Live, laugh, literature: PCC’s favorite reads

Share: Regardless of whether you love or hate reading, everyone has at least one book that played a crucial part in shaping them into the person they are today. Books transport us to other worlds, get us out of our heads, and allow us to sit and relax for a while and just enjoy a good story. That said, here are some absolute must-reads according to some of the students and faculty of Pasadena City College. “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky A favorite of …

Textbook costs empty student wallets

Share: Students are already paying hundreds of dollars for classes. So, on top of that, paying an additional amount for textbooks is not ideal. As the spring semester kicks off, PCC students are being required by their professors to buy what many people deem “expensive textbooks”. There are a couple of options to get around the expensive costs of books though, such as buying used, or even online ebooks/pdfs. “All my classes require textbooks, except for my stats class, which has an online pdf textbook,” …

‘Hunger Games’ prequel relights the franchise flame

Share: Frances Lawrence’s latest addition to “The Hunger Games” franchise is reigniting passion amongst Hunger Games fans, and rightfully so. “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” was released on Nov 17, and since its release, it has received high praise from its fans. In this prequel to “The Hunger Games,” viewers are sent back 64 years before the events of the first book and can finally see Panem in the days before the Hunger Games and only 10 years after the “dark …

LMU writer’s Joan Didion tribute draws big crowd at Vroman’s

Share: A showing of around fifty individuals gathered at Vroman’s Bookstore to listen to writer and professor, Evelyn McDonnell, read from different passages from her latest book release, ‘The World According to Joan Didion’, highlighting distinct events throughout Didion’s life.  Evelyn McDonnell is Loyola Marymount’s Director of Journalism and a versatile writer, similar to Didion’s versatility, in which both of their careers consist/ed of journalism, various essays, screenwriting, and noveling. McDonnell channeled her gift and passion for writing into a novel honoring the iconic journalist, …

Octavia’s Bookshelf saves space for new stories

Share: A few months after her move to Los Angeles, writer Hannah V. Sawyerr stopped by Octavia’s Bookshelf to ask owner Nikki High if she would consider hosting the release of her debut novel, “All The Fighting Parts”. Nikki warned her she had a lot of events lined up, but asked for the date anyway. The day of Hannah’s book release was Nikki’s one free day and it all happened to be her birthday. “The reason why I opened this bookstore is because it’s so …

As vampire stories go, ‘Renfield’ kinda sucks

Share: Chris Mckay’s modern day Dracula horror-comedy is one to be remembered, if not for the wonderful talent of the people in front of and behind the camera, then for its lackluster plot.  What began as a wonderfully delightful movie filled with equal parts comedy and drama, ended in a less than satisfying way, leaving the audience wanting more from such a spectacular cast. Nicolas Cage delivers us a Dracula that far exceeded all expectations, a terrifying yet hilarious performance that undoubtedly became one of …

‘Paper Doll Lina’ explores the realities of domestic violence

Share: “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, …

The Antiquarian Book Fair thrills historians and book lovers alike

Share: 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 …

Can love be predetermined? ‘The One’ seeks the answer

Share: 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 …

‘Literature of Horror’ class picks the creepiest books to read for spooky season

Share: 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 …