At Book Society, we believe writing — like reading and wine — should be both meaningful and enjoyable. And few subjects bring more meaning and enjoyment to the page than food!

Join us for a special two-hour workshop with Dianne Jacob, one of the country's leading food writing coaches and the author of the multiple award-winning Will Write for Food: Pursue Your Passion and Bring Home the Dough Writing Recipes, Cookbooks, Blogs and More. With more than 20 years of experience as a journalist, editor-in-chief, writing coach, and cookbook author, Dianne has helped food writers at every stage get clearer, stronger, and more confident on the page.

Whether you're a food lover who likes to write, a blogger curious about what's next, or a writer drawn to the culinary world, this workshop offers practical insight and inspiration in a welcoming, convivial setting.

In this session, Dianne will touch on:
<ul><li>Crafting writing with a stronger, more distinctive voice</li><li>The landscape of food writing today — cookbooks, freelancing, newsletters, and beyond</li><li>What it takes to pursue publication and pitch your work</li><li>Writing exercises to get the creative juices flowing</li></ul>

Included with your ticket:
<ul><li>A copy of Will Write for Food&nbsp;by Dianne Jacob</li><li>A light snack and beverages to keep the creativity flowing</li><li>Hands-on writing exercises to help you practice your craft</li><li>The chance to connect with a celebrated author and coach with deep roots in food writing, publishing, and journalism</li></ul>

Local Event: Will Write for Food: A Workshop with Dianne Jacob

Alameda County

Berkeley

California

Will Write for Food: A Workshop with Dianne Jacob

At Book Society, we believe writing — like reading and wine — should be both meaningful and enjoyable. And few subjects bring...

Book Society®

Brains, Bottles, and Bragging Rights—We're Doing This Again!

Think you know your Pinots from your Pet-Nats—or your Plaths from your Picoults? Another month, another shot at glory. Book &amp; Wine Trivia Night is back at Book Society, and we're bringing the games, the laughter, and the competitive energy you've come to love.

Expect questions spanning contemporary fiction to classic vintages—plus a few curveballs, because we wouldn't have it any other way. Come solo or stack your team with ringers—either way, you're in for a night of sipping, socializing, and showing off what you know.

Prizes will be awarded, bragging rights fiercely contested, and glasses enthusiastically raised.

This event is free to attend. RSVPs help us plan, but walk-ins are always welcome—just grab a seat while you can and get ready to play!

Local Event: Book & Wine Trivia Night

Book & Wine Trivia Night

Brains, Bottles, and Bragging Rights—We're Doing This Again!

Think you know your Pinots from your Pet-Nats—or your Plaths from...

You already know you love Sauvignon Blanc. But do you know it can smell and taste entirely different depending on where it's grown? And that a Sancerre-lover can drink just as well on half the budget—if they know where to look? That's exactly what we're going to learn—together.

Book Society is thrilled to bring back our wine tasting series this July, led by Book Society's somm-in-training, Damian Guzman. This three-part workshop takes a fresh approach to wine education: each session zooms in on one compelling question—how does the same grape taste when grown in different hemispheres? Where are the hidden-value bottles sommeliers stock up on at home? And what really makes Champagne Champagne? Come for one class or all three; either way, you'll leave with a sharper palate and a few very good secrets.

Local Event: Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 1: One Grape, Two Worlds

Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series |...

You already know you love Sauvignon Blanc. But do you know it can smell and taste entirely different depending on where it's...

Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 1: One Grape, Two Worlds

We’re at the halfway point of 2026—which means it’s the perfect time to pause, look back with gratitude, and check in on how you're feeling about the path ahead.

Book Society welcomes back executive coach Tanja Powers for Back-Half Bingo, a mid-year follow-up to our January Vision Board Workshop. This will be an interactive, supportive evening dedicated to reflection, pacing, and intentional living. Together, we’ll build a personalized Bingo card filled with experiences, mindfulness practices, or personal milestones you want to explore in the second half of the year.

If you joined us in January,&nbsp;this is your space to reassess: Is the vision you had six months ago still the direction you want to go in? Is the pace you've been keeping sustainable for you? What still has your heart, and what are you ready to let go of? We’ll celebrate how far you've come and gently refresh your vision for the months ahead.

If you are new to the workshop or didn't join us in January, welcome!&nbsp;This evening is designed to be a beautiful standalone experience. You don't need any prior prep or a past vision board to participate. You’ll get to start with a completely clean slate, using this time to tune into exactly what you need right now, define a pace that feels good to you, and map out what feels most meaningful for your upcoming months in a warm, relaxed community environment.

