Two new indie bookstores are giving San Antonio readers a plot twist. Pages for Ages (10350 Bandera Rd, #300) and Book Nerd (2211 NW Military Hwy. #118) recently debuted, creating communities around the written word.

Book Nerd
Lauren and Sean Richmond first thought about going into business for themselves about 10 years ago, but Sean — a gamer — originally thought he would make a career out of that hobby. The voracious readers eventually settled on their shared love, and the idea morphed into an independent bookstore.

The couple blended their professional experiences and skills in nurturing Book Nerd. Sean had worked for Barnes and Noble, while Lauren worked as a nonprofit fundraiser and a corporate event planner. According to the Richmonds, corporate chain brick-and-mortar bookstores are dwindling, but there is a resurgence in locally owned and operated neighborhood bookshops.

"There's a lot of awareness in the population about shopping small," Lauren says, adding that she and her husband were floored by the public response to the opening of Book Nerd.

"We did have some blind confidence that we could make this work, but our community is the biggest portion of that," Lauren adds.

Book Nerd includes a whimsical children's area.Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Book Nerd features a variety of traditional genres that cover the nearly 10,000 books available for sale. A sci-fi fan, Sean curates the store's book selection, which includes "romantasy" books, a section where Lauren has plenty of input. Lauren recalls that one potential candidate had only one fantastical element, a baby dragon.

"That's not enough," Lauren says. "It's got to be more than just one magical thing; it's got to be cool."

"When I receive a box, I have to go through every single title in it, and — at that point — I'm deciding if this is suggested for one genre[a] genre I think it is. But then I have to go and decide for our store what genre it actually is in," Sean explains.

Book Nerd also offers store-branded merchandise, such as shirts, stickers, and tote bags. The store also rents a gathering room for $50 an hour. The room can accommodate book club meetings, workshops, and private celebrations.

The shop will soon begin hosting events with local and independent authors. This is part of a larger effort to highlight books that many people may not know about.

"We have a lot of those titles — ones that we're just passionate about, and we find interesting and weird, and that might be lesser known," Sean says. "But because we put [a lesser-known book] front and center, more and more people get interested in it and start looking at it."

Rhiannon Otero is one of four owners of Pages for Ages.Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Pages for Ages
The four women behind this Northwest Side shop — Andrea Bingham, Sarah Huvar, Nicole Mormino, and Rhiannon Otero — became friends through a book club that Otero started as a way of getting to know her neighbors better. With help from their families, the club became a business.

"Everybody's been super accepting and welcoming of us," Otero says. "There's been a need on this side of town for an independent bookstore."

Otero says Pages is more than a mere place that sells books. It's a place where the community can escape life's hustle and bustle, or just enjoy a homemade pastry or a tea drink.

"People are really responsive in giving us feedback and helping us grow as a bookstore," Otero explains. "First and foremost, we want this to be about community and gathering."

Pages for Ages hosts book club meetings, journaling, crochet, and tarot classes, and author readings and signings. The shop has a cozy feel, hosting story times with bunnies from a rabbit rescue or inviting readers to hang out at the shop on Sundays in their pajamas.

In addition to different kinds of books, Pages for Ages offers homemade pastries, handcrafted gifts, and stones and crystals.Photo by Edmond Ortiz

In addition to the books, the store sells handmade gift items and video game and comic book figurines. Many of the collectibles, inspired by pop culture franchises like Pokémon and Green Lantern, were painted by Bingham's husband, Justin Bingham.

For readers, the curated collection includes a space for historically banned or challenged books, such as George Orwell's 1984, and a selection of resources for neurodivergent individuals, such as toys for children with sensory processing difficulties.

The latter section is special to the shop owners, who are all parents of neurodivergent children.

"Some of us are neurodivergent ourselves, so we thought it would be a great idea to have a community hub for parents, children, and adults without children, who fall on the spectrum of neurodivergence," Otero said. "They can feel accepted and welcome in a place where they don't have to hide who they are."

Otero said Pages for Ages appeals to everyone and anyone who embraces the unusual and whimsical.

"We cater to the opposite of mainstream," she adds.

Photo by Edmond Ortiz

Lauren and Sean Richmond own Book Nerd in Castle Hills.