden inside\, even if it means forging an alliance with the depraved leader of the Nefrasi\, Samson Sagad–and betraying Susenyos. \nA dangerous new philosophical text seems to hold the answers and promises the very thing Kidan has lost: control. Even as the dark pages consume her\, Kidan knows no soul at Uxlay is trustworthy–least of all Susenyos. For Kidan and Susenyos\, the lines of loathing and attraction may blur\, but the quest for power rules them both. And neither is willing to surrender. \nAs devastating secrets resurface from the past\, Kidan and her sister\, June\, must finally confront each other and take their rightful places in the looming war.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-tigest-girma-discusses-signs-eternal-ruin/
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/2025/10/tigest-girma-ticketed.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251108T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T221845Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T221845Z
UID:10014417-1762599600-1762603200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Erica Lee Schlaikjer reads from & signs Sky Luck
DESCRIPTION:As friends gather to look for shooting stars\, one boy discovers how to pay attention to what’s here\, not what’s missing. From an Own Voices Award winner comes a magical picture book celebrating abundant thinking. \nA dark night. Friends have gathered. One by one they point out flames streaking across the sky. All but one boy. He sees an airplane\, the Milky Way\, a full moon\, but no shooting stars. Frustrated by his bad luck\, he gives up and goes inside. \nHis uncle sees things differently. He asks . . . \nWhat if we open our hearts to all the wonders in the sky? The bright and the quiet\, the everyday and the once-in-a-lifetime. What if nature’s gifts are all around\, ready for us to recognize them? What if sky luck is infinite\, and everywhere\, for everyone? \nCrisp\, evocative text and lush\, cinematic illustrations deliver an invitation to be mindful of our planet’s never-ending treasures. A final spread reminds readers of the abundance of celestial surprises all of us are lucky to delight in.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-erica-lee-schlaikjer-reads-from-signs-sky-luck/
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/2025/10/erica-lee-schlaikjer-600x600_0.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251107T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251107T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T221618Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T221618Z
UID:10014416-1762542000-1762545600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Meher McArthur discusses & signs A Japanese Art Journey: A Curator's Memoir of Polka Dot Pumpkins\, Paper Dolls and Woodblock Prints
DESCRIPTION:Passion\, Art\, and Identity: A Multicultural Memoir of Finding One’s Place in the World \nIn this engaging memoir\, Japanese art historian and curator Meher McArthur transports you into the extraordinary world of Japanese art — from ceramics\, swords\, prints and textiles to Buddhist art\, folk painting\, contemporary art and animation. One artwork and one language lesson at a time\, we follow McArthur as she unspools a compelling narrative of curiosity and inspiration\, personal and cultural growth\, with heartbreak and resilience. This book will provide avid art lovers new ways of seeing and understanding the power of art\, not only to inspire but to illuminate one’s place in the world. \nThe author presents her art memoir in three parts: \nDiscovering and Learning \nGrowing up in a small Scottish town as a multiracial child\, McArthur often felt culturally out of place. Encouraged by her Persian and Scottish parents to embrace a global identity\, she studied Japanese at Cambridge\, eventually moving to Japan–where she fell in love with its language\, temples\, ceramics\, and art traditions. Just as she found her passion\, family upheaval challenged her sense of direction. \nBecoming a Curator \nWith a master’s degree in Japanese art\, McArthur forged a path as a museum curator in California\, organizing exhibitions on folk art\, sake\, ceramics\, and Buddhist calligraphy–while learning the rhythms of museum life and starting a family. \nCurating Beyond the Museum \nStepping away from the museum world\, she became an independent curator\, exploring new creative territory through origami\, anime\, and contemporary art–discovering fresh ways to connect with audiences and with herself. \nSpanning continents and cultures\, this is both an inspiring art memoir and a resonant reflection on cultural belonging. McArthur’s story offers a warm\, generous vision of how art can illuminate identity and bridge difference–inviting readers to fall in love with Japanese art and culture\, and to embrace the idea that there’s no single way to belong in the world.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-meher-mcarthur-discusses-signs-a-japanese-art-journey-a-curators-memoir-of-polka-dot-pumpkins-paper-dolls-and-woodblock-prints/
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/2025/10/meher-mcarthur.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251106T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T221405Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T221405Z
UID:10014415-1762455600-1762459200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - David Daley discusses & signs Antidemocratic: Inside the Far Right's 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections
DESCRIPTION:“David Daley has been at the absolute forefront of educating us about the theft of our elections by radical Republicans determined to subvert everyone else’s power to choose their own leaders. An absolute warrior for democracy.” — Rick Perlstein\, New York Times bestselling author of Nixonland and Reaganland \nIn 1981\, a young lawyer\, fresh out of Harvard law school\, joined the Reagan administration’s Department of Justice\, taking up a cause that had been fomenting in Republican circles for over a decade by that point. From his perch inside the Reagan DOJ\, this lawyer would attempt to bring down one of the defining pieces of 20th century legislation–the Voting Rights Act. His name was John Roberts. \nOver thirty years later in 2013\, these efforts by John Roberts and the conservative legal establishment culminated when Roberts\, now Chief Justice of the Supreme Court\, wrote Shelby County vs. Holder\, one of the most consequential decisions of modern jurisprudence. A dramatic move that gutted the Voting Rights Act\, Roberts’s decision–dangerously premised on the flawed notion that racism was a thing of the past–emboldened right-wing\, antidemocratic voting laws around the country immediately. No modern court decision has done more to hand elections to Republicans than Shelby. \nNow lauded investigative reporter David Daley reveals the urgent story of this fifty-year Republican plot to end the Voting Rights Act and encourage minority rule in their party’s favor. From the bowels of Reagan’s DOJ to the walls of the conservative Federalist Society to the moneyed Republican resources bankrolling restrictive voting laws today\, Daley reveals a hidden history as sweeping as it is troubling. Through careful research and exhaustive reporting\, he connects Shelby to a well-funded\, highly-coordinated right-wing effort to erode the power of minority voters and Democrats at the ballot box–an effort that has grown stronger with each election cycle. In the process Roberts and his conservative allies have enabled extreme partisan gerrymandering to become the law of the land\, while fringe conservative theories about our elections infiltrate the foundations of our democracy.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-david-daley-discusses-signs-antidemocratic-inside-the-far-rights-50-year-plot-to-control-american-elections/
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/2025/10/david-daley-ticketed.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T220958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220958Z
UID:10014414-1762369200-1762372800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Tori Atencio McCullough\, Kelsey McCullough\, & Bobbie Lucas\, discuss & sign Xavier X Atencio: The Legacy of an Artist\, Imagineer\, and Disney Legend
DESCRIPTION:From apprentice animator on Pinocchio to the lyricist behind “Yo Ho\, Yo Ho A Pirates Life for Me\,” Xavier “X” Atencio’s Disney career was diverse and spectacular. \nNow for the first time his talent\, humor\, and creativity come to life in a book celebrating the body of work and the legacy of one of Walt’s original and most versatile Imagineers. \nXavier “X” Atencio: The Legacy of An Artist\, Imagineer\, and Disney Legend depicts the life\, art\, and lasting legacy of X\, detailing how he put himself into his work and used his talents\, passion\, humor\, and creativity to inspire generations. It is the most comprehensive look to date at the one of Walt’s original and most versatile Imagineers. \nFeaturing previously unpublished artwork and photographs from X’s personal collection\, this book grants readers the unique opportunity to discover the true depths of influence X attained on his life journey. For while it was rare to become a Disney Imagineer\, it was even rarer to end a career at Disney with as diversified a resume as X’s–from “small-town Colorado boy” to art school attendee\, Disney animator\, attraction scriptwriter\, lyricist\, voice-over artist\, and finally Disney Legend. \nSet against the historic and cultural evolutions of The Walt Disney Company\, Xavier “X” Atencio: The Legacy of An Artist\, Imagineer\, and Disney Legend provides a deeply personal perspective into the life and career of a Disney Legend whose story\, until now\, had remained largely untold.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-tori-atencio-mccullough-kelsey-mccullough-bobbie-lucas-discuss-sign-xavier-x-atencio-the-legacy-of-an-artist-imagineer-and-disney-legend/
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/2025/10/tori-atensio-mccullough-kelsey-mccullough-bobbie-lucas.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251105T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T220716Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220716Z
UID:10014413-1762340400-1762344000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Aria Mia Loberti reads from & signs I Am Ingrid: The Adventures of the World's Greatest Guide Dog
DESCRIPTION:This funny\, adorable picture book is based on the life of Ingrid\, the real guide dog to actress\, author\, and UNICEF Ambassador Aria Mia Loberti! \nIngrid knows she is fabulous. She flies around the world with her person\, Aria. Working as a team\, they navigate everything from college classes and ancient ruins to movie sets and red carpets. And Ingrid never goes anywhere without her string of pearls. But before Ingrid was the best guide dog there ever was\, she was just a small\, black puppy with very big paws. \nGrowing up at Guide Dogs for the Blind\, Ingrid saw lots of grown-up dogs wearing special harnesses. They were guide dogs\, and they got to help people and go on adventures. Ingrid dreamed of being just like them. But becoming a guide dog isn’t easy. It takes a lot of training and hard work. When they are wearing their harnesses\, guide dogs must be focused and calm. That means no sniffing strangers\, barking\, or picking up food from the ground — no matter how good it smells! But Ingrid was determined to complete her training and become the best guide dog in the world. \nThis funny and heartwarming illustrated picture book will teach kids what guide dogs do and how they work together with their humans to become an unstoppable team. Plus\, the back of the book includes nonfiction information about guide dogs\, the spectrum of vision\, Aria’s life and career\, and photos of the real Ingrid — including her wearing her trademark pearls!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-aria-mia-loberti-reads-from-signs-i-am-ingrid-the-adventures-of-the-worlds-greatest-guide-dog/
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/2025/10/aria-mia-loberti.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251104T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251104T190000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T220459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220459Z
UID:10014412-1762282800-1762282800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Julia Ioffee discusses & signs Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia\, from Revolution to Autocracy
