Read For Your Life

by Gladys M. Hunt, Barbara Hampton

Most teens already know what wealth and just-plain-fun books contain. What is sometimes missing is the encouragement to make time for reading in the middle of a busy life. Getting excited about books is contagious, and so is the reading habit. The whole family needs all the encouragement it can get, especially teenagers. Read for Your Life is more than inspiration to read. Gladys Hunt discusses how to read a book, what makes a good book, what questions to ask, and how to discern between good, better, and best. She has a way of making you want to read, while helping you to make the most of the opportunity. To help you choose what to read, Barbara Hampton has reviewed more than 300 books. Her recommendations run the gamut from classics like A Tale of Two Cities to contemporary fiction like A Ring of Endless Light; from literary greats like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Alan Paton to moderns like Katherine Paterson and Chaim Potok. The book contains - Pointers on becoming a more perceptive reader - Tips on how to enjoy poetry, fantasy, and fiction - An annotated list of over 300 book recommendations - Hundreds of plot synopses - A complete index to authors and titles.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Education

Paperback

First published July 21, 1992

About the author

Gladys Hunt was a well-known author and speaker. Her books include Honey for a Woman’s Heart, Honey for a Teen’s Heart, and Honey for a Child’s Heart (revised edition). She also wrote numerous Bible study guides for the Fisherman and Lifeguide series. She lived with her husband, Keith, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A solid four stars for the first 90 pages detailing how to read or how to read better. Of course, some of the television/telephone references are dated (1992), but the concepts translate to cell phones and the Internet.

I was really disappointed with the bibliography/recommendations – I expected the books to be dated, but when presented as a list of things you may want to read, I did not expect to have so many plot points spoiled – the description/recommendation would include major spoilers like character deaths. It made you not want to bother reading the books since you knew what was going to happen. Not every book, but many of them.

I was also disappointed that so many of the recommendations (particularly under Contemporary) were nihilistic and depressing. Especially after reading about what defines a good book and how to discern the writers world view. If this had been a list of books you are likely to come into contact with, sure. But recommended that you seek out? No thanks.

While I enjoyed part one very much, I skimmed through the bibliography of part two and left with very few (if any) suggestions for further reading. I was really disappointed because of how much I loved Honey for a Child’s Heart and it’s recommendations.

[Barbara Radisavljevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Hunt addresses teens themselves, discussing how to read a book, what makes a good book, what questions to ask, and how to discern which books are worth spending the time to read. The book reviews in the bibliography are much longer than those in Honey for a Child's Heart, since they are designed to make teens want to read the books. Unrevised version