We’ll provide all the materials to create your Bingo board. Come as you are—bring your reflections, your curiosity, and a willingness to explore what comes next.

Your ticket includes:
<ul><li>Guided instruction and group reflection from Tanja Powers</li><li>Materials to build your personalized Back-Half Bingo board</li><li>Wine, snacks, and a supportive community to help encourage all your goals and ambitions!</li></ul>

Local Event: Back-Half Bingo: A Mid-Year Vision Workshop

Back-Half Bingo: A Mid-Year Vision Workshop

We’re at the halfway point of 2026—which means it’s the perfect time to pause, look back with gratitude, and check in on how...

Most of us trust that when something is wrong, medicine will have an answer. But what happens when it doesn't?

In The Elusive Body: Patients, Doctors, and the Diagnosis Crisis, New York Times&nbsp;health and science editor Alexandra Sifferlin investigates what it truly means to live without an accurate diagnosis — and what's being done about it. Drawing on a landmark 2015 National Academies report finding that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, Sifferlin spent years tracking the efforts to close that gap. At the center of her story: Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal, one of the most celebrated diagnosticians in the country, who joins her in conversation for this special Book Society evening.

Together, they'll explore how doctors think, where the system breaks down, and what patients can do when the answers don't come easily.

Your ticket includes:
<ul><li>A thought-provoking conversation with Alexandra Sifferlin and Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal</li><li>Lite bites and pours of Book Society's house red or white wine (NA option available)</li><li>Book signing, community mingling, and connection</li></ul>

The book will be available for pre-purchase at check-out. A limited number of copies will also be available to purchase at the event.

About the Speakers

Alexandra Sifferlin&nbsp;is a health and science editor at The New York Times&nbsp;Opinion desk, where she leads coverage at the intersection of medicine, science, and human experience. A former deputy editor of the health publication Elemental&nbsp;and staff writer at Time, she has spent her career asking hard questions about how we care for bodies — and what happens when that care falls short. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY.

Gurpreet Dhaliwal, M.D.&nbsp;is a Professor of Medicine at UCSF and one of the most respected clinical minds in the country. His work lives at the intersection of medicine and cognition — how doctors make diagnoses, how they develop expertise over time, and how emerging technology is reshaping the way physicians think. A sought-after speaker and educator, he has been featured on Freakonomics M.D., The Wall Street Journal Report, The Curbsiders, and many other leading medical podcasts.

Local Event: The Elusive Body: Medicine, Mystery & the Diagnostic Crisis

The Elusive Body: Medicine, Mystery & the...

Most of us trust that when something is wrong, medicine will have an answer. But what happens when it doesn't?

In The Elusive...

The Elusive Body: Medicine, Mystery & the Diagnostic Crisis

Local Event: Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 2: The Sommelier's Secret

Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 2: The Sommelier's Secret

This month, we're thrilled to welcome a very special guest facilitator for an edition of Journaling Club unlike any other.

Inspired by a prompt in The Book of Alchemy&nbsp;and Michael Bierut's 100-Day Project, Dana Whitaker set out on a 100-day journey to capture one bloom a day from the world around her. What began as a simple daily observation evolved into a deeply reflective creative practice — and a reminder that beauty, when you train yourself to look for it, is everywhere, and more spectacularly surprising than you could ever imagine.

Dana will guide us through this exercise, inviting us to explore what it means to cultivate a daily creative practice rooted in close attention — to the small, the seasonal, and the overlooked. Whether you leave with a new habit (100 days!), a single meaningful page, or simply a fresh way of seeing, this session promises to open your eyes, and heart, a little wider.

Tickets include:
<ul><li>A guided journaling session</li><li>Mimosas or NA bubbly</li><li>Light morning treats</li></ul>

Whether you're a lifelong writer or someone simply looking for a creative outlet, our Journaling Club offers a moment to pause, connect, and explore the world — and yourself — one page at a time.

Local Event: Journaling Club: A Bloom a Day

Journaling Club: A Bloom a Day

This month, we're thrilled to welcome a very special guest facilitator for an edition of Journaling Club unlike any...

The next two books in Sarah J. Maas’s beloved A Court of Thorns and Roses&nbsp;series are officially on the way! In anticipation of the upcoming new releases in the beloved A Court of Thorns and Roses, we’re gathering each month to revisit the iconic romantasy saga by Sarah J. Maas—leading up to what is sure to be one of the most anticipated book releases of the year.