DESCRIPTION:FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD \nAcclaimed journalist Julia Ioffe tells the story of modern Russia through the history of its women\, from revolution to utopia to autocracy. \nIn 1990\, seven-year-old Julia Ioffe and her family fled the Soviet Union. Nearly twenty years later\, Ioffe returned to Moscow—only to discover just how much Russian society had changed while she had been living in America. The Soviet women she had known growing up—doctors\, engineers\, scientists—seemed to have been replaced by women desperate to marry rich and become stay-at-home moms. How had Russia gone from portraying itself as the vanguard of world feminism to becoming a bastion of conservative Christian values? \nIn Motherland\, Ioffe turns modern Russian history on its head\, telling it exclusively through the stories of its women. From her own physician great-grandmothers to Lenin’s lover\, a feminist revolutionary; from the hundreds of thousands of Soviet girls who fought in World War II to the millions of single mothers who rebuilt and repopulated a devastated country; from the members of Pussy Riot to Yulia Navalnaya\, the wife of opposition leader Alexey Navalny\, Ioffe chronicles one of the most audacious social experiments in history and documents how it failed the very women it was meant to liberate—and how that failure paved the way for the revanche of Vladimir Putin. \nPart memoir\, part journalistic exploration\, part history\, Motherland paints a portrait of modern Russia through the women who shaped it. With deep emotion\, Ioffe reveals what it means to live through the cataclysms of revolution\, war\, idealism\, and heartbreak—and how the story of Russia today is inextricably tied to the sacrifices of its women.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-julia-ioffee-discusses-signs-motherland-a-feminist-history-of-modern-russia-from-revolution-to-autocracy/
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/2025/10/julia-ioffe.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251103T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251103T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T220244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220244Z
UID:10014411-1762192800-1762192800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  TICKETED - Mac Barnett & Shawn Harris Present: The First Cat in Space and the Baby Pirate's Revenge: A Graphic Novel
DESCRIPTION:In the fourth installment of Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris’s New York Times-bestselling series our heroes–First Cat\, LOZ 4000\, and the Moon Queen– encounter Captain Babybeard and his crew of swashbuckling pirates.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-mac-barnett-shawn-harris-present-the-first-cat-in-space-and-the-baby-pirates-revenge-a-graphic-novel/
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/2025/10/barnett-harris.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T170000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T220002Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T220002Z
UID:10014410-1762099200-1762102800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Garrett Hongo and Robin Coste Lewis read from & sign their new books Ocean of Clouds: Poems and Archive of Desire: A Poem in Four Parts for C. P. Cavafy
DESCRIPTION:About Ocean of Clouds: \nIn his fourth book of poems\, award-winning poet Garrett Hongo sees coastlines and waters\, skylines and ancestral lines for what they inspire and teach. \nIn a surpassingly beautiful collection of poems\, with his characteristic long-lined\, rolling music\, Hongo is alert to the possibilities of individual moments of perception and grace in the landscapes of his life\, whether waiting for a ferry in Balboa after a writing workshop (“An oil slick from a yacht . . . / Spread rainbows on the water\, an aleph / curving toward us”) or hanging out and playing LPs with the late\, great poet Michael Harper\, or watching his daughter in the sun with a halo of messy twelve-year-old’s hair\, or listening to the sea\, which speaks to him in so many places: at the Wai’ōpae Tidepools\, at Cassis\, at Divi Bay in Saint Martin\, where\, he tells us\, “I thought of writing to the soul of Nâzim Hikmet\, / saying loving a woman was like writing a book– / . . . it is love’s body on which you write a page of kisses . . .” \nThese poems of cloudy moons and sandstone cliffsides\, the black glass of lava shattered into sands\, waves surging\, and stories of a poet’s gratitude for the journey he has made\, come together to make a paean against forgetting. \nAbout Archive of Desire: \nThe National Book Award\, PEN/Voelcker Award\, and NAACP Image Award winner returns with another inventive and boundary-breaking book: a sensual journey ignited in the archives of iconic queer Alexandrian poet C. P. Cavafy. \nIn her first book\, Robin Coste Lewis’s poems exploded the imagery of the Black female figure from antiquity through the present day. Her second book was an expansive hybrid photographic and poetic study of human migration and the human family. Now she delivers a “poem in four parts\,” which originated as a musical\, visual\, and lyrical collaboration with the composer Vijay Iyer\, cellist Jeffrey Zeigler\, and visual artist Julie Mehretu\, with Lewis on the microphone offering a live reading of this sequence. Ignited by their encounters with Cavafy’s archive\, in the heart of Athens\, the multimedia quartet exalted the liminal spaces where desire and diaspora meet–where art often asserts itself most forcefully. In this volume\, Lewis brings this performance to life on the page\, where the poem weaves in and out of Cavafy’s bedrooms\, notebooks\, and the suppressed erotic excavation underpinning all of his work. Lewis converses directly with Mr. Cavafy: “often you / reminded us that // the only true / barbarians are the ones / raging in silence inside // of our own / minds.” But she also brings equal parts of herself to this study of artistry and sensuality\, as in the short\, tender section entitled “Cavafy in Compton/Closet Anthem: Self-Portrait at Sixteen\, 1979.” \nAs in all Lewis’s works\, here she reaches across centuries to express what is timeless and not bound by our current moment or our single selves: the discipline and glory of art\, the give-and-take of love\, the kiss that lives in the moment\, and the unfolding journey of being human\, whose contours become clear only with the passage of time\, the igniting of memory\, and the words we find to describe the journey.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-garrett-hongo-and-robin-coste-lewis-read-from-sign-their-new-books-ocean-of-clouds-poems-and-archive-of-desire-a-poem-in-four-parts-for-c-p-cavafy/
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/2025/10/garrett-hongo-updated-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T215424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T215424Z
UID:10014409-1762092000-1762095600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Caroline L. Perry & Sydney Hanson read from & sign I Am Not Happy!
