On February 6, beloved local bookstore, third space, and pillar of the community, Ante Books, closed its doors. When Selina Herrera (she/her) first opened Ante Books in the summer of 2024 along Hackberry Avenue in McAllen, she manifested a place where readers and activists came together to share radical ideas, craft, host free pulgas, read poetry, and, of course, purchase a diverse collection of books: from feminist and queer literature to a collection of A24 books.
Throughout Ante Book’s reign, the community’s support was clear. “The response from the community was very welcoming and sweet. Everyone was supportive and initially shared the same thoughts about needing more spaces like Ante,” Herrera shared.
Herrera said that her inspiration for Ante Books came from spaces that showcased local talent and artists, as well as short-lived ones such as Savory Perks in Weslaco, BAM in Brownsville, and Yerberia Cultura in McAllen.
She focused her full attention on Ante, bringing her dream of owning a creative space that, as Herrera once mentioned on a 2014 Facebook post, “offered creative workshops, books, community events, and so on” to life.
Ante’s Dream Team
“Ante [would] not have been possible without the help of my amazing friend, Gloria Valentina Reyes. Over and over, screaming it from the rooftops, advertising it over all the lawyer billboards. She deserves all the flowers and praise for her dedication in helping to make Ante a dream come true,” Herrera proclaimed.
Herrera’s Creative Workshop Coordinator and self-proclaimed “second Diva in command,” Gloria Valentina Reyes (she/her), is an artist extraordinaire who specializes in metal smithing.
Alongside Herrera, Reyes helped create a small gallery and workshop space in the neighboring suite and introduce the community to metalsmithing workshops. Soon, workshops in bookmark-making, bookbinding, and stamp-making became hot commodities.
As workshops became an integral part of Ante Books’ calendar, so did many other events. “Ante has had so many great moments, but I loved game night! […] RamJam helped us coordinate it. (We love you, Ram!) I felt like I was at an elementary school pizza party,” shared Reyes.
“We did so much together!! Doing a coffee club/DJ set with friends (And So On Coffee DJ Queenkillahbee) and dancing in the bookstore was one of my favorites. I loved hosting so many info shares and learning a lot from my little nook in the back. So much, so much,” said Herrera.
Herrera also shared that a few of her dearest memories were connecting with neighbors and recommending books, sometimes giving away much-needed books and receiving a hug in return. It’s the little moments of tender connection that tend to have the most lasting impact in a space like Ante.
As of now, you can check out Reyes’ handcrafted chain mail pieces (@tofu_squares_bench) at local markets near you and telepathically support Herrera as she goes off to earn her first bachelor’s degree.
Don’t forget to continue supporting local independent bookstores in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), and listen to Herrera’s take on reading culture in the RGV on La Frontera: Retold.
Facing Difficult Times
Unfortunately, Herrera faced many complications last year, including parking issues and red tape with the city of McAllen (DON’T PARK AT PET WORLD). “I noticed traffic started to slow down around March of last year. ICE raids started, the tariffs hit, and we had that one flood around then, too,” she said.
Amid the onslaught of ICE threats to our communities, climate, economic, and even food instabilities, as well as global anxiety over the genocide happening in Palestine (among many other world events), Ante Books kept holding on for much of 2025, even as book orders dwindled.
“Not putting the blame on anyone, it was the collective feeling of what can we/I do? With everything going on. The last thing on any of our minds is a bookstore,” Herrera said.
More Than A Bookstore
“Ante is more than a bookstore, and if you got to see it, thank you. Sel and Glo love you,” Reyes said.
There are still many memories to be fond of, so, as Reyes mentioned, let’s relish in all that Ante Books offered and got to become for and with our community over the last two years: a plethora of creative workshops, poetry open mics, book club meetings, gallery shows, DJ and coffee pop-ups, game nights, dancing, silent reading hours, info sessions, book launch parties, pulgas, moments of connection, conversation, laughter, and more.
Although Ante Books, the beloved bookstore on Hackberry, has closed, it doesn’t mean it’s the last chapter.
“I don’t want to promise anything, but just know this isn’t the end. Ante is still my baby; we’re just going through our terrible twos, and I do see a future where it can live on, maybe not in the business model as we’ve seen it. Something more true to my values. Sharing, not charging,” Herrera said.
Lastly, a few words from Herrera to remember Ante Books: “Big thanks to the community who shared, visited, and donated. Ante is just another word for make it happen. WE ALL did just that. I’ll miss you, until next time.”
