We Are What We Read

Recently, I read some advice for writers from one of my heroes, Ray Bradbury.

He suggested that every writer should read at least one poem, one letter or essay, and one short story every day, and then analyze them to understand not only what the author meant, but also the art with which he said it.

So I started to push myself to comply, and by chance, I came across a new app that has greatly simplified finding, organizing, and tracking my progress in reading wonderful works of literature from many different cultures, periods, and styles.

It's called The Daily Canon, and it's available on the Apple App Store.

Each day, it gives you a snippet from one book as a starting point. Today was Tolstoy's birthday, so there was a short reading from War and Peace. There's also a brief description of the book, and if you want to read it, you can read it in its entirety from the app's library.

It also gives you a large number of "reading paths," which are curated lists of books relating to a topic area such as "Faith and Doubt" or "The City as a Character". Each has a very interesting collection to choose from.

I've just finished "Letters to a Young Poet," by Rainer Maria Rilke, and I'm working on both "The Confessions of Saint Augustine," and "The Book of Job". But I don't want to give the impression that all the books are heavy tomes. The variety of the offerings are great.

There's a whole lot more to the app that I'm just getting to know about, but whether you are a writer yourself or an avid reader, I think the app is well worth trying. They have a generous 45-day free trial, and I got a year's subscription for $25.

I'm not affiliated with the app or getting any compensation for mentioning it. I just think it's a wonderful way for anyone to expand their literary horizons.