DESCRIPTION:In the vein of Grumpy Monkey and Unicorns Are the Worst!\, this hilarious picture book introduces the adorable quokka\, who–despite his ever-present smile–is definitely not as happy as he looks! \nWith its bright eyes\, puffy cheeks\, and beaming smile\, the quokka is clearly the happiest animal on earth. Or is it? This quokka is here to tell you…he is not happy! At least not all the time. Just like everyone else\, he can be sulky\, or sorry\, or sad; but you’d never know from the look on his face! So\, what’s a moody marsupial to do when he’s being misunderstood? Teach every other animal from kangaroos to koalas not to judge a critter by its cover!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-caroline-l-perry-sydney-hanson-read-from-sign-i-am-not-happy/
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/2025/10/caroline-l-perry-sydney-hanson.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251102T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T215204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T215204Z
UID:10014408-1762081200-1762081200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Tepito Coffee + Vroman’s Bookstore Present: Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion
DESCRIPTION:Tepito Coffee + Vroman’s Bookstore Present: Rings of Dissent: Boxing and Performances of Rebellion\, a special conversation moderated by Mike de la Rocha\, featuring Rudy Mondragón\, Gaye Theresa Johnson & Priscilla Leiva\n\nImage\n \n\nProfessional boxers practice their trade within an ostensibly apolitical arena. In reality\, however\, the fighters work inside a capitalistic and neoliberal sports culture that they both challenge and uphold. This collection delves into professional boxing’s capacity for brilliance\, contradiction\, resistance\, and complicity. Scholars\, activists\, and artists explore the boxing ring as a site for understanding original and diverse ideas about the performance of race\, citizenship\, gender\, power\, and dissent. Essays and interviews draw attention to the cultural politics and performances of marginalized boxers while revealing the structures of power and practices of agency at work around Black\, Brown\, and queer bodies. As the contributors establish boxing’s central place in communities of color\, they open exciting new avenues for studying race\, immigration\, gender\, and capital. Multifaceted and innovative\, Rings of Dissent uncovers fascinating corners of the boxing world as it illuminates what the sport tells us about America.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/tepito-coffee-vromans-bookstore-present-rings-of-dissent-boxing-and-performances-of-rebellion/
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/2025/10/tepito.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T214824Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T214824Z
UID:10014407-1762012800-1762020000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's On Screen - Howard Berger discusses & signs Making Monsters: Inside Stories from the Creators of Hollywood's Most Iconic Creatures
DESCRIPTION:Explore behind the scenes of the greatest monster movies ever made! \nWhat makes a great movie monster? Academy Award-winning make-up effects artist Howard Berger and acclaimed journalist Marshall Julius have spoken to dozens of film industry legends to find out. \nA celebration of monsters\, monster movies and monster movie makers\, Making Monsters delivers an illuminating\, entertaining and accessible oral history of the genre\, gathering an enviable array of A-list talent from make-up and digital effects legends (Tom Savini\, Phil Tippett) to directors (John Carpenter\, Ti West)\, actors (Simon Pegg\, Barbara Crampton)\, composers (Michael Giacchino) and writers (Russell T Davies). \nPacked with hundreds of images\, from film stills to personal\, behind-the-scenes pictures from dozens of interview subjects – many never before published – Making Monsters is a treasure trove of monstrous creations\, and the stories behind them\, that is sure to make fans jump\, scream and howl with delight. \n\n \n\nVroman’s On Screen is an ongoing event series highlighting books & authors that explore the elements of Film and Television from actors & directors to artists behind the camera to media studies & criticism.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-on-screen-howard-berger-discusses-signs-making-monsters-inside-stories-from-the-creators-of-hollywoods-most-iconic-creatures/
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/2025/10/howard-berger.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251101T123000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T213748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T213748Z
UID:10014406-1761996600-1762000200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with featured book: Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child. 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-over-the-river-and-through-the-wood-by-lydia-maria-child/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Community Event,Free,In-Person,Music,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/storytime-600-x-600-7.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251031T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251031T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T213526Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T213526Z
UID:10014405-1761926400-1761926400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Young Readers' Halloween at Vroman's Boo-kstore!
