Create a free Bookclubs account to organize your book club, get reading recommendations, view hundreds of discussion guides, and more!
The Spellshop
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY AND INDIE BESTSELLER!
A #1 LibraryReads pick!
An Indie Next pick!
A gorgeous hardcover edition featuring lavender sprayed edges! The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst's romantasy debut-a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.
Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz--a magically sentient spider plant--have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire's most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city's elite.
When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she'd see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy--and very handsome--neighbor who can't take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she's fed and to help fix up her new home.
In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn't have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.
But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island's first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.
Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.
These book club questions were written by Bookclubs staff.
Book club questions for The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.
Of Kiela, Durst writes, "It wasn’t that she didn’t like people. It was only that she liked books more." Can you relate?
This book really leans into cottagecore. What elements did you find the coziest? Does this novel inspire you to inject more cozy into your own life?
Sarah Beth Durst has said that she wrote "The Spellshop" to "feel like a warm hug" and "like drinking a cup of hot chocolate." Did she succeed?
You don't read many books with sentient spider plants, much less as the protagonist's best friend! Let's talk about Caz. What were your favorite things about him? Your favorite witty quip?
With so many charming village characters (and creatures), who was your favorite? Which fantastical being intrigued you the most?
Do you agree with Kiela's decision to use magic to help heal the island, even though it was illegal? What would you have done in her shoes?
Let's talk more generally about the magic system in "The Spellshop." Did it make sense to you? What elements would you like to learn more about?
How did Kiela grow and develop over the course of the novel? How did moving back to her home island affect her? Opening up the jam shop?
Discuss the romance between Kiela and Larran. Did you ship them? How did they complement each other?
The Spellshop Book Club Questions PDF
Click here for a printable PDF of the The Spellshop discussion questions