Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What did you think of the book’s central premise of Book Witches who can enter fictional worlds? Have you read other metafictional books that play with the boundary between reality and fiction, like Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series? How did your experience with The Book Witch compare?

2. The romance between Rainy and the Duke of Chicago drives much of the plot. How did you feel about their relationship as it developed from a forbidden love into the story’s central mystery? Did you find their connection believable and compelling?

3. Which of the novel’s big reveals was the most impactful for you as a reader? Was it the discovery that Rainy herself is a fictional character, the truth about her connection to Nancy Drew, or another twist in the story?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Rainy’s fierce love for the Duke of Chicago is powerful enough to pull him from the pages of his book. Think about a fictional character who has had a deep impact on you. What is it about that character or their story that makes them feel so real and important in your own life?

2. Rainy is constantly measured against the legendary reputation of her mother, Ellery, which creates a lot of pressure for her. Think about a time you may have felt the weight of expectations, whether from family, work, or yourself. How did that pressure shape your actions or your sense of identity?

3. Has a book or character ever inspired you to make a significant life change, the way Duke’s story inspired the security guard, Adam, to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher?

4. How does your experience of reading a beloved book compare to the way the novel portrays the interaction between readers and stories? Does the idea that love for a story can give it a form of life resonate with how you feel about your own favorite books?

5. What do you think about the idea that Rainy had to solve a mystery to earn the truth of her own identity? In your own life, have you found that truths you uncover for yourself hold more weight than those you are simply told?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The conflict between the Book Witches and the Burners is an allegory for the real-world debate over book banning. The Burners justify their destruction by claiming they are getting rid of “garbage” to protect “true classics.” How does this fictional conflict reflect the language and arguments used in contemporary discussions about censorship in schools and libraries?

2. How does knowing the real-world history of the Nancy Drew series, which was created by a publishing syndicate and written by multiple ghostwriters under a single pseudonym, enrich the novel’s exploration of authorship and what it means for a character to be “real”?

3. How does the novel use the real historical event of a school board burning copies of Slaughterhouse-Five as the inspiration for Maxine Blake’s creation of the Book Witches? What does this connection suggest about the role of literature in responding to cultural threats?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How is the concept of writing one’s own story literalized through Rainy’s journey, from her attempts to decipher a message in The Secret of the Old Clock to the final revelation that she is the protagonist of The March Hare Mystery?

2. What is the significance of the umbrellas used by the Book Witches? How does the umbrella evolve as a symbol throughout the novel?

3. The coven’s code of conduct is called the “Eight Black and Whites,” a motif representing a rigid worldview. How does the story systematically challenge and dismantle these rules?

4. How does the Duke’s transformation from a typical noir detective to a self-aware being who can alter his own narrative explore ideas of free will and character agency?

5. What effect did the novel’s metafictional structure have on your reading experience? How did moments like Rainy meeting her author or the final chapter shifting focus to a real-world reader shape your connection to the story?

6. Compare the character of Nancy Drew as she appears in The Book Witch with her traditional portrayal in her own mystery series. In what ways does the author honor the spirit of the original girl detective while adapting her to serve a new, metatextual purpose?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were a Book Witch, which book would you designate as a “Code Red Ink” title—a story so important it must be magically protected above all others? What makes that book so essential?

2. Rainy gets to commission a new novel, The Last Hurrah, so she can have a future with Duke. If you could have an author write you into any existing fictional world, which one would you choose, and what role would you want to play in the story?

3. At the end of the novel, a reader named Frankie is inspired by Rainy’s story to open her own bookstore. If you were to create a bookstore inspired by The Book Witch, what would you name it, and what unique feature would you include to celebrate the magic of entering a story?