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Friday\, October 31st for Halloween at Vroman’s Boo-kstore! \nWe will have a special Halloween themed storytime with Mr. Steve and Halloween activities starting at 4pm. \nAfter storytime\, make your way through Vroman’s for trick-or-treating! We will have designated spots all around the Boo-kstore where young ghouls and goblins can happily haunt for goodies! \nCostumes are highly encouraged!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/young-readers-halloween-at-vromans-boo-kstore/
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/2025/10/halloween-music-4.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251029T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T213340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T214345Z
UID:10014404-1761764400-1761768000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Ticketed - Andrew Morton discusses & signs Winston and the Windsors: How Churchill Shaped a Royal Dynasty
DESCRIPTION:From an early age\, Winston Churchill was convinced that he was a man of destiny. Today\, it seems his premonition was correct; few figures in British history have been so deeply and consequently involved with the British family as Churchill. While many people in positions of power have advised kings and queens during their reign\, Churchill is unique in his role: helping to shape not only a reign\, but an entire royal dynasty. \nIn Winston and the Windsors\, one of the world’s best-known biographers and a leading authority on celebrity Andrew Morton presents a meticulously researched joint biography of Winston Churchill and the House of Windsor. Throughout the course of his career and life\, Churchill’s relationship with the Windsor’s fluctuated wildly. At times\, he was the royal family’s trusted confidante. At others\, he was their leading antagonist. In exploring the complex relationship between the two\, Morton argues that – whether the attitudes of the royal family were warm or icy towards Churchill – their relationship is central to the twentieth-century history of the British monarchy. \nFrom the Churchill family’s complex relationship with the crown; to Winston’s initially begrudging but ultimately fruitful partnership with George VI; to his enduring fondness for Queen Elizabeth II\, this fascinating narrative biography sheds a new light on the ways the crown not only shaped Winston Churchill’s career – but the ways in which Churchill shepherded the monarchy into the modern era. \nThis is an in-store ticketed event with two ticket options.- General Admission + 1 copy of Winston and the Windsors– 2 General Admissions + 1 copy of Winston and the Windsors
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-andrew-morton-discusses-signs-winston-and-the-windsors-how-churchill-shaped-a-royal-dynasty/
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/2025/10/andrew-morton-600x600-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251028T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251028T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T213104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T213104Z
UID:10014403-1761678000-1761681600@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore:  Eli Frankel discusses & signs Sisters in Death: The Black Dahlia\, the Prairie Heiress\, and Their Hunter
DESCRIPTION:Who killed the Black Dahlia? In this eye-opening shocker\, an award-winning producer\, true-crime researcher\, and Hollywood insider finally solves the greatest – and most gruesome – murder mystery of the twentieth century just before its 80th anniversary. \nIn January 1947\, the bisected body of Elizabeth Short\, completely drained of blood\, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity\, city-wide panic\, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD–all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years. \nSix years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away\, another woman’s life had ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious\, educated\, popular\, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm\, she was heiress to her Kansas City family’s status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941\, Leila’s butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing the marks of unspeakable trauma. \nOne victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets. \nEli Frankel reveals for the first time a key fact about the Black Dahlia crime scene\, never before shared with the public\, that leads inexorably to the stunning identification of a criminal who was at the same time amateurish and fiendish\, skilled and lucky\, sophisticated and brutish. Drawing on newly discovered documents\, law enforcement files\, interviews with the last surviving participants\, the victims’ own letters\, trial transcripts\, military records\, and more\, this epic true-crime saga puts together the missing pieces of a legendary puzzle. \nIn Sisters in Death\, the Black Dahlia cold case is finally closed.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-eli-frankel-discusses-signs-sisters-in-death-the-black-dahlia-the-prairie-heiress-and-their-hunter/
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/2025/10/eli-frankel-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251027T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251027T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T212833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T212833Z
UID:10014402-1761591600-1761595200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Thomas Schlesser discusses & signs Mona’s Eyes
DESCRIPTION:THE SENSATIONAL #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER THAT HAS TAKEN THE WORLD BY STORM \nTen-year-old Mona and her beloved grandfather have only fifty-two Wednesdays to visit fifty-two works of art and commit to memory “all that is beautiful in the world” before Mona loses her sight forever. \nWhile the doctors can find no explanation for Mona’s brief episode of blindness\, they agree that the threat of permanent vision loss cannot be ruled out. The girl’s grandfather\, Henry\, may not be able to stop his granddaughter from losing her sight\, but he can fill the encroaching darkness with beauty. \nEvery Wednesday for a year\, the pair abscond together and visit a single masterpiece in one of Paris’s renowned museums. From Botticelli to Basquiat\, Mona learns how each artist’s work shaped the world around them. In turn\, the young girl’s world is changed forever by the power of their art. Under the kind and careful tutelage of her grandfather\, Mona learns the true meaning of generosity\, melancholy\, love\, loss\, and revolution. Her perspective will never be the same — nor will the reader’s. \nMona’s Eyes is a heartfelt\, enlightening journey across five centuries of Western art history. With the emotional impact of The Elegance of the Hedgehog and the readability of The Little Paris Bookshop\, Thomas Schlesser’s sensational debut novel is at once a moving book about the beauty of life and a deeply touching story about the special bond between a girl and her grandfather. \nDiscover all 52 masterpieces inside the fold-out dustjacket.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-thomas-schlesser-discusses-signs-monas-eyes/
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/2025/10/thomas-schlesser.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251025T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251025T140000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251022T212629Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251022T212629Z
