Strange Light Coffee and Books transports readers, espresso lovers, and game players to a new world.
It’s 1975 and you woke up with the sunrise. It’s way too early to start your day, and you’re not quite ready to face the outside world. You get out of bed, hardwood floors creaking under you, and walk into your kitchen. The steam from your espresso machine fills your pores, and you already feel more awake.
Entering the living room, you pull your favorite novel off the shelf, maybe a mystery, a memoir, a romance—you name it—and slouch onto your leather couch. You crack open the ancient spine, transporting yourself into the body of the protagonist.
This sounds like a fantasy in 2025, but it quickly became my reality by visiting Strange Light Coffee and Books on Willey Street.
Strange Light was opened in April by L.A. native Morgaine Sanders. As she brewed my cappuccino, she discussed her journey travelling across the United States looking for a fresh start after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I did a big road trip a while back, and I was thinking about COVID, when we were all kind of trapped inside, and I was thinking I wasn’t really happy,” she says. “I was like, if I’m not happy, I shouldn’t be here.”
Sanders was drawn to Morgantown for its college-town vibe, its hospitality, and its Appalachian atmosphere. She hopes her shop can be an oasis for college students in their busy lives.
The dark walls at Strange Light are lined with wooden bookshelves organized by genre. The shop offers a book exchange program where patrons receive 50 cents back per donation that they can use to buy books for up to 15% off.
The space offers multiple seating options: desk-like chairs beside large windows, round tables for games, and a large sectional for some serious lounging.
Sanders is looking forward to hiring help so she can truly enjoy the space for herself. “I can give them a shot for a couple hours, maybe do some laundry during the week, maybe read a book,” she says. Currently, she’s reading some of her childhood favorites, but she says she’ll never turn down a good fantasy.
As for myself, I’m currently reading Emily Henry’s newest novel, Great Big Beautiful Life, and I’ll be doing it at 304 Willey Street with a latte in hand every chance I get.
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