We’re highlighting a few of our favorite pie recipes  Pies are definitely worth celebrating, so today, we’re highlighting a few of our favorite pie recipes. So, if you’re looking for a new recipe or a tried-and-true favorite, we’ve got a few suggestions for you!  Chocolate Chip Pie This pie is like a warm chocolate chip cookie in a crust. What’s not to like? It’s also super simple to make, especially if you use a store-bought pie shell. You simple mix together the ingredients

Three audiobooks to add to your playlist Listening to a book is a different experience than physically reading one, but sometimes audiobooks add to the experience, giving you encounter the characters and narrative in a different way than you would if you were just reading it on the page. If you’re looking for a few literary listens to liven up your digital library, here are a few we’d encourage you to give a listen!  The Correspondent Virginia Evans With 10 weeks on top of th

Cookbook Chronicles is an on-going series at The Bookery. Over the course of the next year, we’re exploring The Pioneer Woman’s (Ree Drummond) latest cookbook, The Essential Recipes , cooking one recipe a month and sharing our thoughts.  Ree Drummond released her latest cookbook late last year, so it seemed like a no-brainer for our 2026 Cookbook Chronicles pick. In The Essential Recipes, Ree goes back to many of the tried-and-true recipes she’s shared over the years, offerin

A 2025 bestseller that’s worth the hype At the end of 2025, Virginia Evans’ debut novel, The Correspondent , seemed to be everywhere. I saw it at the bookstore while Christmas shopping and found it listed among must-reads and best-seller lists as I started planning my 2026 reading list.  So, in preparation for my four-hour drive to visit family at Christmas, I cashed in an Audible credit on the audiobook version. It was one of my better life decisions.  The Correspondent  isn

This winter, explore a few lesser known works by some of your favorite authors Ready to explore some new reads? Bestseller lists and Goodreads recommendations have a lot to offer, but maybe now’s a good time to check out a few books from your favorite authors — that you’ve never heard of.  Add these little-known books by well-known authors to your 2026 reading list .  Big fan of Kristin Hannah? Known for her historical fiction, Hannah is a perennial favorite on the bestseller

Hope in Scripture is based in God’s character rather than our circumstances More often than I’d like to admit, I discover that I’ve put my hope in something can’t sustain it.  A few years ago, I was looking for a new job, and, during my search, a job that seemed tailor-made for me popped to the top of my LinkedIn search. I was excited and quickly pulled together a customized cover letter and resume that highlighted my most pertinent experience and applied. In a couple of week

Stuck in a reading rut? Take a chance on a book outside your usual genre. We all have our favorite go-to book genres, from classics and historical fiction to biographies and bestsellers. It’s easy to get in a bit of reading rut — and, once you know what you like — difficult to branch out into unknown genres and authors you’ve never heard of.  But at the same time, trying something new, especially when it comes to your reading list, can be incredibly rewarding. So, if you’re l

Explore a few new recipes to spice up your morning A new year is an invitation to try new things, and that extends to new recipes. Looking for ideas of how to liven up your breakfast routine or simply exploring new recipes? We’ve got a few for you to try.  Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats With the current emphasis on eating more protein, overnight oat recipes are everywhere — and some of them just taste bad (in our opinion). Overnight oats can be a fantastic option for startin

The Bookery founder invites us to embrace 2026 with a sense of adventure with our Winter 2026 theme, Explore. During the week after Christmas each year, I usually start thinking about goals for the next year. Not really resolutions, per se, but a few thoughts about who I want to be, things I’d like to do and ideas for how to make those things a reality.  Some of them are practical, like getting some financial things in order. Others are personal, such as reading through the B

It's the last day of the year, and I've been reflecting on the year — what I'm most proud of, things that happened, lessons I learned, and, of course, all the books I read. I set a goal to read 50 books in 2025, and I fell about 20 short. Even so, there were some clear favorites from my 2025 reading adventure, ranging from new releases to old favorites. The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World Hannah Brencher The topic of our first-ev

