The Well-Read Life was just the encouragement I needed to begin reading deeper. I read a lot but nothing too serious and I'm in the mood to start reading some classics that I missed when I was younger. This was definitely the push I need to start reading bigger books that will stretch me even if it's just 20 minutes a day.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 13 September 2024

A book about prioritising reading over other things in life that aren't really as important as we make out. Written from a Catholic perspective you can take or leave aspects of the theology but on the whole the principle is a good one. Making time for reading at the expense of other lesser activities can pay enormous dividends in our lives.

Read more deeply

While this book is written from a Christian perspective the ideas it contains about developing our reading skills are interesting and useful. The book focusses on what we tend to think if as ‘the classics’, how much we can gain from reading them and especially by making the most of the time invested by reading them consciously and allowing the words to sink in and work their magic.

I found a lot of food for thought about what to read and how to get more from reading which made the book well worth reading.

I was given this book from the author via netgalley only for the pleasure of reading and leaving an honest review should I choose to.

While we disagree on some theological principals, I really found this book to be encouraging, thought provoking, inspiring, and helpful when addressing reading. I also disagreed on some of their positions on reading, but I still found it an enjoyable expediting to help me examine what I read. Some things felt like common sense but others did make me stop and think. This isn’t going to be a profound experience in my opinion, but for someone wanted an approachable guide to reading I would recommend this title.

I have long been a fan of Marcie Stockman and Well-Read Mom and their amazing book suggestions! Just like their book suggestions, this book is a book that is not to be missed! In this book, Marcie and Colleen beautifully explain the benefits that deep reading have upon not only the intellectual life of a person but upon their spiritual life and indeed upon the whole of their sphere of influence.

Reading this book was like taking a retreat and remembering why I read. I loved being reminded that reading is indeed good for my soul. The time that I take to read is not time wasted or taken from my family but a gift to the world around me as I become a better citizen of the world!

I highly suggest this book to every reader who wants to become a better reader and who wants to remember just why they love reading in the first place.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press for a copy of this book!

(3.75 rounded up to 4) When life gets busy, reading tends to be one of the first things people give up. 'Well-Read Mom' founders Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt discuss the importance of reading and why it should be among our top priorities. What's more, they discuss the impact of taking the time to read a good book (namely literature) and the impact it can have on your life as a Catholic.

I was excited to see a book like this as I don't often hear people discussing the correlation between reading (fiction) and spirituality. Although as I read on it became evident that I'm not entirely the target reader (the book being geared toward busy mothers whereas I'm a single/childless twenty-something), I still feel like I gained insight. There are also some great resources here such as reading journal prompts and scattered book recommendations.

While there was a lot I liked about the book, I did find myself struggling through the last quarter of it. It began to feel more like an advertisement for 'Well-Read Mom' book clubs than a reading guide. I'll also say that the audience feels too limited, not only in demographic, but also the scope of books and types of readers. The goal of this book is to encourage people to take time and read thoughtfully, but at times dismisses mediums apart from physical editions of books.

Thanks to Ave Maria Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free digital ARC of the book!

This book has a good premise but it needed more editing before being released as an ARC. There were several errors I spotted (even a name spelled differently between 2 back to back pages) and the sentence flow was very choppy.

Additionally, I had trouble telling in which places it was an author speaking--and which one, or if it was a testimonial. The latter felt like advertising.

If you're interested in learning about the history of reading and bringing God into you reading lifestyle, this guide could be a helpful friend and guide for you. I was expecting to see more book recommendations and stories, but it was still a good read.

The book was ok and too much revisions and marks on the pages left me unfocused on the book. I couldn’t read half of the book because of all of the markings.

Thank you to Marcie and Colleen for writing a book with so much wisdom concerning the ability to make time for reading. While I'm in a time in my life that I don't have to 'make' time to read, there was a time when I was younger raising my children that I had to carve out that time. I think this book is full of fabulous information for younger mothers desiring that time to read. As well as even though I do have time to read some of their suggestions on journaling was wonderful and I am putting them to great use.

Whole heartedly recommend to readers of all ages!