Starting in May, we’ll meet once a month to revisit Books 1–5&nbsp;together—perfect for longtime fans eager to return to Prythian or newcomers ready to experience the series for the first time. Along the way, we’ll relive favorite moments, debate the drama, celebrate the romance, and prepare ourselves for the long-awaited next chapter.

And of course, all of this leads to the ACOTAR release celebration of the year this October. 

Expect an evening filled with lively conversation, great wine, and spirited debate!

Tickets include:
<ul><li>a facilitated book discussion</li><li>a specially selected wine, perfectly paired with this enchanting romantasy</li><li>a delectable snack</li></ul>

Three ways to get the book while supporting Book Society:
<ul><li>In-Store:&nbsp;Pick up a copy the next time you visit us.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://bookshop.org/a/92586/9781250373359" rel="nofollow noopener">Bookshop.org</a>:&nbsp;Order online, and have it shipped to you.</li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://libro.fm/playlists/10795?bookstore=booksociety" rel="nofollow noopener">Libro.fm</a>:&nbsp;A great option for audiobook listeners!</li></ul>

No need to have finished the book to join in on the fun!

Hurry and grab your seat—space is limited!

Local Event: The ACOTAR Countdown Book Club: Book 3

The ACOTAR Countdown Book Club: Book 3

The next two books in Sarah J. Maas’s beloved A Court of Thorns and Roses series are officially on the way! In anticipation of...

Local Event: Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 3: Pop Quiz

Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 3: Pop Quiz

Calling all cookbook enthusiasts, food lovers, and wine-curious home (or professional) chefs! Whether you love to cook, sip, or simply page through a beautifully crafted cookbook, the Cookbook Lovers Club is for you. In collaboration with the fabulous food stylist and cookbook author Bebe Carminito, our club gathers to celebrate the art of cookbooks—featuring a different author and their delicious creations. We meet, eat, sip, and savor good conversation with fellow foodies.

We're raising a glass to the next Cookbook Lovers Club with a very special guest: Catherine Cogliandro Alioto, classically trained chef, recipe developer, and author of Tapas España—a vibrant guide to Spanish-style entertaining featuring 70 easy, crave-worthy small plates.

Join us for an intimate conversation with Catherine about her culinary journey and the story behind Tapas España. Catherine will also guide us through her tips and tricks for bringing the communal, mix-and-match spirit of tapas to your home kitchen—no trip to Spain required.

Whether you're a seasoned entertainer looking for a fresh spread or simply someone who believes every gathering is better with small bites and good wine, this evening was made for you.

Your ticket includes:
<ul><li>Intimate cookbook conversation with Catherine Cogliandro Alioto</li><li>Tasting of delicious tapas recipes from Tapas España&nbsp;paired with Spanish wines</li><li>Book signing with Catherine</li></ul>

Option to pre-order a copy of Tapas España&nbsp;at checkout. A limited number of copies will also be available for purchase at the event.

Local Event: Cookbook Lovers Club: Tapas Espana with Catherine Cogliandro Alioto

Cookbook Lovers Club: Tapas Espana with...

Calling all cookbook enthusiasts, food lovers, and wine-curious home (or professional) chefs! Whether you love to cook, sip, or...

Cookbook Lovers Club: Tapas Espana with Catherine Cogliandro Alioto

Preserving Ancestral Knowledge as BIPOC Writers brings together four Bay Area authors for a conversation about what it means to carry family history, language, and memory into the work of writing.

Joining us are Eirinie Carson, Sabina Khan-Ibarra, Rowena Leong Singer, and Grace Loh Prasad—writers whose books span memoir, fiction, and personal essay, and whose work is united by a deep engagement with diaspora, lineage, and belonging. Several are part of Rooted &amp; Written, a program of San Francisco's Writers Grotto dedicated to writers integrating their histories into their craft.

Together they'll talk about how to listen to, record, and honor ancestral knowledge on the page—without flattening it for mainstream expectations. Expect a conversation that moves between the personal and the craft-focused: how to write the stories that were handed down to you, the ones that were withheld, and the ones you're only now learning to ask about.

This is a conversation Book Society has been looking forward to since seeing it at the Bay Area Book Festival, and we're honored to host these four writers for an evening of literary community in Berkeley.

Your ticket includes:
<ul><li>A moderated conversation with four acclaimed BIPOC authors</li><li>Book signing and Q&amp;A</li><li>A glass of wine and good company, Book Society–style</li></ul>

About the Authors

Eirinie Carson&nbsp;is a member of the Writers Grotto in San Francisco and a frequent contributor to Mother&nbsp;magazine. Her work has also appeared in LitHub, Notre Dame Review, Mortal Mag, Electric Literature, The Sonora Review, and others. Bloodfire, Baby&nbsp;is her debut novel.