UID:10014401-1761397200-1761400800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman’s & Lil’ Libros Present: Maritere R. Bellas\, reading & signing Tío Ricky Doesn't Speak English / Tío Ricky No Habla Inglés: A Bilingual English-Spanish Picture Book
DESCRIPTION:Knock\, knock! Tío Ricky is in town and he needs his nephew Enrique’s help! He doesn’t speak any English\, so his nephew has to translate for him at the store\, the post office\, and the bank. But speaking Spanish feels like such a chore…until Enrique finds himself in a situation where his bilingual skills become life-saving. Enrique soon discovers that speaking two languages isn’t just helpful–it’s powerful\, and it can strengthen family ties in ways he never imagined. It’s a heartwarming story in English and Spanish that shows you don’t need a superhero cape to be a hero!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-lil-libros-present-maritere-r-bellas-reading-signing-tio-ricky-doesnt-speak-english-tio-ricky-no-habla-ingles-a-bilingual-english-spanish-picture-book/
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/2025/10/maritere-r-bellas-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251024T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251024T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251007T001514Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251007T001514Z
UID:10014399-1761332400-1761336000@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Liz Parker\, discusses & signs Witches of Honeysuckle House
DESCRIPTION:Haunted by a curse that kills someone close to their family every thirteen years\, two sisters must come together to break the spell and save that which they hold most dear. \nThis enchanting novel explores the fraught lines between family and the secrets they keep\, perfect for fans of Ava Morgyn and Heather Webber. \nFlorence and Evie Caldwell have long disagreed on how to break their family’s curse\, and tension has been high since their mother’s death thirteen years ago. Honeysuckle House\, the family estate where every Caldwell has lived\, now only houses one of the sisters. Evie has crafted it into an enchanted bed and breakfast while Florence runs a magical bookstore in town\, refusing to even set foot inside Honeysuckle House. \nBut when the house starts behaving dangerously and catches fire\, Florence and Evie must set aside their differences and dig into past generations of their family and the town’s history before the curse claims someone they love. \nWitches of Honeysuckle House is an exploration of sisterhood\, family\, and the places we call home\, perfect for readers who love the darker aspects of Weyward and the sister dynamics of The Crescent Moon Tearoom.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-liz-parker-discusses-signs-witches-of-honeysuckle-house/
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/2025/10/liz-parker-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251021T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251021T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T235906Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T235906Z
UID:10014398-1761073200-1761076800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: TICKETED - Olivie Blake\, in conversation with Chuck Tingle\, discusses & signs Girl Dinner
DESCRIPTION:From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six\, Girl Dinner is a darkly fun novel about power\, lust\, and eating your fill\, as wealthy moms and sorority girls practice a sinister new wellness trend . . . \nGood girls deserve a treat. \nEvery member of The House\, the most exclusive sorority on campus\, and all its alumni\, are beautiful\, high-achieving\, and universally respected. \nAfter a freshman year she would rather forget\, sophomore Nina Kaur knows being one of the chosen few accepted into The House is the first step in her path to the brightest possible future. Once she’s taken into their fold\, the House will surely ease her fears of failure and protect her from those who see a young woman on her own as easy prey. \nMeanwhile\, adjunct professor Dr. Sloane Hartley is struggling to return to work after accepting a demotion to support her partner’s new position at the cutthroat University. After 18 months at home with her newborn daughter\, Sloane’s clothes don’t fit right\, her girl-dad husband isn’t as present as he thinks he is\, and even the few hours a day she’s apart from her child fill her psyche with paralyzing ennui. When invited to be The House’s academic liaison\, Sloane enviously drinks in the way the alumnae seem to have it all\, achieving a level of collective perfection that Sloane so desperately craves. \nAs Nina and Sloane each get drawn deeper into the arcane rituals of the sisterhood\, they learn that living well comes with bloody costs. And when they are finally invited to the table\, they will have to decide just how much they can stomach in the name of solidarity \nBIOS: \nOLIVIE BLAKE is the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six\, Alone with You in the Ether\, One for My Enemy\, Masters of Death\, Januaries\, and Gifted & Talented. As Alexene Farol Follmuth\, she is also the author of the young adult rom-coms Twelfth Knight and My Mechanical Romance. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. \nCHUCK TINGLE is the USA Today bestselling author of Camp Damascus and Straight. He is a mysterious force of energy behind sunglasses and a pink mask. He is also an anonymous author of romance\, horror\, and fantasy. Chuck was born in Home of Truth\, Utah\, and lives in Los Angeles\, California. Chuck writes to prove love is real\, because love is the most important tool we have when resisting the endless cosmic void. Not everything people say about Chuck is true\, but the important parts are.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-ticketed-olivie-blake-in-conversation-with-chuck-tingle-discusses-signs-girl-dinner/
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/2025/10/olivie-blake-600x600-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251020T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251020T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T231155Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T231155Z
UID:10014397-1760986800-1760990400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Yaron Weitzman discusses & signs A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the Lebron Lakers
