Where the Books Shine, But the Staff Picks Don’t
Discover Nowhere Books in San Antonio — a lively indie bookstore with strong book selections, cozy kids’ spaces, and lackluster staff picks.
No Where Books was already on my list of must-visit bookstores, and Talking Animals Bookshop reminded me to prioritize it. I’m glad I went, although a few things definitely left me scratching my head.
First off, let’s talk about their staff picks. These were… painful. I don’t know who wrote those recommendations, but it feels like they either skimmed the book jackets or copied a publisher’s blurb, and then called it a day. There was zero imagination in the staff commentary, no spark, no sense that they’d actually read or loved these books. It was bland and corporate-sounding, which was a letdown in a store that otherwise had a lot going for it.
Moving beyond the staff picks, the children’s section was wonderful. They had some great middle school and elementary finds, including titles I’d never come across before. I felt like this store had a rather expanded section for middle school, and I eagerly picked up several books in that genre. The picture book section, though, felt very mainstream — a lot of big-name bestsellers and not much that surprised me. I would have liked to see more hidden gems there.
In the adult fiction and sci-fi sections, though, I was impressed. There were some current bestsellers, sure, but also plenty of interesting titles I didn’t recognize, which is exactly what I want in a bookstore. I love being able to browse a shelf and discover something new instead of seeing the same covers I spot at every store. Their focus on banned books was also impressive, with several books displayed as banned books, and clearly pointed out throughout their various genres. I even found a book for teachers — How to Teach Banned Books — that I’d never seen before in another store. In the current political climate, I’m excited to dig into it and see if it sparks ideas for my classroom.
One thing I didn’t love? The store was loud. Very loud. There was nowhere to really escape the noise, and that made it tough to settle in and browse for a long time. For a book lover, I want a store where I can wander quietly and get lost in the shelves, and that wasn’t really possible here. The store was ridiculously busy (which is great for a bookstore), but I felt like I was bumping into people everywhere. However, I did go on a Saturday Afternoon.
There is a café, but it’s located at the back right corner of the store rather than being front and center, which I liked. I’m not usually a huge fan of bookshop cafés taking over all the floor space, so I appreciated that they kept it somewhat separate. There are also tons of gift items for booklovers throughout the store. My mom and toddler went with me, and they picked up items that I would love to have on my desk. The store also has some wooden bookends sporadically placed in the store that were amazing to look at.
Since I visited on a really busy day for Nowhere Books, I only got a quick hello from the one girl working the register. I think there was another staff member working the cafe, but they seemed low on staff for the amount of people in the store. I didn’t get a chance to really talk to the staff before I paid. However, the staff member I spoke to was lovely at the register and made some really interesting comments about some of the books I picked up, and mentioned a sequel to one of the novels. She seemed interesting and aware of the books in the store, which makes the staff pick writing such a head scratcher.
I did appreciate the way they laid out the kids’ section, with some cozy reading spots and corners that worked well for families. The children’s space was rather large for the store, and it had a ramp making it higher than the other area. It felt like its own room even though it was still connected as part of the original space. But beyond that, the rest of the store didn’t have much in the way of comfortable reading nooks or places to pause. There is a back raised desk that was used for people bringing their laptops and working.
Overall, the store seemed heavily weighted toward fantasy, sci-fi, children’s books, and general fiction — which worked for me. There was clearly a lot of love put into the book selection, even if the staff picks missed the mark.
Be warned: parking is terrible. I found a spot at the front of the store, but almost got hit getting in and out. The parking is on a busy street. But if you can get past the parking drama and the noisy atmosphere, Nowhere Books is worth a visit for its thoughtful, current book choices — even if you ignore their staff suggestions.
Nowhere books location: 5154 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209
Nowhere Books website: https://www.nowherebookshop.com/