Sabina Khan-Ibarra&nbsp;is a Pashtun American writer and educator whose work has been recognized by major literary prizes and fellowships. She teaches creative writing throughout the Bay Area and California, and directs Rooted &amp; Written at the Writers Grotto.

Rowena Leong Singer&nbsp;is an award-winning Chinese-Filipino writer and editor whose work appears in The New York Times, North American Review, Black Warrior Review, Narrative, and elsewhere. She's the grand prize winner in literary fiction for the Book Pipeline Unpublished Contest, holds an MFA from Bennington, and serves as an associate editor at CRAFT&nbsp;and a director of Rooted &amp; Written.

Grace Loh Prasad&nbsp;is the author of the memoir The Translator's Daughter&nbsp;(Mad Creek Books/The Ohio State University Press)—a finalist for the Northern California Book Award and the Feminist Press Louise Meriwether First Book Prize, and one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Best Books of 2024. Her writing on belonging and diaspora has appeared in The New York Times, Literary Hub, Longreads, Guernica, and more.

Local Event: Rooted & Written: Preserving Ancestral Knowledge

Rooted & Written: Preserving Ancestral Knowledge

Preserving Ancestral Knowledge as BIPOC Writers brings together four Bay Area authors for a conversation about what it means to...

Laura Guzman

Fernando Haro

Bay Area

Albany

Rockridge

Contra Costa County

El Cerrito

Piedmont

Alameda

Angela Woodall

Lamorinda

Pinole-Hercules

San Francisco

San Francisco County

Pleasant Hill

Walnut Creek

Join Five Little Monkeys for their HUGE June Warehouse Sale!
Up to 75% off retail prices, including: Returns Clearance Overstock In-Store Demos Discounted Items Damaged &amp; Distressed Items Packaging with Dents &amp; Dings
BONUS SAVINGS! Spend $100 or more and save an extra 25% off your ENTIRE purchase!
Saturday, June 27 9AM-3PM 5327 Jacuzzi Street, Suite 4T Richmond
**All sales final. Not valid with any other offer, discount or previous purchase. Store credit &amp; gift certificates are non-redeemable.

Local Event: Five Little Monkeys June Warehouse Sale

Five Little Monkeys June Warehouse Sale

Join Five Little Monkeys for their HUGE June Warehouse Sale!
Up to 75% off retail prices, including: Returns Clearance...

Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Join Northern California’s oldest science and critical thinking organization for our yearly SkeptiCal conference. This year’s subject is MISINFORMATION! We have a fantastic speaker lineup. Tickets are now on sale at SkeptiCalCon.com

Local Event: SkeptiCal Conference 

San Leandro

SkeptiCal Conference 

Join Northern California’s oldest science and critical thinking organization for our yearly SkeptiCal conference. This year’s...

Audium-Theatre of Sound

<a href="https://www.honeygoldexperience.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Honey Gold</a>, the immersive audio/visual collaboration created by Louisiana artists Sariah Sizemore
and Taylor Matherne, will perform in San Francisco on June 28, 2026, continuing the project’s growing evolution as a live immersive audiovisual experience blending original music, voice, sound design, projection-mapped visuals, and meditative storytelling.