DESCRIPTION:NBA journalist Yaron Weitzman lays out the high stakes drama happening inside the Lakers’ organization at a crucial juncture in their history\, as they try to juggle the warring priorities between Lebron James and the Buss family. \nWhen LeBron James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018\, the match looked like one made in heaven. Here was a living legend\, the preeminent athlete of his generation\, joining forces with one of the most iconic teams in all of sports. The Lakers\, in the midst of their worst stretch in franchise history and reeling from the death of their legendary owner Dr. Jerry Buss\, needed a savior. LeBron\, fresh off ending Cleveland’s 50-year title drought\, needed a new challenge to help further burnish his legacy. The script wrote itself. \nA little over two years later\, LeBron and Dr. Buss’ daughter\, Jeanie\, were standing shoulder to shoulder\, hoisting the NBA finals trophy into the air. Having won their record-tying 17th NBA title\, the Lakers had reclaimed their accustomed perch on top of the basketball world and seemed destined to dominate the NBA for years to come. \nTraditionally\, the Lakers’ didn’t celebrate championships\, they celebrated dynasties. But this was a different Lakers’ organization\, one beset by infighting. A single title wouldn’t be enough to cement Lebron James status as a Lakers’ legend or help him surpass the ghost of Michael Jordan. Both parties needed sustained success\, but for that to happen they needed to be on the same page. Sadly\, the 2020 title would represent the pinnacle of their pairing\, and the beginning of a precipitous decline. \nDrawing from over 250 interviews\, Yaron Weitzman takes readers on a riveting\, behind the scenes journey of this fraught partnership. From the Succession-like power struggle between the Buss children\, to the rise of LeBron’s landscape-altering talent agency and its attempts to assert its own power within the Lakers’ walls\, to the evolution of LeBron’s priorities and political voice\, “A Hollywood Ending” is the definitive story of an American icon’s final years on stage\, one portraying him\, a fabled NBA franchise\, and the world of modern professional sports in a light never seen before.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-yaron-weitzman-discusses-signs-a-hollywood-ending-the-dreams-and-drama-of-the-lebron-lakers/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/yaron-weitzman-updated.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T230941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T230941Z
UID:10014396-1760871600-1760875200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Antoinette Portis reads from & signs To Activate Space Portal\, Lift Here
DESCRIPTION:This book is an interstellar portal\, and the aliens inside want to get to know you! \nBefore you lift the cover\, be sure you’re ready to meet Zrk and Blrg. They’re not so different from you–but to them\, you’re the alien! \nAfter their initial shock at seeing you through the portal\, they’re eager to see what kind of teeth you have\, compare home planets\, and maybe team up for a prank. You met as aliens\, but by the time the portal closes\, maybe you’ll be friends. \nTo Activate Space Portal\, Lift Here is an interactive treat sure to delight young galactic explorers. Antoinette Portis’s bright lines and bold colors pair perfectly with humor that also offers a subtle message of acceptance. Whether for bedtime or circle time\, this is a portal you’ll want to open!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-antoinette-portis-reads-from-signs-to-activate-space-portal-lift-here/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/antoinette-portis-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251019T120000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T230718Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T230718Z
UID:10014395-1760871600-1760875200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Luisa Navarro presents & signs Mexico's Day of the Dead: A Celebration of Life Through Stories and Photos
DESCRIPTION:A lush exploration of the vibrant and important traditions of Día de Muertos\, Mexico’s holiday for celebrating passed loved ones. \nWhether you are new to the holiday and celebrating for the first time\, looking to process a recent loss\, or just interested in this authentic Mexican cultural tradition\, Mexico’s Day of the Dead paints a vibrant picture of one of the country’s most storied and sacred holidays. \nWith photographer Christine Chitnis by her side\, author Luisa Navarro documents the most breathtaking displays\, as well as the artisans and people who keep the traditions alive. She delves into the origins of the holiday\, its rich iconography\, and modern-day customs. Thoughtful essays on the evolution of Día de Muertos are coupled with practical guides for celebrating it yourself\, as Luisa shares her tips for cultivating your own Day of the Dead traditions. Turn to Mexico’s Day of the Dead for approachable DIY projects. Build your own altar. Make your own sugar skulls. Create papel picado and bake your own delicious pan de muerto at home. \nThis landmark book brings Day of the Dead to life with transportive photography\, high-end finishes\, and eye-catching stained edges.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-luisa-navarro-presents-signs-mexicos-day-of-the-dead-a-celebration-of-life-through-stories-and-photos/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/luisa-navarro.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T180000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T230429Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T230455Z
UID:10014394-1760803200-1760810400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Teachers' Night Out! 2025
DESCRIPTION:Vroman’s Bookstore invites educators to its annual Teacher’s Night Out\, an evening dedicated to celebrating the incredible teachers and librarians who shape the community. Guests can enjoy snacks\, beverages\, and a variety of giveaways\, including books and classroom goodies. \nThroughout the evening\, Vroman’s knowledgeable staff will be available to recommend new titles for classroom discussions and libraries\, as well as share exclusive services available to educators. A publisher-sponsored table will feature curated reading lists and classroom recommendations. \nAttendees are encouraged to browse the featured selections\, connect with fellow educators\, and enjoy light refreshments. Each guest will also receive a 20% off coupon for personal shopping that evening. \nAs a special highlight\, Vroman’s Bookstore will honor 2024–2025 Teacher of the Year\, Star Gomez\, and Pasadena High School with an award presentation at 4:00 p.m. on the Vroman’s outdoor stage.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/377692/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/vromans-annual.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251018T110000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T225749Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T225749Z
UID:10014393-1760785200-1760785200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Judith Orloff reads from & signs The Highly Sensitive Rabbit
DESCRIPTION:High in the Sonoran Desert\, where crickets chirp and cactus grow\, lives a tiny cottontail rabbit named Aurora. Aurora is very sensitive to the beauties of nature and to the feelings of everyone around her. She likes to spend time alone\, and she worries a lot. Aurora’s brothers and sister tell her she is “too sensitive” and often leave her out of their rough-and-tumble play. \nWhen a flash flood destroys her family’s burrow\, Aurora must learn to face her sensitive nature head-on. She meets a spiny lizard\, spotted skunk\, cactus wren\, and javelina\, all of whom have lessons to teach her about kindness and self-care. Will Aurora learn to embrace her nature and thrive as a highly sensitive rabbit? \nBased on Dr. Judith Orloff’s teachings about living an empowered life as an empath\, this beautifully illustrated story teaches us to live with beauty\, sensitivity\, and joy.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-judith-orloff-reads-from-signs-the-highly-sensitive-rabbit/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/judith-orloff-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251015T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T225530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T225530Z