Thank you to NetGalley, Marcie Stokman, Colleen Hutt and Ave Maria Press for allowing me this arc version in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had an incredibly difficult experience reading this book because of the formation of the ARC. it did not show up well when sent to kindle, and even in the Netgalley app it was small and hard to read.

I enjoyed the content and think this will probably be great once published and in a traditional reading form, but the arc really changed me enjoyment of the content!

The authors of this book started a nation-wide book club in order to promote reading and book discussion. This book is basically a treaty on why reading is important. This wasn't super deep but still a nice book about the importance of literature and of using reading as a social exercise.

The Well-Read Life was thought provoking and gave me ideas to incorporate into my own reading life. The main focus is to encourage us to read with intent and expect deeper meaning and connections. The authors made me want to select and read some books more intentionally with a higher expectation. In addition to learning about the world and growing in empathy they also draw out connections to our reading and faith. While there were a few pages dedicated to trivial basics like “how to find time to read” with well-worn ideas like “set aside at least a small time every day” the majority of the book was intriguing and engaging (for example, the section on restorative leisure was interesting and more broadly useful). If you enjoy reading about reading and thinking about reading, you will love this book and fly through then probably go back and savor all or parts of it again more slowly. One note, the authors lead a national book club called Well Read Mom and it did feel like a book written for a female audience though that might not be obvious from the title. Also, the authors are writing this from a Catholic perspective but I didn’t feel any it caused me any particular discomfort with my Protestant background and beliefs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Ave Maria Press, for making this book available to me to review. This book is expected out on September 13, 2024.

The premise of this book is that our Western culture is moving further and further away from having the gift of reading well. This move toward technology and “sound bite” reading is not helpful and causing us to miss it on a lot of beauty.

I’d say the authors prove their point well. There are a lot of references to classic literature which is fun!

My only complaint is that this book has one of mg bookish pet peeves- testimonials, For some reason I strongly dislike it when non-fiction books include stories from outside sources in each chapter. It feels like a desperate reach to fill space.. sorry, I just don’t really care what Sophia’s experience was reading Jane Eyre.. I don’t even know what color hair she has.

I’m not sure I can recommend this one. Seems like it only had enough content to fill a blog post. Maybe if someone really needed convincing that reading is worth their time.. but they’d have to read this book to be convinced which seems a little odd to me.

The Well-Read Life by Stokman and Hutt, outlines many of the wonderful reasons that reading can become a practice that brings renewal, comfort and blessing. You don't have to be a world class scholar to reap the benefits of being well read. Small amounts of time and intentionality in our reading life can become sources of inspiration and assist us on our journey. The Well-Read Life starts by outlining how reading in our society has changed, especially with the advent of cell phones. The authors include practical ideas of how to set aside time, contemplate literature, and includes several book recommendations. Even though reading is a solitary practice, Stokman and Hutt explain how book discussion groups enable community, a sense of belonging, and sources of empathy for understanding others who may be very different from us. The tone of the authors is gentle in their suggestions and justifications, they have created a wonderful resource for anyone seeking a practice that benefits us in a variety of ways. Thank you to Ave Maria Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

This book is all about the importance of living a well read life, with helpful advice to encourage to get you started. I really enjoyed the parts on the importance of journaling and the prompts that were included. There was also lots of great quotes, references and lessons learned from some great classic literature. Definitely inspired me to read a little deeper.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book provided a comprehensive overview of why reading is important from a Catholic perspective, and how to go about it fruitfully. It validated taking time out to read and assuaged the guilt I sometimes have from reading when I should be tackling my long to-do list instead.

The authors emphasised the importance of liberal arts and how the liberal arts are being replaced with utility, and equated this to an overemphasis on learning ‘facts’. I could be mistaken, but this seemed like a dig at the sciences. As a science enthusiast, I would have liked the authors to have, even briefly, mentioned that science does have a place in the liberal arts, that the transcendentals (truth, goodness, beauty) can be found in the sciences, and that studying science can instil a sense of wonder and awe at God’s creation. As this is not entirely relevant to the topic of the book, I can understand why this was not included, but I still felt a little disillusioned reading this section.

