August Monthly Newsletter
Events and Hours
Earlier this month, we had a wonderful Release Party celebrating the launch of local author, H. R. Cole, and her new book, Daughter of the Void.
Coming up, we have our Enchanted Books Society Book Club meeting on August 17th from 1pm - 3pm and our Under The Canopy Writers’ Group meeting on August 21st from 5pm to 7pm.
There are no planned hour changes for the rest of the month.
Announcements
Please join us in welcoming our newest employee, Thom!
Thom is a familiar and beloved face around the town of Owego. When he’s not creating delicious drinks and serving up smiles in Spellbound’s bookshop cafe, Thom can be found tending his collection of plants and cooking at home.
On the other hand, we are saying farewell to two of our employees, Micah and Abi. Both are moving out of state to pursue their own adventures, and we wish them well on their journeys!
Monthly Specials
Come in and taste August’s drink specials!
Try our “Suntrap,” a delightful iced drink made of half lemonade and half black tea.
“Ocean” is a layered, iced matcha drink with butterfly pea flower syrup.
For our coffee fans, try the “Endless Crema,” a beautiful blend of espresso, vanilla syrup and sparkling water.
Featured Book and Review
The Bog Queen by Anna North reads like a slow and steady swim towards friendship, warmth and purpose.
One voice is a woman from the US who leaves behind expectations and stereotypes to become herself. Agnes, a modern forensic anthropologist, investigates a bog burial. What she learns along the way, (and one can imagine the bog moss as a teacher on her journey,) leads her to her own bright future.
Another voice, is a young Druid leader who lives in the dangerous time when Rome is pushing deeper into Celtic regions. She has a vision for the future that her own tiny village struggles to see.
The mossy bog itself is the third voice in this lush story and every smooth green chapter left me deeply impressed with the important timeless message and deep wisdom that the moss bears witness to.
This book time travels between Druidic Celtic times and modern England. In each time period, the Bog Moss is a sentient presence, immersing the reader in a complete world. The story is without gimmicky transitions, and Anna North’s voices are expertly woven, leading us to become easily attached to the fates of all three characters in this expansive world.
Featured Product
Have you seen the amazing beeswax candles for sale at Spellbound? From the beautiful, classic tapers to the shaped votives, they are all made by local beeswax candle maker, Chris Gibson of Honeybees and Roses.
The candles are made with 100% beeswax with hemp wicks.
Chris was inspired to begin making beeswax candles by his candle-making experience at the Newark Valley Apple Festival, and has been making them since 2019. His favorite part of the process is when the wax melts and fills up his family’s home with the wonderful aroma. He enjoys finding candle molds that are perfect for the people in his life and creating candles for them. His favorite candle to create is the cozy Treehouse Candle.
Jenn’s Potionarium
The newest blog post is up! Take a walk with Jenn through the garden at Forget Me Not Farm and learn a bit about the beautiful purple blooms commonly known as “Bee Balm.” Then, follow a simple recipe to make your very own Flower Essence!