BOOKS ARE BACK

A page is turning in Oakhurst and bibliophiles especially will be happy to hear about it. There’s a new bookstore in town with more than 2,000 titles on the shelves.

Raven & Pines is located in the Old Mill (Vons) shopping center next to Yosemite Pie Co.

The well stocked, warm and inviting shop belongs to the mother daughter team of Cherri Loll and Jessica Loll. The Raven & Pines Grand Opening on Saturday, April 25 marks the start of a new and exciting era for them.

“I always wanted a little shop where I can connect with the community,” Cherri Loll said. “We aim to create a space for the community to come together.”

Raven & Pines offers a vast diversity of tempting tomes — a lot of new books and some used — from children’s to adult fiction and nonfiction, along with stationary and art supplies, toys, crafts, puzzles, décor, fine art and gifts.

The Lolls live in Coarsegold, which means their commute to Oakhurst these days sure beats the hour and a half it used to take Jessica to drive each way, to and from work, in the southland.

“My parents moved to the area several years ago from the Hughson/Modesto area,” Jessica Loll explained, “and I recently relocated from Southern California where I was working in biotech for the last five years.”

The younger Loll earned her Master of Forensic Sciences degree in Forensic Molecular Biology. Graduating around the same time Covid-19 came knocking, she went to work for the California Department of Health. Later she concentrated on quality control in cancer treatment.

Safe to say Jessica Loll’s her current position is not the same.

“It’s very different!” she laughed.

“I do like the sciences but I was ready for a change and to be closer to my family. Owning a bookstore has always been a dream that felt far off but, once I was looking for new opportunities, everything aligned. When I approached my mom with the idea she was all in on building this dream together and we were able to make it reality.”

“I’m so glad she’s back!” said mom Cherri.

Cherri looks forward to sharing the various crafts items she makes including crochet, tote bags, aprons and holiday themed items.

And it helps that both women are voracious readers, albeit of differing genres. But being “into” reading wasn’t always the case for Jessica.

Cherri said her daughter didn’t like to read until middle school and then she couldn’t get the books out of her hands.

“I’ve been a reader since The Princess Diaries in junior high,” Jessica explained.

“While I enjoy reading many different genres today, both fiction and nonfiction, I tend to gravitate towards fantasy the most frequently.”

Cherri, on another hand, enjoys reading romance novels and a range of hobby books from crafting to horseback riding.

One of the reasons Cherri Loll was happy to move to the foothills in 2022 was the chance to let her horse Sugar roam the pasture on her property. Cherri and Jessica for six years were community leaders in their local 4-H in the Ceres area, so they’ve worked together before.

In addition to Cherri and Jessica, the Loll family includes dad Brian Loll and Cherri’s mom Donna Figuera at home in Coarsegold along with brother Kyle Loll, his wife Sabrina and their baby Luke in Merced.

Little Luke was another irresistible pull for Auntie Jessica to settle in the foothills near Yosemite. For this reason, customers can expect the baby and children’s sections of Raven & Pines to offer the finest selection of books and other kid goodies.

In fact, selecting books has been one of the only hurdles Loll and Loll have faced in their determination to open up the shop. Deciding what to carry is a big responsibility and a fun one.

“It’s been challenging to choose books, worrying if we made the right selection,” Jessica said.

“I’ve been getting suggestions from locals and librarians for books for young readers, I polled my friends and all sorts of people have been making recommendations. I’m a big reader so I know many titles and authors.”

She also consulted her nearly endless “to read” list. And she follows her gut.

“We’re receiving positive feedback on the overall selection so it’s validating that we picked the right ones.”

Not only do they have the right books — thousands of them — but they’ve created a variety of areas within the space where children can tuck into a tent and read while adults can lounge on the comfy couch and chairs.

A Local Authors table features the work of AK Duboff, MJ McHatton, Jennifer Moss, Vicki Thomas, Don Vallentyne — and a book co-written with Moss by the Gazette’s Kellie Flanagan.

Local artists have also offered their support for the new bookstore and some of their work is on display and available for purchase, including that of Kathy Marks, Rivka Schaffner, Vicki Thomas and more.

Bookstores are booming

It won’t escape some that Raven & Pines opened in the same location as Oakhurst’s last bookstore, Branches Books & Gifts, owned by Anne Driscoll. Branches Books closed in the fall of 2020 during the pandemic and has been greatly missed by many ever since.

That’s another reason it’s great to have Raven & Pines open up.

While the Lolls haven’t met Driscoll, they’ve “heard great things about her and the bookstore.”

Promisingly, things are looking up for the retail trade sector compared with 2020, especially when it comes to bookstores which are apparently booming.

“Indie bookstores are making a shocking, triumphant comeback,” reads the headline of an article in Fast Company last December.

Since 2020, according to the story, the number of independent bookstores in the United States has grown by 70 percent.

In 2025 alone, 420 new bookstores opened, according to the American Booksellers Association.

And why the name, Raven & Pines? Simple, said Jessica. She likes the work of Edgar Allen Poe and his poem, The Raven, and this area is known for its pines. And it sounds cool.

Looking toward the future, team Loll is planning all sorts of community festivities.

“We will host many events,” Jessica said. “Book clubs, trivia nights, craft nights — every night you can think of. Some events will be free and others will be ticketed.”

The grand opening of Raven & Pines is set for Saturday, April 25, starting with a ribbon cutting by the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce.

That will be followed by a children’s story time, local author signings, activities, snacks, raffles and — in the evening — a no-host wine bar and charcuterie.

A forensic panel discussion is planned for the evening featuring forensics expert Erin Weaver and author Jennifer Moss with the subject matter to include forensics as they are portrayed in the media vs. real life. Weaver is a professional with courtroom experience and Moss is an author whose series of mystery books reflect forensics.

Beyond the grand opening, on May 15, Raven & Pines is set to welcome Chris Epting, author of “Theodore Roosevelt in California: The Presidential Adventure that Saved the Wilderness.”

For both Cherri and Jessica, the best part of opening the bookstore is the joy it’s already bringing to the community.

“We love to watch people walk in and breathe,” Jessica said. “They say, ‘this is amazing!’ I like to see what they pick to buy — as I put their books in the bag, I say, “yeah — that’s a good one!”

Cherri is basking in the glow of it all, too.

“We love watching little kids come in, grab a book and go straight to the tent to read. I love talking to people in the community, seeing them reading to their kids — and working with my daughter.”

The bookstore’s days and hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Raven & Pines is located at 40044 Highway 49, Suite B1 in Oakhurst. The phone number is (559) 658- 2665. For more email info@ravenandpines.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.