River City readers now have a new local spot to get their lit.
San Antone Books, 2102 McCullough Avenue, debuted in February in the Monte Vista neighborhood. In the age of Amazon and big chain Barnes & Noble, the indie bookshop defies the standard business models thanks to its old-school curation, owner Alberto Bisi said.
“When we had our grand opening, our wholesaler told us they were going to give us the starting package that they normally do,” said Bisi, referring to a standard-issue mass shipment of merchandise that newly opened bookstores often receive to get started.
Bisi wanted more control over the selection than that.
“We pick in single titles, so everything you see around you has been hand-picked,” he added.
The name San Antone Books might suggest that the business owner has spent a lifetime in the Alamo City. But owner Alberto Bisi is a new transplant hailing from Bologna, Italy.
For such a small space, the store’s collection spans a wide range of works, including literary, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, classics, non-fiction, biographies, spy stories, nature, graphic novels and self-help books. Authors represented hail from Texas, France, Russia, Scandinavia, Japan, South Korea, and of course, Italy.
“It’s an amazing neighborhood because we sell about one Divine Comedy per week,” Bisi said, referring to the Middle Ages text by Italian poet Dante Alighieri. “In fact, one day, an old man came in, and he was born and raised in San Antonio with no Italian origins, but when he realized I was Italian he started to recite the Divine Comedy in Italian — but it’s 14th Century Italian!”
The customer turned out to be a literature professor from San Antonio College.
In the main room of San Antone Books, a display table features works by female authors in honor of Women’s History Month and a window display celebrates Japanese authors for Cherry Blossom Day. The back room offers a children’s section.
Anything the shop doesn’t have in stock can be ordered and received in two business days, according to Bisi.
San Antone Books is already adapting to the needs of the neighborhood. The bookshop is nestled next to cvlt coffee shop Gravves Coffee, supplying the bookstore with a steady stream of goths and causing it to rapidly expand its horror section.
“We sold out of horror on opening day,” Bisi said.
Bisi and his wife Valentina both work in publishing, though Bisi declines to name the publisher that employs him, hoping to keep the bookstore separate. Valentina was at a book fair in Milan at the time of this interview.
“We are on two continents working in publishing, and a book store was a natural consequence,” Bisi said. “We are always surrounded by books in our daily life.”
Twenty years in the publishing business also means Bisi has connections with well-known authors, many of whom he hopes to bring to the store for future signing events.
With many readers buying their books on Amazon, Bisi acknowledges he’s in a David-and-Goliath competition. His CPA even advised him against opening a book store.
“We will see,” Bisi said. “But I believe in human beings, and human connection too.”
Bisi is hopeful the curated aspect that once drew people to indie bookshops will make all the difference in the story of San Antone Books.
“In a way, it’s a bet,” Bisi added. “And we will need readers’ help to win it.”
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This article appears in Mar 19 – Apr 1, 2025.
