Posts by Well-Read Mom

During the Year of the Teacher, I found that reading with my kids taught me even more than reading with my friends did. 

To cap off our Year of the Teacher, we feature a conversation between Marcie Stokman, Colleen Hutt, and Dale Ahlquist, president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton.

When I watched Janel, Marcie, and Nicole reveal the theme for the 2025-2026 reading year of Well-Read Mom on social media, I cried. The reaction surprised me; it felt almost overly dramatic. But as I sat and reflected on what teachers have meant to me, the deeply emotional response made sense.

Reflection on The Chosen (1981) Movie Night Written by Kathryn Skillett We gathered in the family room, with a huge bowl of popcorn on the table between us, my friends and I. What elements, we asked together before the movie began, were absolutely essential for the movie if we were to call it a successful…

My family loves taking road trips. My boys have grown up accustomed to the 700-mile drive from Kansas City (where we live) to Austin, Texas (where my husband is from) and so have become excellent travelers.

When We Discuss We Discover Written by Sophie Kolars In college while I was taking my required classes for my English minor, I vividly remember feeling so out of place among the other students. The professor would begin the class by pointing out important aspects of the book that we should know, but the rest…

As I wrestle with my inability to stay on top of everyday tasks, and as I try to prepare for the physical and mental demands of labor, I find myself struggling with the limitations of both my body and my love.

I will never forget that summer day out on the Chesapeake Bay. I was seeing a moment my father had been hoping for, maybe all his life.

One reason we read is to encounter human behavior as it actually is, to discern—through imagination—what we ought to do if placed in similar circumstances.

Why I Need Well-Read Mom Written By Marcie Stokman, Well-Read Mom Founder and President *Reprinted from Well-Read Mom’s Year of the Contemplative Reading Companion. (copyright 2018) Although it has been seven years since Year of the Contemplative and nine since our first Victor Hugo selection, it is wonderful to pause and reflect on the beauty…