Tag: events

Gayme Night (hosted by SMC Pride Center)

Written by Raquel on September 10, 2025.

San Mateo County Pride Center Gayme Night at Peninsula Books – a free community event!

Instead of being bored, join the Pride Center at Peninsula Books for a fun night of board games! From party games to trivia, we will have as much variety in games as we do in our community. Plus, we will even have prizes! You have nothing to lose (except for every game you play). Join us on Thursday, October 16 from 6:00-8:00 PM!

Registration is encouraged, but not required. Register in advance to be entered to win a drawing prize. There will also be some prizes for some of our game winners as well.

This event is free and open to the public. Light snacks will be provided.

Peninsula Books is located at 441 Westlake Center, Daly City, CA 94015. For accessibility and parking information, please use this link: https://peninsulabooks.org/shopourstore/

Poetry Night

Written by Raquel on September 9, 2025.

Join us for a poetry night with local writers Katrina Benedicto & Jade Zora Dean

Katrina Benedicto (they/she) is a Filipino-American writer and educator. Born in the Bay Area, they lived in Romblon and Manila before moving to San Francisco. They later studied at SFSU, where they hold an MFA in Creative Writing. Their writing often taps into topics of folklore, the body, and the fleeting nature of home.

Jade Zora Dean is a queer, trans poet, writer, and poetry editor for Fourteen Hills: The S.F.S.U. Review. She was born in the Rocky Mountains where she received her B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Colorado Boulder. Now, she has made her home in the beautiful Bay Area. Her poem “Not Hiding Unseen” was nominated for the Pushcart Prize and she is currently pursuing her MFA in creative writing at San Francisco State University.

Poetry Night at Peninsula Books

Written by Raquel on June 28, 2025.

Come join us for an hour with Peninsula poets Amanda Saeed and MJ. They will share their poetry with the community, friends, and family. Come and listen to their work and don’t forget to buy a book! Amanda’s books are available and signed.

San Mateo Pride Quiet Zone

Written by Raquel on May 29, 2025.

San Mateo Pride is a fun space for all but if you need a break from the fun, join us in the quiet zone. The quiet zone will have free books to enjoy and some quiet activities to decompress before going back into the fun. All books are free to keep.

Poetry Reading

Written by Raquel on April 30, 2025.

POETRY READING WITH LOCAL ARTISTS

ELODIE TOWNSEND & KIRSTEN DUALAN

Elodie Townsend (she/her) is a writer born and based in San Francisco. Her work has been featured in The Ana, Two-Headed Press, The Berkeley Fiction Review, and more, and has been described as surreal, absurdist, and “mildly concerning”. She holds a BA in English Literature from UC Berkeley and an MA in Creative Writing from SFSU.

Website: elodietownsend.com

Kirsten Ann Dualan is a queer Filipino American poet and fiction writer from the San Francisco Bay Area. They hold a BA and MFA in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. Their work explores the intersections of sexuality, class, and gender under neoliberal capitalism. Kirsten’s work has been featured in Transfer Magazine. They live in San Francisco.

Information on Kerry Donoghue book launch party

“Mouth” by Kerry Donoghue Book Launch Party

Written by Raquel on March 4, 2025.

Celebrate the launch of Kerry Donoghue’s provocative debut, MOUTH, highlighting the ways we consume—from the drinks we can’t put down to the lovers we can’t resist—revealing deeper hungers we often keep hidden. A competitive eater, a rodeo clown, a pearl diver, and a mermaid-in-training are just a few of the outsiders in this collection of short stories. MOUTH asks: when our appetites define us, how do we survive the hunger?

Currently living in the Bay Area, her poetry and stories have appeared in journals such as Ninth Letter, Painted Bride Quarterly, Permafrost, The Louisville Review, and The South Carolina Review. Learn more at www.kerrydonoghue.com.

Annual Banned Book Bash (Sept. 28th)

Written by Raquel on August 27, 2024. Posted in Events, Peninsula Picks.

FUNDRAISER for Peninsula Book Collaborative

Saturday, September 28
5:30-8:00 pm
Peninsula Books (441 Westlake Center)

Join us for a night of celebrating banned books and the freedom to read. We will have banned books available for purchase, silent auction items, and more. Learn how to get involved to “liberate” books and what banned books need to be added to your your TBR list. Light refreshments will be served.

Reception & Silent Auction begins at 5:30 pm
Silent Auction ends at 7:30 pm

Tickets are $20 and includes light refreshments.

We have a limited amount of free teacher tickets so register today!

Coffee and Books

Written by Raquel on August 25, 2024.

On the third Friday of every month, join us for coffee and books. We will have a Keurig set up with a variety of flavors for you to enjoy and hot water if you are a tea drinker. Sit, relax and spend time at Peninsula Books. See you there.

One Year Birthday Bash

Written by Raquel on March 24, 2024.

Join us at Gilman Brewery for our one year anniversary as an organization. We will have book themed trivia, food, drinks, and more. Teachers and library staff – we have set aside some free tickets for you! Choose the teacher/library ticket option when registering.

Join us there or become a sponsor.

If you cannot make, please consider to still make a donation to help us grow.

Getting to Sorry with Susan McCarthy (Author Discussion)

Written by Raquel on February 3, 2024.

Author Talk: Getting to Sorry

We all recognize terrible apologies. You’ve probably gotten a few. Excuse-laden, blame-shifting, weaselly offerings can fracture friendships and family bonds, harm businesses, and damage workplace relationships.

Join Susan share about the book and discuss apologies. Learn how to elicit better apologies, how to offer great ones, and how to teach kids how to apologize.

Event is free

Give the gift of reading this season.

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