On June 28, Honey Gold travels to San Francisco for two performances at<a href="https://www.audium.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://www.audium.org/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Audium</a> at 5 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Audium is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in immersive and spatial sound, making it a particularly meaningful venue for the project’s Bay Area presentation. The evening will include a site-specific installation experience inside Audium’s lobby and theater spaces, blending projection, sound design, candlelight, and live performance into an immersive sensory environment. Tickets are available at: <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-honey-gold-experience-at-audium-in-san-francisco-tickets-1990152538817?aff=oddtdtcreator" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Honey Gold @ Audium Tickets</a>
Honey Gold was co-created by Sizemore and Matherne as a shared artistic vision, shaped by their experiences as artists born and raised in Louisiana who used music and art to process the complexities, intensity, and emotional realities of growing up in the South. The project is also informed by Sizemore’s decades in the Bay Area’s experimental audio/visual and healing arts communities, blending immersive performance, original music, projection-mapped visuals, and emotionally restorative experiences designed to help audiences reconnect with themselves and each other.
Matherne, a multi-instrumentalist, bassist, composer, and touring musician, brings years of live performance experience spanning blues, experimental music, and immersive sound-driven composition. Sizemore’s background spans music, immersive healing arts, and more than two decades working in the technology industry, including leadership roles supporting audio software and hardware development at companies such as Avid and Native Instruments. Together, those experiences continue to shape Honey Gold’s intersection of art, meditation, music, technology, and visual storytelling.
Together, they developed Honey Gold as an experience designed to move audiences through tension, release, reflection, awe, and emotional connection, using layered music, immersive visuals, sound-healing elements, and a carefully shaped spatial atmosphere.
“Both Baton Rouge and the Bay Area have expanded my world creatively throughout my lifetime,” said Sizemore. “Coming back home to Baton Rouge and meeting Taylor through the local live music scene brought those worlds together in a way I never expected. His artistry as a musician and the intimacy of creating together as partners helped shape Honey Gold into something deeply personal for both of us. This project really grew out of our shared love of music, immersive art, healing, and creating spaces where people can breathe, feel, and reconnect during a really intense moment in the world.”
The visual dimension of Honey Gold is collaboratively created by the Honey Gold creative team, led by Creative Director Taylor Stoma and Visual Art Lead Ryan Golden, with overarching visual curation and creative direction guided by Sizemore and Matherne. The project’s immersive visual environments combine layered visual storytelling, projection mapping, archival and contemporary imagery, and reactive visual systems designed specifically for each venue and performance environment.
Honey Gold debuted in July 2025 at the Virginia and John Noland Black Box Studio inside the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center in Baton Rouge. A second Baton Rouge performance followed at the City Club of Baton Rouge in January 2026.
The project is fiscally sponsored by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, which serves as Honey Gold’s nonprofit umbrella as the team continues developing larger immersive productions, future full-dome film work, and expanded performances in new markets.
On October 3, 2026, Honey Gold will present a special adapted live performance inside the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art &amp; Science Museum in Baton Rouge. The team is also actively fundraising for a future full-dome film version of Honey Gold, currently planned for completion in 2027.
Tax-deductible donations supporting the Honey Gold project can be made through the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge at:
<a href="https://secure.qgiv.com/for/artscouncilofgreaterbatonrouge/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Arts Council Donation Portal</a>
(Please include “For Honey Gold” in the donation note.)
Recent media coverage and interviews:
<ul>
 <li><a href="https://www.225batonrouge.com/our-city/health/sound-baths-baton-rouge?fbclid=IwY2xjawR8q4dleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe_1dQvWD-q9pZCjjzWNYSt8ShcObnguh_WEYJGEfqxeO9UFQsT503vqkPPAE_aem_xauvu55bQok9CltfmBI2fQ&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">225 Magazine Feature on Honey Gold &amp; Sound Baths in Baton Rouge</a></li>
 <li><a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/7coFeMAmKU8qhTTZNx1e5k?si=kCC1SM-XRKuCSaRODablIQ&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Arts Council Podcast Interview with Honey Gold</a></li>
</ul>
For more information:
<a href="https://www.honeygoldexperience.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Honey Gold Official Website</a>

Local Event: Honey Gold Brings Immersive Audio/Visual Experience to San Francisco 

Honey Gold Brings Immersive Audio/Visual...

Honey Gold, the immersive audio/visual collaboration created by Louisiana artists Sariah Sizemore
and Taylor Matherne, will ...

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition

Posting Activity

Will Write for Food: A Workshop with Dianne Jacob

JUN

24

6:00 PM

2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Book & Wine Trivia Night

JUL

1

6:00 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 1: One Grape, Two Worlds

JUL

9

6:30 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Back-Half Bingo: A Mid-Year Vision Workshop

JUL

14

6:00 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

The Elusive Body: Medicine, Mystery & the Diagnostic Crisis

JUL

15

6:00 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 2: The Sommelier's Secret

JUL

16

6:30 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Journaling Club: A Bloom a Day

JUL

19

10:00 AM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

The ACOTAR Countdown Book Club: Book 3

JUL

22

6:30 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Varietal Instincts: A Wine Tasting Series | Class 3: Pop Quiz

JUL

23

6:30 AM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Cookbook Lovers Club: Tapas Espana with Catherine Cogliandro Alioto

JUL

28

6:00 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Rooted & Written: Preserving Ancestral Knowledge

AUG

5

6:00 PM

Book Society®, 2945 College Ave, Berkeley, CA

Five Little Monkeys June Warehouse Sale

SkeptiCal Conference

Honey Gold Brings Immersive Audio/Visual Experience to San Francisco