I really enjoyed reading and got a lot out of the chapter on restorative leisure. However, I think that some practical examples and non-examples of restorative leisure practices would have made this chapter even more valuable.

Statements such as this one were another minor gripe: “On the other hand, women who read well often benefit from being able to communicate more effectively…” I’m sure it’s not women only! I thought this would be a book intended for everyone, women and men included, but reading it I realised it’s actually mainly for and about women, especially mothers. I think it would be good to mention this in the blurb or on the cover. This could save people considering buying this for their book-nerd male friend or family member from some embarrassment.

Multiple pages were used to advertise the Between the Lines journal or Well-Read Mom group which is only in the US, so not relevant to readers like myself. I think this page space would have been better utilised to further elaborate on the points suggested above.

Despite this, this book was full of pearls of wisdom. Here are some of my favourites:
- “Anne’s [from Anne of Green Gables] joie de vivre had infected me, and my natural tendencies gave way. Beauty became something that simply needed to be shared and delighted in.”
- “ “Mr Berry [Wendell Berry, author of Hannah Coulter], do you ever find it hard to live in such a small town?” He thought for just a moment and said, “Well, I reckon if I can’t find what I’m looking for here, I don’t suspect I’ll be able to find it anywhere, now will I?” I have returned to that answer many times when I feel the need to be entertained, or am tempted to waste time meaninglessly.”
- “According to Pieper, time spent reading works of literature is not a luxury to indulge in after all our work is done but an essential starting point for human flourishing.”
- “Prioritizing the accomplishment of tasks instead of connecting, lingering at the table, and remembering that the people placed in our midst are mysteries to be enjoyed.”
- “leisure is not interchangeable with entertainment or amusement, as I had naively assumed.”
- “we must banish guilt from our experience of leisure.”
- “Reading a novel is not a race … What matters most is not how many books you get through but experiencing the delight of a book getting through to you.”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Ave Maria Press, for making this book available to me to review.

The Well-Read Life is Catholic nonfiction that extols reading deeply and communally as a sacred practice. Not only does it expound upon the benefits of adopting this type of reading life, it also gives plenty of actionable steps for those looking to implement more meaningful reading into their days. I learned a lot, especially in the early chapters of the book. I learned what liberal arts actually means, and where the term “trivium” came from. While the more practical back half of the book felt a bit redundant and slightly repetitive to me, I can see this being such a useful book to those looking to grow as a reader and add an element of community to their reading lives.

The idea for The Well-Read Life sprang from the creation of Well-Read Mom, a book club first founded in 2012 and has since expanded to over 1,000 groups across the U.S. and several other countries. I would have actually loved a bit more of the organization’s story, and some more testimonials, woven into this book. The Well-Read Life is fairly short, but it does contain a handful of such stories scattered throughout the text, in a subsection called “Stories of a Well-Read Life.” This was my favorite element of the book. I loved seeing how such intentional reading impacted individual lives. These additions were interesting and relatable, and served to break up the more analytical bulk of the book. I wish there had been some kind of booklist included as an appendix, perhaps of those books Well-Read Mom has loved most over the years, but that’s just a personal desire.

I’ve always been a hungry student and have never shied away from homework, but the action steps and questions to ponder at the end of each chapter felt very much like an assignment. The tone was a bit demanding, and could even be taken as the tiniest bit condescending in places. However, I likely felt this way because many of these were things I already implement in my own reading life, so I treated this more as reinforcement. But for those looking to grow their reading lives, I think this is a book that could almost be treated similar to devotional reading, imbibed slowly while journalling answers to the questions presented as “action steps.” It’s an especially useful tool for those looking to become “better readers.” There are tips on retention, on growing your focus, on reading intentionally and for quality instead of quantity. And there’s great emphasis placed on reading in community, and how doing so enriches the reading life.

There’s a lot to get out of The Well-Read Life, and I can see it becoming an often revisited resource for many readers. It’s a very Catholic work, which might not sit well with some Protestant readers, but I found it refreshing and thought-provoking to see how reading can be treated as a sacred practice, something not often done in the Protestant world outside of the reading of actual Scripture. There are aspects of this book that I’ll be thinking about and sharing with others for quite some time to come.

