By Elise Gray
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
Who doesn’t love coffee and books? On Dec. 21, Brown Bag Books and LuluBelle’s Coffee House & Bakery collaborated once again for an outdoor book sale and cookie party.
Wagon full of free books for children to pick out and read.
Colorful books lined the outdoor patio, neatly separated by varying genres. A small red wagon was filled to the brim with children’s books with a sign that read, “Take a book!” Mountain residents and their families gathered at the local establishment to explore refreshments and good reads – some of which are sourced from all over the world.
Lynn Klopfer, the vivacious owner of Brown Bag Books, was enthusiastic about the event and the collaboration. “We started doing pop-ups before pop-ups existed. We’re also good buddies,” she said, referencing her relationship with Lulubelle’s owner, Michelle DiGiovanni. “Our bookstore is in town and we often do little pop-ups like this. It’s good to be around books no matter what. We’ve been in business for 20 years and our shop is absolutely packed.”
When asked about the wagon, Klopfer expressed her desire to bring reading back to the younger members of our communities. “We offer free books to children so they can find new ways to express themselves, to figure out what they like.”
Textbooks have been repurposed into notebooks.
Having owned a thriving book business for over two decades, Klopfer has mastered the art of resourcefulness. She’s passionate about sustainability and puts genuine effort into finding creative, eco-friendly ways to spread her joy of books. With the excitement of a treasure hunter unveiling a hidden gem, she pointed event goers to a special section of the pop-up. At first glance, the wares appeared to be ordinary notebooks, but a closer look revealed something far more inventive: unused textbooks, quirky finds and discarded pages given new life and cleverly repurposed as one-of-a-kind, handcrafted notebooks.
Events like these are what make LuluBelle’s more than just a coffee house. It’s a place where a love for books, homemade treats and human connection takes center stage. Whether residents or passersby come for the coffee, the cookies or the conversation, LuluBelle’s will continue to embody the true spirit of mountain living.
LuluBelle’s is located at 31621 Pleasant Drive, at the corner of Highway 18 in Running Springs. Brown Bag Books is located at 2557 Hunsaker Drive in Running Springs. Check online for their hours.
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