11 Books We Used the Most in 2015

Are any of your Storey favorites on this list?

With all the “best of” book lists that come out at year’s end, it’s hard not to think about Storey’s own catalog and how our favorite titles rank in comparison to all others. But because Storey books are designed to teach and inspire (and be used for many years to come), “best” feels less descriptive than “most frequently used” — and of course, many of us use the books we publish.

Here are the Storey books (new and old) we consulted the most in 2015.

1. Into the Nest, by Laura Erickson and Marie Read

“The photos in Into the Nest are a major draw, but mostly I kept going back for the stories of the different species’ nesting habits, and the reference section at the end.” — Deb Burns, Acquisitions Editor

“It’s beautiful and informational, and I love watching birds and learning about each one.” — Debbie Surdam, Production Manager

2. 250 Treasured Country Desserts, by Andrea Chesman and Fran Raboff

“I use 250 Treasured Country Desserts all the time. Whenever I’m craving a dessert, I know I can find a recipe in that book that I can make with the ingredients I already have on hand.” — Alee Moncy, Associate Director of Publicity

3. Pumpkin, by DeeDee Stovel

“But this is hard . . . there are so many good books! The cookbooks are my favorite, and one that I really like is Pumpkin. I’ve used a few of the recipes from this book the most.” — Tricia Denault, Sales Coordinator

4. Cast On, Bind Off, by Leslie Ann Bestor and Weekend by Edith Stovel and Pamela Wakefield

“It has to be a tie between Cast On, Bind Off and Weekend!” — Gwen Steege, Senior Acquisitions Editor

5. The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How, by Andrea Chesman

“This book is filled with great uses for my newly inherited sourdough starter.” — Ash Austin, Marketing Designer

6. Organic Body Care Recipes, by Stephanie Tourles

“I used Organic Body Care Recipes to make scented shower scrubs for my daughter’s bridal shower and for holiday hostess gifts.” — Lisa Hiley, Project Editor

7. Fermented Vegetables, by Kirsten K. and Christopher Shockey

“I can’t live without a few jars of curtido in the fridge these days, and I expanded my repertoire with kimchi, too.” — Deborah Balmuth, Publisher

8. Recipes from the Root Cellar, by Andrea Chesman

“Recipes from the Root Cellar is my go-to for winter vegetables; the maple-candied sweet potatoes (with bourbon!) have become a staple in my house.” — Michal Lumsden, Copywriter & Assistant to the Publisher

“I made several dishes from Recipes from the Root Cellar for Thanksgiving.” — Ilona Sherratt, Illustration Coordinator

9. Herbal Goddess, by Amy Jirsa

“It has herbs for beginners, and it includes everything — body care, medicinals, and FOOD!” — Sarah Armour, Associate Director of Marketing

10. Serving Up the Harvest, by Andrea Chesman

“I’m constantly using Serving Up the Harvest to look up roasting times for vegetables.” — Sarah Guare, Project Editor

11. Knit the Sky, by Lea Redmond

“I’ve always been a strict by-the-pattern knitter, so it must say something about the power of Lea Redmond’s imaginative book that this is the one I’ve turned to the most. (For the record, I’m still working on my Mood Ring Cowl.)” — Emily Spiegelman, Digital Features Editor

“It’s so dang pretty.” — Zoe Spring, Web Designer