Book Society

Came here on my own after being in the area for something else. Good: - There is a large selection of books - it's beautiful inside too! - The staff are super friendly and attentive. - A good place to rest after a lot of walking all day - I liked the non alcoholic sparkling water and having a drink while reading books Bad: - The place is a bit smaller than expected and can get a bit noisy when too many parties are inside Overall this was a super unique concept! I liked how it was a safe haven but differentiated from a library and more upscale

This is a very cute spot! My friend and I talked about coming here for a long time after seeing a reel on Instagram! Would highly recommend. The wine and small bites are a little pricey but they do have more of a niche, so it makes sense in my opinion. It is a bit smaller of a place, but when went today, on a Sunday, it wasn't very crowded. We will return the next time we are in Berkeley! They looked like they had some fun events, so we will be signing up for their mailing list!

Book Society will alter your brain chemistry for the better. It’s beautifully decorated with little nooks and tables to read. The shelves are straight out of a book lover’s dream with thoughtfully curated sections. The staff are knowledgeable and oh-so-helpful. The at-will wine pour fridge is a delightful touch, and I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekday night then curled up with a book and a glass of wine. I wish we had one in San Francisco!

This place is a dream come true—a cozy third space where books and wine meet! The self-service wine machines in the back make it fun to choose between multiple wine options for just a taste, a half glass, or a full pour, and the owners’ book recommendations are very thoughtful. The vibe is warm, inviting, and perfect for unwinding. Can’t wait to come back!

Great charming perfectly decorated and displayed books. More than a bookstore it’s like being in a small gorgeous personal library . You can tell it’s a labor of love and that’s it’s designed by women. Check it out!!

Super cute spot, so happy to have this in Elmwood! The owner was lovely and it was the perfect place to meet up with a friend. I love that you can buy wine by the taste, half or full glass and that there is a non alcoholic option as well.

Love this concept. Books? yes please. Wine? Hell yes!!! Books paired with wines monthly. Now we talking. Glad to have found this spot.

Need a gift for a wine or book nerd? Are YOU the wine or book nerd? This is your place! Well curated selection of wines and reads as well as local finds such as jewelry, candles, and stationary. A great place to spend the next rainy day. Will definitely be back for one of their events.

First off who doesn't love wine? Who doesn't love reading books? What about combining two amazing things together because that is what this place offers! It is a 21+ only so if you do have anyone underage, they will not allow you inside unfortunately. Upon entering my first thought was, "am I in the world of Belle's library from Beauty and the beast?!" It's GORGEOUS! They have 4 couches in the center where you share two small tables and two tables that seats two on the outer edges. I just love the interior and the vibe of the whole place because it gives off cozy, but also like a chic and classy vibe too if that makes sense! I love that right when you enter no matter how packed it is inside, there is always someone there to greet you. The idea of this place was started by a Laura and her husband and I want to say friend (?) help her run this business. If you get the chance, listen to the background of the story because it's very heartwarming and unique. What I love about this place is that you can drink wine and read books at the same time. The books you read on the shelves, you can also purchase too which is awesome! They offer many events where it can be a book club, talk about a certain book, when onyx storm was released they had an event where the illustrator came. If you become a member with them you do get I believe a small discount with each event and first come first serve sort of thing? I love that this place has a good variety of book options to choose from. They have a fiction section, a romance section, mystery/thriller, self-help books, biography section and even a cooking section! Side note, the first time I went here, I brought my husband (who is not a reader) and he enjoyed this place! He loved looking through the cookbooks and he even bought 2! They have a self serve wine machine which is super simple to use. If you have questions about the wine, the employees here are well equipped to know the background of each wine. The left side they have one non alcoholic wine along with 3-4 other white wines. The right side they have 4 red wines so it's a win win for those who don't even drink wine like myself! It's super simple to use - you give them your ID and they will give you a card that will allow you to scan that card, push a button that tells the machine how much wine you want and it'll serve it for you. A small sample tasting of the wine is around $3 while a half glass is about $11. I love that they pair wines with certain books and it's usch a unique concept. They also offer small snacks and bites... might I suggest you try the pate they have? They do have a cheese sampler snack that was tasty, but to be honest there were two blocks of cheese that were so hard to cut through that we ended up not even eating it. This place is a must go to even if you don't like books. It's a great spot to try either for a classy date or even just to hang out with friends. I know I did. I spent almost two hours here !

I would love to give a better review, but I wasn't allowed to check it out because I had my baby in a carrier. I get that it's due to the type of liquor license that they have but it seems wrong that it's supposedly part bookstore but I can't walk in with my baby to browse the books? I guess the books are just for ambience/decor? I'm pretty disappointed because I was looking forward to checking this place out, but it's also not worth getting a babysitter for. Just don't call yourselves a bookstore. It's not "an elevated bookstore experience" like your website says if I can't go in and browse for books. It seems like you want the coolness factor of calling yourselves a bookstore without actually being one.

