Tucked behind Tractor Supply, sits a bookstore unlike almost anything else in Southern Nevada. What appears from the outside to be a small used bookstore quickly opens into a maze of shelves, rooms, genres and decades of literary history inside Bookworm Haven, a longtime local business that has quietly served readers in the community since the 1980s.
For manager Rachel Ross, the bookstore is much more than a place to buy books. It is a living piece of family history built from a love of reading that has continued for more than 40 years.
Bookworm Haven was originally opened in 1985 by John Sturgeon and his wife after realizing there were limited options for readers in Pahrump at the time. According to Ross, Sturgeon’s daughter, Kaye Valdes, was an avid reader as a child, and her parents wanted to create a place where people could exchange books and always have something new to read.
“What started as one small trailer just kept growing,” Ross explained. “They added another trailer and another trailer and another trailer over the years.”
Today, the bookstore consists of four connected trailers filled wall-to-wall with books of nearly every genre imaginable. The property itself remains deeply tied to the family’s roots, with the original family home sitting next door to the store.
After the passing of her parents, Valdes eventually took ownership of the bookstore and continues to oversee operations as she travels with her husband. Despite the challenges of operating a business from the road, Ross said Valdes remains deeply committed to preserving what her parents built.
“It’s a labor of love for her,” Ross said. “Her father opened this for her and her sister. It means something to her. It’s not just a bookstore. It’s family heritage. It’s a legacy.”
Ross herself became part of that legacy almost by accident.
Originally a stay-at-home mother for more than 20 years, Ross said she first visited the store simply seeking advice about starting a book club after her daughter graduated. During the conversation, longtime manager Misty — who had run the store for more than eight years — noticed how naturally Ross interacted with customers.
“She asked me if I wanted a job,” Ross recalled with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Are you punking me? Who hires a woman in her 50s who stayed home for 20 years?’ And she said, ‘Me. I do that.’”
That unexpected conversation eventually led Ross to take over as manager after Misty left for another opportunity. Ross credits Misty with helping shape much of what the store is today and said many longtime customers still come in asking about her even two years later.
“She was amazing,” Ross said. “She could remember exactly where a book was, even if it was buried in a box somewhere in the back. People loved her.”
Today, Ross works alongside Jackie, who handles Fridays, and Ingrid, who works Saturdays. Ross describes the trio as a close-knit team that has spent the last two years reorganizing and revitalizing the massive bookstore.
“We’re constantly moving things around and trying to make room,” Ross said. “There are still three storage units outside full of books.”
Much of their work has involved clearing damaged or outdated materials, reorganizing genres and creating more accessible spaces for customers. Ross said they even removed obsolete materials such as floppy disk instruction books that no longer served any practical purpose.
The store remains intentionally old-fashioned in many ways. Bookworm Haven still does not use a computerized inventory system. Instead, books are organized entirely by genre and then alphabetized by authors’ last names within each section.
“If somebody asks me for a specific title, I can’t type it into a computer,” Ross explained. “But if you tell me the genre, I can take you there and help you look.”
The store contains sections dedicated to mystery, romance, westerns, classics, science fiction, paranormal, young adult, children’s books, religion, history, sports, travel, animals and more. One especially popular area is the large print section, which Ross said serves many readers who still love physical books but need easier-to-read editions.
“We try really hard to keep our large print section stocked,” she said. “A lot of our customers are retirees and still love reading.”
Ross said reading habits have changed significantly over the years as more people shift toward audiobooks, eBooks and digital downloads. Still, she believes there remains something special about holding a physical book and browsing shelves in person.
“People still come from Las Vegas and California just to browse an old-fashioned bookstore,” she said.
That browsing experience is part of what makes Bookworm Haven unique. The store operates on a long-running trade system that has existed since the beginning. Customers can bring in gently used books and receive credit toward future purchases. Each trade-in earns half off another book unless the item is specially marked as non-discountable.
Ross said the goal has always been affordability and accessibility.
“We try very hard to keep our prices fair,” she said. “A lot of people in Pahrump are on fixed incomes. We want them to still be able to come in and enjoy getting books.”
Most books in the store range around $6 or less before trade-in discounts are applied, with many titles ultimately costing customers only a few dollars. Ross also compares prices to online retailers to ensure the bookstore remains competitive.
“If you buy it here, you don’t pay shipping and you don’t have to wait,” she said. “You walk out with it that day.”
The store also maintains handwritten customer credit accounts for regular patrons. If someone trades in more books than they purchase, their remaining credits stay on file indefinitely — sometimes for years.
“Unless you don’t use a credit in more than five-years, we keep it on file,” Ross said.
In addition to selling books, the store maintains a request log where customers can ask staff to keep an eye out for particular titles or authors. Ross hopes that one day Bookworm Haven may even be able to expand into carrying some newer books, although space and logistics remain challenges for now.
For the moment, the focus remains on maintaining the store’s massive collection and continuing to serve the community that has supported it for decades.
Ross also makes a special effort to support local teachers, many of whom purchase classroom books using their own money. She said teachers who struggle to visit during normal business hours are encouraged to call ahead, and if possible, she will stay open later to help them shop.
“I had two kids go through school here,” Ross said. “Anything I can do to help teachers help their classrooms, I’m going to do.”
Bookworm Haven also continues to support the community through gift certificates, which are occasionally donated to local fundraisers and charitable causes when possible. The store also offers gift certificates for purchase, giving customers an easy way to share the experience with the book lover in their life while supporting a longtime local business. The program reflects the same community-centered spirit that has helped sustain the bookstore for generations.
Although the future beyond 2026 remains uncertain as Valdes balances family responsibilities and operating the business, Ross remains hopeful the bookstore’s story is not over yet.
For now, Bookworm Haven continues welcoming readers through its doors at 920 Fifth St., Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering thousands upon thousands of books, a uniquely nostalgic atmosphere and a reminder that even in an increasingly digital world, there is still room for a classic neighborhood bookstore.
