The mountain area has a brand new bookstore – and the first one in seven years.
Run by mother-daughter duo Cherri and Jessica Lol, Raven and Pines Bookstore opened in Oakhurst on Saturday, April 25. The store welcomes everyone, from first-time readers to seasoned bookworms.
The store carries a variety of different genres, including fantasy, sci-fi, self-help, true crime, biographies and romance, among others. It also features a local interest section, covering hiking trails and the history of Yosemite.
At the store’s opening ceremony, several local authors presented and signed books. Furthermore, the store has plans to hold community events.
“We have lots of plans for different types of events, like we want to have craft nights, trivia, music, games, puzzle night, stuff like that. We’re also going to be having a story time for the kids in the mornings,” Jessica Lol said in an interview with Sierra News Online.
Additionally, travel author Chris Epting will present on May 15. Epting wrote “Teddy Roosevelt in California,” which details Roosevelt’s Yosemite trip with John Muir, subsequently leading to the creation of the national park system.
The store will also host its first book club on May 28. There, community members can discuss the book “Lady Tremaine.” Beyond events, Jessica Lol stressed the importance of making books locally accessible.
“That experience, walking into a bookstore and being able to browse and see things that you probably wouldn’t have been shown by [an online] algorithm is really powerful,” Jessica Lol said. “It can help expand people’s reading selection and what information is being presented and available to them.”
Jessica Lol also pointed to lower reading scores of young children during the pandemic. She noted the store can help children feel excited about reading, while providing accessible options to improve their ability, such as graphic novels.
“Young readers who are maybe hesitant to [read] a big chapter book might be drawn into [graphic novels] and then become more interested in reading,” she said.
As far as how the store wants to integrate into the area, Jessica Lol said she wants to find “what the community is really interested in.”
“We really want to establish our events and our community offerings. So finding what those areas are of public interest, and trying to bring those into the community and creating those inviting spaces,” she said.
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