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Cover of The Spellshop by Sarah Beth DurstThe Spellshop
New · Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

The Spellshop

by Sarah Beth Durst
2024 · 384 pages · Fiction
Reserve shelf
≈ 10 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

When rebels burn the Great Library of an island empire, Kiela, a shy librarian, escapes with her talking plant assistant and a boat full of forbidden spellbooks. Back on her remote home island, she starts selling small spells and jam to the locals, and her handsome neighbor makes her rethink her quiet life.

Why it's worth reading

It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's a cozy, charming fantasy.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's gentle and low-stakes.

By the numbers

64.0Must-Read Score
  • Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller52 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Goodreads Choice (romantasy) finalist (2024)

Reads as

Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →

Quick answers

Is The Spellshop worth reading?

It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 64.0 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Spellshop about?

When rebels burn the Great Library of an island empire, Kiela, a shy librarian, escapes with her talking plant assistant and a boat full of forbidden spellbooks. Back on her remote home island, she starts selling small spells and jam to the locals, and her handsome neighbor makes her rethink her quiet life.

How long does it take to read The Spellshop?

About 10 hours (384 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Spellshop?

If you liked it, try Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree or A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna.