Joanna Gaines
3
Books ReviewedAsk LuvemBooks about Joanna Gaines
- Where should I start?
- If you're new to Joanna Gaines's books, Magnolia Table is the natural entry point — it's her first cookbook, introduces her cooking philosophy through dishes tied to specific memories and family occasions, and has been rated 4.8/5 by over 36,000 Amazon readers, making it one of her most widely read titles. It gives you a clear sense of her tone before moving on to the second volume or her home design work in Homebody.
- What's their writing style?
- Joanna Gaines writes in a warm, conversational first person that reads more like an extended personal essay than a how-to manual — recipes come with the story of where they came from, and design advice is framed through her own home rather than abstract principles. She tends to foreground intention and meaning over technical instruction, which means her books work as much as lifestyle reading as practical reference. The tone is consistent whether she's describing a pot of soup or a living room layout: grounded, unhurried, and domestic in a deliberate way.
- Books we've reviewed
- We've reviewed three books by Joanna Gaines on LuvemBooks. Magnolia Table, Volume 2 is her second cookbook, focused on everyday family meals and rated 4.9/5 by Amazon readers. Magnolia Table, her first cookbook co-written with Marah Stets, ties recipes to specific occasions and memories, rated 4.8/5. Homebody is her home design guide, rated 4.8/5, offering practical guidance on creating spaces built around how you actually live rather than how spaces are supposed to look.
- How do her books compare?
- The two Magnolia Table volumes are closely related in format and tone but differ in focus: the first is more occasion-driven, with recipes anchored to gatherings and holidays, while the second leans toward simpler, more everyday cooking. Homebody is the outlier — it shares her voice and domestic philosophy but is a home design book rather than a cookbook, making it the right pick if your interest is in interiors rather than food. All three reward the same reader: someone who wants practical content delivered with genuine personal context.
- What genre do they write?
- Joanna Gaines writes primarily in two genres: Cooking & Food, represented by her two Magnolia Table cookbooks, and Home & Garden, represented by Homebody. Both sit within the broader lifestyle category and share a domestic focus — her work is about how people eat, live, and build homes together rather than any single narrow subject. She has also written memoir (The Magnolia Story, not yet reviewed here) and children's books.
- What should I read after Magnolia Table?
- After Magnolia Table, the most natural next step is Magnolia Table, Volume 2 — it continues in the same spirit but with a slightly more relaxed, everyday focus that many readers find even more useful for regular cooking. If you want to branch into a different subject while staying with Gaines's voice, Homebody offers the same personal, home-centered approach applied to interior design rather than food.
Who is Joanna Gaines?
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Magnolia Table, Volume 2: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines
4.9/5
Magnolia Table, Volume 2 is an instant #1 New York Times bestselling cookbook from Joanna Gaines that delivers 145 new recipes spanning breakfast through dinner, breads, soups, and sides — drawn from her family home, the Magnolia Table restaurant, Silos Baking Co., and the Magnolia Press coffee shop in Waco, Texas.
Reviewed Jul 17, 2026
Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave by Joanna Gaines
4.8/5
Homebody is Joanna Gaines's comprehensive interior design guide, structured room by room to help readers identify their personal style, solve common decorating problems, and create homes that feel genuinely their own — an instant #1 New York Times bestseller upon its November release from Harper Design.
Reviewed Mar 26, 2026
Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines, Marah Stets
4.8/5
Magnolia Table is a #1 New York Times bestselling cookbook by Joanna Gaines and Marah Stets, published by William Morrow Cookbooks in April 2018, collecting 125 recipes drawn from Gaines family favorites, American comfort food classics, and dishes inspired by the Gaineses' Waco restaurant — framed throughout with personal stories and photographs.
Reviewed Mar 24, 2026
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