SS#160 – We wrote a book!
The Scholé Sisters did a thing—we wrote a book! In this joyful and lively episode, Brandy, Mystie, and Abby pull back the curtain on the writing process, the vision behind the project, and what moms can expect when they pick up this new resource.
This isn’t just another book about books. It’s a call to pursue maturity, wisdom, and joyful responsibility through the life of the mind—without needing two hours of quiet per day or a sandwich delivered by a 1950s housewife.
We wrote this book for moms like us—moms in the trenches, forming culture and family life while trying to read widely, think deeply, and apply faithfully. And yes, we organized the whole book around that tagline. In this episode, you’ll hear how and why.
Get on the book waitlist and get the first chapter delivered instantly!
Keyword Intro
Today’s Hosts and Source
Brandy Vencel
Mystie Winckler
Abby Wahl
Scholé Every Day: What We’re Reading
We wrote this book because we love books, and we love helping moms think about reading not as escape or entertainment, but as growth and formation. This isn’t a book for homeschoolers or academics—it’s for moms in any season of life who want to grow in virtue and wisdom.
Recasting The Intellectual Life—for Moms
While inspired by The Intellectual Life by A.G. Sertillanges, our book takes a more realistic approach for modern moms. We skipped the part where you need two uninterrupted hours a day and someone to bring you sandwiches. Instead, we wrote about listening to audiobooks while folding laundry—and how that counts.
We wanted to preserve the vision of intellectual maturity without idealizing circumstances most moms simply don’t have. The book invites readers to reclaim small chunks of time, see reading as part of their vocation, and build habits that form the mind and the home.
Take Me-Time?
Culturally, moms tend to fall into two ditches when it comes to reading: either they feel guilty taking time to read at all, or they treat it as “me time” disconnected from their responsibilities. This book charts a third way: reading as a way of growing up—because your kids aren’t the only ones who need to mature.
The fruit of a mom’s reading isn’t isolated—it blesses the whole family. Whether it’s developing discernment, becoming a better conversationalist, or simply knowing more about the world God made, the reading life has a ripple effect. Our families need us to grow, too.
Help to start a book club!
If you’ve struggled to get a mom book club off the ground, this may be the best first book to choose. It addresses the common resistance to reading (“I don’t have time,” “That’s selfish,” “I’m too tired”) while also offering practical tools, encouragement, and vision.
We each contributed chapters that range from philosophical to practical, all under the framework of Read Widely, Think Deeply, Apply Faithfully. Readers will find personal stories, tips, and motivation to begin or deepen their reading lives—even in a noisy, distracted, unpredictable household.
Not just for homeschoolers
While we’re known in the classical homeschooling world, this book was intentionally written for all moms—not just those educating at home. The practices we explore are for any mom who wants to become a more thoughtful, faithful woman. If you’ve got school-aged kids and a desire to grow, this book is for you.
Karen Glass wrote the foreword, and she’s no longer homeschooling—yet still reading. That’s the kind of trajectory we hope to encourage. The reading life doesn’t end with homeschooling. It begins with motherhood and continues as long as God gives us minds to steward.
Get on the book waitlist and get the first chapter delivered instantly!
Listen to related episodes:
SS #148: De-Institutionalizing School (with Heather Olsson!!)
SS#142: Attention is a homeschool essential
SS #125 – Numbering the Days of Your Homeschool
SS #116 – Feasting in a time of fasting
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