Side note about the digital ARC I received via NetGalley: This was a PDF file instead of an epub, and I felt that on every page. The formatting was atrocious. This is the most difficult time I’ve ever had reading a review copy, and I’ve read some doozies. It’s a testament to my appreciation for the text that I actually finished reading this.

Since I'm starting a book club soon at my church I decided to pick this one up to read through and review. This one is definitely from a Catholic perspective but as a non-Catholic Christian woman I found a lot of good information and encouragement in this book. It is a book written by women geared towards women.

I really liked the quotes from famous individuals such as C.S. Lewis and Pope John Paul II that were disbursed throughout the book. They reinforced some of the ideas that the authors presented. I liked how the authors laid out each chapter and had questions to ask yourself at the end of the chapter to encourage thought about the ideas presented in the chapter. This book definitely reinforced the idea that bringing women together around books can encourage great conversations and develop strong relationships. I also liked how they reinforced the idea that not all books need to be finished to participate in their book discussions and gave tips to women looking to get back into reading.

There is a lot of great literature out there, even modern Christian fiction which brings real life challenges and applications to our lives, but the authors focused on novels that are considered great fiction reads such a "Dante's Inferno", "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "Don Quixote" which are excellent books but I would also have liked to see encouragement on reading some of the more recently published works that are out there. This was my one negative thought on the book but it's a big one because being well read doesn't always pull from a list of traditionally great novels - there are so many great books out there in general and I had hoped to see Christian fiction mentioned since this is a Catholic/Christian group of women reading books. I agree that these great works of fiction can allow anyone to grow and examine themselves, but as an avid Christian fiction reader I had hoped to see encouragement to read those books mentioned.

Overall this book is a great resource to encourage women to read more and gave me ideas to start my own book club with a few friends from church. I recommend this as a resource to encourage anyone, particularly women to read more. It gives a lot of good tips for reading and how to carve out time to read and retain what's being read.

Thank you to Ave Maria Press for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinion expressed are my own.

The Well-Read Life: Nourish Your Soul through Deep Reading and Intentional Friendship by Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt is a book that provides helpful information on the importance of reading well. Which I find to be of importance, so I am glad the ladies wrote a book about it! The authors run an online and in-person national book club. This is a book that not only shares the benefits of reading but also steps in how to read deeply. This book was an enjoyable read for me, as I agreed with all they were saying about our culture today and what is happening to our minds because of the internet and lack of deep reading (ability to comprehend and focus). The authors provided some great questions to ponder on throughout the book and action steps at the end of each chapter, which were helpful for me to take my reading deeper.

So if you have been lacking in reading books or are in a slump, this book will be an encouraging help to get you back to reading. I loved that the authors shared some of their favorite books throughout, along with why and what they have learned through the books they have read. However, it made my to be read book pile bigger, but I won’t complain. I am always on the hunt for the next good book to read!

Here are some of my highlights:

Something’s been missing in my life. I want more than shallow surfing, enticing influencers, and an endless to-do list.
You deserve to become well-read, not only for your own growth and happiness but for your children, your family, and for society. Technology is changing our society’s very definition of what it means to be read.
We read deeply not for information but for transformation and wisdom. Strengthen your mind. Enrich your soul.
Reading great and worthy books is one way to feed our mins and souls with goodness, truth, and beauty.
We begin to assume that scrolling headlines, scanning news bits, and tapping screens is reading 0 and it is. But it is not reading for meaning.
The capacity of books to spark a fire in us, to move us to action and bolster courage, was confirmed once again.
Today, we are outsourcing our thinking to pundits and not taking the time to fill our souls with texts necessary for human flourishing.
Literature shows us that a particular person who lived in a different moment of history, who had different religious beliefs or a different family structure, can nonetheless share something in common with contemporary people living today.
Reading and discussing literature together can be a simple yet powerful way to build social connections that are necessary for spiritual growth, good mental health, and personal happiness.

One thing to note, they are Catholic, so you will come across some Catholic references, but that didn’t affect me and what I have learned from this book. Also, it doesn’t release until September 13th, but that will be here before you know it. I do recommend this book to all book lovers or want to be book lovers, so go put it on your list!!