It's no secret that we love books around The Bookery—and we're already looking forward to the adventures we'll dive into next year. So as we count down the hours until a new, fresh year, here are a few tips to help you build your yearly reading list. Set some goals. Truth: You probably won't complete anything if you don't set a goal. Whether it's a time-focused goal (EX: I want to finish 2 books a month next year) or quantity-centered (EX: I want to read 20 books), actually

Today, take a few moments to ponder the truths you’ve encountered or phrases you’ve meditated on throughout this Advent reading plan. Journal your prayerful response, reflecting on what God has revealed to you through his Word during this Advent season.   Before the world began, God was already unfolding his plan of salvation.  To recognize the power of light, we have to first acknowledge the reality of darkness.  To experience true freedom, we must first acknowledge we’re en

Read Revelation 21:1-4  and 22:1-5 .  Ponder Revelation 21:1-4 and 22:1-5 Jesus didn’t just come to save us for the here and now. He came to save us for eternity and today’s readings help us to look forward to what eternity will be like.  As you read today’s verses, how do they help you to better understand the idea of being found and what it means for us in eternity?  Because of what Jesus has done, we have an eternal home with God. We are no longer aimlessly wandering throu

Read Galatians 4:4-7 .   Ponder Galatians 4:4-7 One of the primary analogies of salvation in Scripture is the idea of lost and found. How do these verses help you better understand that analogy?  The lost son of Luke 15 wanted to come back to his father as a slave, but he was restored as a son. How is that truth echoed in today’s passage?  Jesus didn’t just come into the world to tell us that we were hopeless sinners. He came so that we could live as children of the One True

Read Luke 2:1-38 .  Ponder Luke 2:1-38 What do you think this passage about Jesus’ birth has to do with the idea of being lost and found?  In Luke 2, God’s rescue plan took on flesh and entered into the story of the world. How is this also an example of God entering into your story of salvation?  Look at the angels message to the shepherds in Luke 2:10-12. How is Jesus’ birth good news to the whole world? Why is it good news to you?  Consider Simeon’s response to seeing Jesus

Read Luke 15:11-32 .   Ponder Luke 15:11-32 What imagery or situations in this parable help you better understand what it means to be lost?  Skim over verses 11-16. When in your life have you lived like the lost son, looking for fulfillment, worth and meaning in the wrong things?  Have you ever experienced a “come-to-your-senses” moment like the lost son in verse 17 when you recognized how much you needed Jesus? What was that like? What did it teach you about yourself? About

Read Luke 15:1-10 .   Ponder Luke 15:1-10 Where do you see imagery of lost and found in this passage?  Look over verses 1-7, which depict a shepherd seeking out one lost sheep. What does that reveal about God’s attitude toward the lost?  Reflect on your own story of salvation. When you look back now, what are some of the ways you can see God was seeking you and drawing you to Himself by his Spirit?  Consider verses 8-10. What does this passage teach you about your value to Go

Before we even recognized we were lost, God was enacting his rescue plan. One time many years ago, I traveled to New Mexico for work. I was staying at a conference center right outside of Santa Fe — and just outside my backdoor was a walking trail into the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Wanting to see a little of the countryside, I set off on the trail — by myself, wearing sandals and entirely unprepared for more than a leisurely walk.  I wasn’t long into my hik

Today, ponder the following phrases from the meditations you’ve read this week. Journal your prayerful response, reflecting on what God has revealed to you through his Word during this first week of Advent.  The reality is that sin enslaves, and there’s no way we can rescue ourselves from its chains on our own. True freedom only comes from the One True God, and he is still releasing captives today. Chains can be broken, and slaves to sin can be set free. And the Savior of Isa

Read Romans 8:1-11 .  Ponder Romans 8:1-11 What does this passage teach you about slavery or freedom? Jot down a few ideas.  As you read these verses, what do they say frees us from sin? What doesn’t?  Why is it important to recognize that only Jesus can set us free from sin?  Note verse 4, which reads “God did what the law could not do” in the New Living Translation. What does that help you understand about earning God’s favor or salvation through your own strength, power or