Last night (Monday) I went to Clio's, a used book-and-bar joint, which was he closest I've seen to a beatnik experience. Book Society is a more feminine space, with a limited number of titles, but enough to keep the intensive browser busy for half an hour. Or maybe longer, if you visit the wine bar. They have eight bottles on tap, each paired with a book (nothing obligatory however). You can get one of three pour sizes, and the wines run from moderate to expensive. The staff is available for chatting. They have book clubs that meet, and occasional author experiences (Niall Williams will be here in March). They close by 8, so you can book/bar hop to Clio's or North Light if you want. Small plates are also available, but nobody seemed to be having these when I was there. Well insulated from outside madness, so this becomes a valuable safe place to enjoy the sofas and company.

Came by to check out this new book store / wine bar that opened in December. They only have one location and it's a unique vibe. Parking was a little hard to find, but if you go into the neighborhood by the surrounding streets, you'll most likely find something. Inside the decor is very chic and very classy, which I absolutely loved. They have a few tables in there for you to enjoy your drinks or even gather for a book club. When we came on a Thursday evening, there was a larger gathering and they also serve snacks and bites here as well. The self serve wine is very easy to use, you check in at the front desk and they trade your ID for the card. You can do a sample tasting of the wine for about $3 dollars and then half a glass is about $11. Great vibes and loved everything here. They do close around 8. This is a classy spot great for a date or to hang out with friends.

Last night I attended a book event at this recently opened well-designed bookstore in the heart of Elmwood. The two women proprietors welcomed me warmly with a glass of wine and ushered me in. The "authors in conversation" were amazing, the seating comfortable. The only complaint I have is the $60 ticket price which would be fine if the nibbles were a bit more filling. you do not get a book with your ticket but a warm, convivial, salon atmosphere and lots of new books to peruse. I definitely recommend the venue and the events are a great "date night" option as there are also restaurants nearby.

My partner and I went here on an impromptu date on Book Society the day that it opened. When you ask for a glass, they trade your ID for a card that you tap against the wine dispenser and you can sample, get a half pour, or get a full pour while you browse. We sampled several wines, including a rosè, two white wines, and one nonalcoholic wine. The owner asked what type of book I was looking for and provided several recommendations based on my prompts. We bought one of the books paired with the wine as well. I think this is a great concept, an awesome place to meet friends, and even join for events. It is 21+.

We came in for a quick glass of wine and the founder greeted us and was so welcoming. She seemed so passionate about her business and we really enjoyed our time here. Definitely worth the stop, will be coming back asap! :)

Love this new east bay spot perfect for date night or a book club meet up! The concept is so cool with monthly rotating wines each thoughtfully paired with a book. They have installed a wine dispenser that allows for sample, half glass, or full glass pours so you can try every single wine and create your own tasting! We loved the Pinot noir and the red blend this month. We will definitely be back! The owner Laura is so clearly passionate about this concept and so kind! Wishing them so much success!

Book Society is a gem. Lovely space, very inviting. I so enjoyed the books, the wine, wine & book pairings. The nibbles were just enough for a girls night and we all enjoyed the ability to taste, sip or drink the wine of our choice. I always leave with many books and some new wines to look for. One friend noted how nice it was to not have to holler over each other, the ambiance lends itself to quiet discussions amongst friends. Be sure to drop by often.

Amazing Ambience and great staffs. First time, I've actually enjoy hanging out at a bookstore.

Visited on a Friday night and had a great time with my 21 yr old daughter. Beautiful space, interesting books (we purchased 2) and great wine selection. Would definitely recommend for a fun evening out for those who enjoy wine and books.

A cute place to hang out! They just opened and the place is lovely. You can come with friends or just by yourself and enjoy a glass of wine while reading a curated library of books.

Such a cute spot! The owner was really friendly, the ambiance was cozy, and the self serve wine machine was fun to do. They give you a little "library card" to use on the wine machine. And they pair each wine with a book thematically. I also love the categories they've clearly treated for their books. Overall a really thoughtful business and I'm excited to go back to get another glass of wine and read more.

This place just opened - a bookstore and wine bar! I checked it out for the first time today. Very nice- a good selection of books, I think about six or eight wines available (by the taste, half glass or full glass), chairs and low tables so you can look at a book and sip your wine, and tasteful deco-ish decor. The owner was friendly and helpful. I sat and had some wine and perused a couple of books. Not cheap, but not much around here is. But overall very pleasant - I liked it. (Oh, and they had some snack munchies too, but I didn't try those.)