UID:10014392-1760554800-1760558400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Nalini Jones discusses & signs The Unbroken Coast
DESCRIPTION:A stunning debut novel set in and around a Mumbai fishing village that follows the friendship between a young girl struggling to find her place in the world\, and an aging historian reckoning with his past. \n​On the night his granddaughter is born in America\, Professor Francis Almeida rides a bicycle through his quiet Catholic neighborhood in a suburb of Mumbai. It is 1978. He has recently retired\, his grown children are scattered across the globe\, and for the first time in decades\, he is not sure what he should do next. A few streets from his home\, in the heart of a Koli fishing village\, he encounters a young mother praying for her baby daughter\, ill with dengue fever\, at the shrine of Our Lady of Navigators. He hopes the child will live. \nNearly a decade later\, Francis meets the child again. She is Celia\, daughter of a fisherman who is running from a debt collector. When an accident brings their families together\, both Celia and Francis find themselves with unexpected new allies. \nSpanning the turbulent years when Bombay became Mumbai\, at time when environmental and economic pressures are just beginning to change the fortunes of indigenous fisherfolk\, The Unbroken Coast is a lyrical novel that explores memory\, faith\, storytelling\, and the nature of home.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-nalini-jones-discusses-signs-the-unbroken-coast/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/nalini-jones.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251012T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251012T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T224739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T224739Z
UID:10014391-1760277600-1760281200@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Barbara Roberts discusses & signs The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter
DESCRIPTION:Bunny Baxter thinks nothing could be worse than starting seventh grade at a school where she knows no one. But after her first day\, she realizes things can actually get much worse. \nIf Bunny Baxter were an insect\, she’d have so many ways to slip through seventh grade unnoticed. But she’s tall instead of tiny\, has flaming red Medusa hair instead of camouflage\, and she suffers from social anxiety\, which makes it hard to be part of a swarm. Worst of all\, she’s been redistricted to a new middle school away from her best friend who she could always hide behind when her anxiety got the best of her. \nThe first day at E.D. Britt Middle School does not go well. Bunny trips on the steps\, falls into the cutest boy in the school\, and causes a kid domino pile-up. At lunch\, she unintentionally causes an uproar in the cafeteria\, which lands her and another girl in the principal’s office.  Bunny decides there is only one option: to get expelled so she can transfer to the school her best friend attends. \nShe soon discovers that it isn’t that hard to get in trouble—don’t turn in your homework\, walk around the track instead of run in P.E.\, pretend you deliberately hit someone with a badminton birdie. What isn’t so easy for Bunny is realizing she now has a reputation as a troublemaker. And even more confusing\, when it looks like her plan to get expelled might work\, she’s no longer sure what to do. \nThe Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter is a heartfelt coming of age story about an insect-loving girl who is learning to grow into herself—quirks and all.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-barbara-roberts-discusses-signs-the-metamorphosis-of-bunny-baxter/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/barbara-roberts-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T160000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T224402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T224402Z
UID:10014390-1760194800-1760198400@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Vroman's Bookstore: Stoker Award-winning author Pedro Iniguez in conversation with screenwriter Peter Atkins (Hellraiser) on horror in children’s literature (reading and signing)
DESCRIPTION:Join screenwriting legend Peter Atkins (Hellraiser) in an in-depth conversation with Stoker Award-winning writer Pedro Iniguez\, chronicling his journey writing science-fiction and horror\, to children’s literature\, including his first children’s picture book\, The Fib. This event is open to all ages with a reading and signing of The Fib. \nAbout The Fib: The line between imagination and lie blur in The Fib by Bram Stoker Award-winner Pedro Iniguez. \nWhen Pepe struggles to find something exciting for show and tell\, he spins a little lie about a magical creature with horns like a ram\, claws like a bear\, wings like a bat\, eyes like an owl\, and a tail like a lion. But\, Pepe and his class soon discover that this harmless fib takes on a life of its own– literally– growing into a giant\, uncontrollable monster that threatens to eat the entire school.\nAs chaos ensues\, Pepe learns a valuable lesson: even the smallest fib can spiral out of control\, but the truth holds the power to set things right. The Fib is a timeless story that weaves magic and morality into a powerful message about honesty\, responsibility and the power of creativity. \n  \nPedro Iniguez is a Mexican-American Bram Stoker Award-winning speculative fiction writer from Los Angeles. The Fib is his first picture book and he is the author of Mexicans on the Moon: Speculative Poetry from a Possible Future and the comic book Catrina’s Caravan\, among several others. Apart from conducting writing workshops and speaking at several colleges\, he has also been a sensitivity reader and has ghostwritten for award-winning apps and online clients. When he’s not reading\, writing\, daydreaming\, or cooking\, he likes to paint beside his Chihuahua\, Cookie\, and his turtle\, Squirt.
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/vromans-bookstore-stoker-award-winning-author-pedro-iniguez-in-conversation-with-screenwriter-peter-atkins-hellraiser-on-horror-in-childrens-literature-reading-and-signing/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/pedro-iniguez-600x600-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T113000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20251011T123000
DTSTAMP:20260404T112518
CREATED:20251006T223330Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T224120Z
UID:10014389-1760182200-1760185800@playhousevillage.org
SUMMARY:Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Musical Storytime: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
DESCRIPTION:The Pasadena Conservatory of Music will be putting on a special musical storytime with featured book: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. Caregivers and children aged 3-9 will enjoy story\, craft activities\, creative movement and a mini-concert!
URL:https://playhousevillage.org/event/377676/
LOCATION:Vroman’s Bookstore\, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.\, Pasadena\, CA\, 91101\, United States
CATEGORIES:Free,In-Person,Vroman's Bookstore
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://playhousevillage.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/storytime-600-x-600.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR