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4.9
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Magnolia Table, Volume 2 by Joanna Gaines Review: A Generous, Gathering-Centered Sequel
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.
Tap to enlargeLuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Home cooks and Magnolia fans who want a large, reliable collection of comfort-food and American home-cooking recipes — spanning breakfast through dinner — built around the philosophy of gathering family and guests around the table.
Worth it if
You connected with the first Magnolia Table volume, want 145 new recipes drawn from both Gaines's home kitchen and her real-world Waco restaurants and bakery, and appreciate hosting guidance (table setting, menu planning) alongside the recipes themselves.
Skip if
If you're seeking adventurous, globally diverse, or technique-forward cooking, the book's deliberately warm, accessible, comfort-food register is unlikely to stretch you in the direction you want.
What readers & critics say
Publishers Weekly called it a "solid, breezy sophomore outing" and predicted it a surefire bestseller given Gaines's large fanbase (publishersweekly.com). The Cooking World echoed that assessment, describing Volume 2 as "a fantastic cookbook dedicated to home cooking" in keeping with the spirit of the first volume (thecookingworld.com).
“A solid, breezy sophomore outing — fans will be [delighted].”
— Publishers Weekly4.9from 28,822 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and Where It Comes From
- What the Book Contains
- Reception and Reliability
- Strengths Worth Noting
- Who This Book Is For — and Where It May Fall Short
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Debuted as an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, reflecting wide readership and strong reception
- 145 new recipes spanning the full day — breakfast, breads, soups, sides, and dinner — from four distinct real-world sources
- Recipes sourced from the Magnolia Table restaurant, Silos Baking Co., and Magnolia Press give the collection a professionally tested character
- Includes hosting tips covering table setting and menu planning, extending the book's usefulness beyond individual recipes
- A nine-year tester of Gaines's recipes describes the series as delivering consistent, reliable, well-balanced dishes
What Doesn't
- The gathering-centred, comfort-food focus means cooks seeking adventurous or globally diverse technique will find limited range
- Cook times are identified by independent testers as the element most likely to require the cook's own judgement and adjustment
This review assesses Magnolia Table, Volume 2 based on its content, organisation, and published reception — not a kitchen test.
What the Book Is and Where It Comes From
Magnolia Table, Volume 2 is a cookbook published by William Morrow Cookbooks in April 2020, written by Joanna Gaines — co-founder of Magnolia, editor-in-chief of Magnolia Journal, and co-owner of Magnolia Network. It is the second volume in a three-book series, following the original Magnolia Table, which was itself a #1 New York Times bestseller. The sequel arrived with notable momentum: it debuted as an instant #1 New York Times bestseller in its own right. The book's origin story is part of its design: after watching her family's recipes find their way onto other families' tables, Gaines returned to the kitchen to push beyond her comfort zone and develop an entirely new collection of dishes for families to gather around.
“consistent, reliable dishes (particularly baked goods) that are well-balanced and tasty”
A recipe spread featuring a creamy soup with garnishes, ingredient list, and cooking instructions.
What the Book Contains
The volume offers 145 recipes sourced from four distinct venues: Gaines's personal family kitchen (shared with husband Chip and their five children), the Magnolia Table restaurant, Silos Baking Co., and Magnolia Press, the couple's coffee shop — all based in Waco, Texas. The recipes span the full arc of the day and the table: breakfast, breads, soups, sides, and dinner. The publisher also notes that the book includes tips and guidance for hosting — covering topics such as table setting and menu planning — making it useful not only as a recipe resource but as a reference for those who want to think through the full shape of a gathering. The scope is deliberately broad, designed to serve both everyday family meals and more deliberate entertaining occasions.
A recipe spread featuring a plated bread dish with ingredient list and cooking instructions.
Reception and Reliability
The book's commercial reception was immediate and strong, reaching #1 on the New York Times bestseller list upon release. On the question of recipe reliability — the core concern for any cookbook buyer — one writer who has tested Gaines's recipes across nine years of her work notes that the Magnolia Table series has produced "consistent, reliable dishes (particularly baked goods) that are well-balanced and tasty," flagging cook times as the area most likely to require attention but reporting no significant problems even there. That kind of sustained, cross-series track record is meaningful context for Volume 2, which draws from the same culinary sources and approach. The magnolia.com description further positions the collection as accessible to cooks at varying experience levels, from beginners to the more seasoned.
Recipe spread featuring a plated breakfast dish with ingredient list and instructions for preparation.
Strengths Worth Noting
The recipe range is one of the book's clearest structural strengths: 145 dishes drawn from professional restaurant and bakery settings as well as a home kitchen gives the collection unusual variety and a tested-in-public-life character. The multi-venue sourcing also means that readers get a cross-section of what Gaines and her team actually serve — not a purely aspirational set of recipes designed for the page. The inclusion of hosting guidance (table setting, menu planning) adds organisational value for readers who want to plan meals as events rather than simply cook individual dishes. The cookbook is written in English and published in an illustrated hardcover edition, with photography described by the publisher as a central feature.
A recipe spread featuring a plated casserole dish with green beans and garnish, alongside ingredient list and cooking instructions.
Who This Book Is For — and Where It May Fall Short
Readers who connected with the first Magnolia Table volume and want a continuation of that approach will find Volume 2 a natural fit: it shares the same gathering-centred philosophy and extends the recipe pool without repeating the original. Those drawn to the Magnolia brand's domestic, family-first aesthetic — or fans of Gaines's television work — are the book's clearest audience. That said, cooks looking for adventurous or globally influenced technique may find the collection stays within a comfort-food and American home-cooking register; the book's stated mission is warmth and accessibility rather than culinary experimentation. Additionally, while the publisher and Gaines's own platform describe cook times as generally reliable, independent testers note that timing is the most variable element, so first-time cooks with a particular dish should remain attentive there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Magnolia Table, Volume 2 worth buying at $18.66?
The review positions the book as strong value for its intended audience, offering 145 recipes drawn from four distinct real-world venues alongside hosting guidance covering table setting and menu planning. At $18.66, readers get a hardcover illustrated edition with a cross-section of recipes that have a tested-in-public-life character, rather than a purely aspirational collection designed for the page. The clearest caveat is that cooks seeking adventurous or globally influenced technique may find less to justify the purchase.
Who is the target audience for Magnolia Table, Volume 2?
The review identifies three clear groups: readers who connected with the first Magnolia Table volume and want a continuation of that gathering-centred philosophy, those drawn to the Magnolia brand's domestic and family-first aesthetic, and fans of Joanna Gaines's television work. The publisher also describes the collection as accessible to cooks at varying experience levels, from beginners to the more seasoned, broadening its practical reach.
What is the central theme of Magnolia Table, Volume 2?
The book's organising idea is gathering — bringing families and communities together around food. Gaines returned to the kitchen specifically to develop an entirely new collection of dishes for families to gather around, and the review notes that the scope is deliberately broad, designed to serve both everyday family meals and more deliberate entertaining occasions. Warmth and accessibility, rather than culinary experimentation, are the stated mission.
How many recipes are in the book and what do they cover?
The volume contains 145 recipes spanning the full arc of the day and the table, including breakfast, breads, soups, sides, and dinner. The recipes are sourced from four venues: Gaines's personal family kitchen, the Magnolia Table restaurant, Silos Baking Co., and Magnolia Press coffee shop, all based in Waco, Texas. That multi-venue sourcing gives the collection unusual variety compared with a single-kitchen cookbook.
Where do the recipes in this book come from?
The review explains that the 145 recipes are drawn from four distinct real-world sources: Joanna Gaines's personal family kitchen shared with husband Chip and their five children, the Magnolia Table restaurant, Silos Baking Co., and Magnolia Press coffee shop. All four venues are based in Waco, Texas, and the multi-venue sourcing means readers get dishes that have been served in professional settings as well as at home.
Are the recipes in Magnolia Table, Volume 2 reliable?
The review draws on a meaningful data point: one writer who has tested Gaines's recipes across nine years of her work reports that the Magnolia Table series produces consistent, reliable dishes — particularly baked goods — that are well-balanced and tasty. Cook times are flagged as the area most likely to require attention, but no significant problems are reported even there, making the track record a reassuring signal for Volume 2 buyers.
Are cook times accurate in this cookbook?
The review notes that cook times are the element most likely to vary, based on independent testing of Gaines's recipes over nine years. However, the same tester reports no significant problems even in that area, and the publisher and Gaines's own platform describe cook times as generally reliable. First-time cooks attempting a particular dish are advised to remain attentive to timing rather than follow it mechanically.
Does the book include anything beyond recipes?
Yes — the review highlights that the book includes tips and guidance for hosting, specifically covering table setting and menu planning. This makes it useful not only as a recipe resource but as a reference for readers who want to think through the full shape of a gathering. That organisational layer adds value for anyone planning meals as events rather than simply cooking individual dishes.
Is Magnolia Table, Volume 2 good for beginner cooks?
The review notes that the publisher positions the collection as accessible to cooks at varying experience levels, from beginners to the more seasoned. The book's stated mission is warmth and accessibility rather than culinary experimentation, which reinforces its suitability for less experienced cooks. The one practical note is that first-time cooks should stay attentive to cook times, which are the most variable element across Gaines's recipes.
How does Volume 2 compare to the original Magnolia Table?
The review describes Volume 2 as a natural continuation rather than a departure: it shares the same gathering-centred philosophy as the first book and extends the recipe pool without repeating the original. The first Magnolia Table was a number-one New York Times bestseller, and Volume 2 debuted as an instant number-one New York Times bestseller in its own right, suggesting the sequel matched the original's commercial momentum. Readers who connected with the first volume are identified as the clearest fit for the second.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- 2
lifebetweenweekends.com
- 3
publishersweekly.com
- Further reading
- 4
Joanna Gaines, Wikipedia
- 5
magnolia.com
- 6
thecookingworld.com
- 7
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