“Paper Doll Lina” by Robyn Lucas is a book about domestic violence and romance. Trigger warning: this book does get graphic. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is sensitive to domestic violence issues. This book is based on the author’s real-life story. This book is important because so many people deal with the intersection of love and domestic violence. This book educates you on red flags to spot that may be the beginning of domestic abuse. The abuse starts off small, from …
The Antiquarian Book Fair thrills historians and book lovers alike
Rows upon rows of glass cases carefully lined the Pasadena Convention Center this past weekend. The 55th Annual Antiquarian Book Fair, displayed numerous first editions as well as only editions of books you’d often only find in museums. A unique event that attracts vendors from far and wide to a niche set of buyers and/or admirers to the art of book. The range of books at the fair is predominantly antiquarian, with very few that are from recent decades. Carl Blomgren, an exhibitor at the …
Can love be predetermined? ‘The One’ seeks the answer
Using your DNA to find your soulmate is the jist of John Marrs book “The One ”. The book explores the “what if ” of if love could be scientifically measured. This discovery could mean the end of racism, homophobia, and discrimination. The GLSEN study measured the frequency of anti-gay harassment in schools and found 61.1% of LGBT students reported verbal harassment, 46.5% reported sexual harassment, 27.6% reported physical harassment, and 13.7% reported physical assault. If love could be scientifically measured people can no longer …
‘Literature of Horror’ class picks the creepiest books to read for spooky season
Deep in conversation over the gothic novel and its place in our current society, the Literature of Horror class gathers to discuss the gothic traits that have been reconstructed into what we now call horror. Professor Tim Melnairk leads the discussion that delves into what scares us before both he and the class divulge their top book picks they find the most haunting. Freshman Quinn Hurd said when she was a young girl she read Dean Koontz’s “Door to December” and that this story still …
Slammed PCC students struggle to find the fun in reading
Required reading dredges up dark thoughts of stress-induced headaches, avoidable all-nighters, and hard-earned grades for PCC students, but leisure reading is something different entirely. Extracurricular reading is an aspiration, a fantasy in which homework, jobs, and every other thing that fills up Google Calendars doesn’t exist, in which anticipated books don’t have to be things that will be finished when “someday” comes, and yet some students are still trying to make it a reality. One of these students is Bridget Perez, a third-year child development …
Banning books: An undemocratic travesty
Back in 380 BCE, Plato gave us the Allegory of the Cave, in which he discusses the effect of education, or lack thereof, on our nature. A better parallel could not be drawn regarding the impulse to burn and ban books than that of Socrates, Plato’s mentor, who was sentenced to die for ‘tainting’ the youth with education. In the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates illustrates the benefits of an illuminated mind through the parallel of a cave. In the cave there are men, bound …
The Last Bookstore: A literary labyrinth
The hustle and bustle of Downtown Los Angeles faded, as the strumming of a guitar performed a soft rock song over the speakers and set the tone for the afternoon. People disappeared into aisles and others emerged from another section, scouring every shelf carefully, hoping not to miss something great. Some clutched their findings and sat in the main area, nestled into the leather chairs and couches of red, blue and green. A standstill wave, a living sculpture of books layered over each other, hovered …
Lula Mae: A store with its own heartbeat
A variety of stores are located in Old Town Pasadena, but only a few of them can make their customers feel like they’re home. Lula Mae, a small gift shop, is more than just a business, it’s a place that makes every shopper feel like a special member of the big family.
Book lovers unite!
Books protected by plastic and glass, pictures worth more than 1,000 words, and the men and women dedicated to cherishing them all met at the Antiquarian book fair held by the Bustamante Enterprises at the Pasadena Convention Center this weekend.
Former professor debuts new book
Young adult novelist, poet, former professor, and PEN award winner Ron Koertge graced eager listeners with a reading of his new book “Sex World” at Vroman’s Bookstore on September 16.