There’s a reason every parent’s go-to holiday gift is socks.  

As a child, it can be dreadful to receive another pair of socks instead of those light-up sneakers that every “cool kid” seems to be wearing. But as an adult, it’s one of the best gifts to know that you can finally discard those mismatched, holey socks that someone gave to you last year.  

But what happens to all those missing socks that have been gifted year after year?  

North Idaho author Krista Bradley has a theory behind those forgotten socks that linger in our memory — a doorway that pulls them into Sockland, a magical world beyond the dryer.  

Crafted with colorful illustrations and an inward journey of finding oneself, Bradley’s new book, “Sockland, the journey beyond the dryer,” answers the age-old question of where our missing socks go.  

“I’ve always had a crazy imagination, and always wrote short stories,” Bradley said. “My favorite thing to do is take inanimate objects and bring them to life, giving them human emotions.”  

Bradley has been a writer for many years before earning her newly established author title. It wasn’t that she lacked confidence to author a book, said Bradley, but more that she was uncertain about how to publish one.  

When a student of hers shared the ease of publishing with Barnes & Noble Press, Bradley went for it. An empty nester, Bradley described her new book as an opportunity to start a new adventure.  

“The inspiration of the book is just the curiosity of what happens to our socks in the dryer. But it’s also more of a self-journey,” Bradley said. “Whether it's the start of a new journey with a new family, or an end of a journey, there’s just so many stages of our lives.”  

Beneath the playful premise of Crew’s adventures, a crew sock who is determined to find his lost mate, the story explores themes of courage, change and learning to move forward when life doesn’t go as planned. 

The three-part, 44-page book is tailored for beginner-level readers, allowing them to read it in its entirety or to stop and take breaks as needed.  

“I just want people to have fun while they read it, that’s my biggest thing," Bradley said. "This is meant to bring joy to people’s lives. We always need more joy in the world.  

Published Dec. 14, Sockland is on Amazon in print and Kindle format.

    Krista Bradley's book cover for Sockland