I'm snuggled in bed on a gorgeous Sunday morning. My window is open and letting in a steady breeze that flaps the curtains to-and-fro. I can hear the rumble of cars and rustle of leaves on the neighboring trees. Emma the cat watches on in all her cat glory, while I simply stare and wish that this moment of pure delight could last the whole of the day. It can't, of course, not when there is so much work to be done. But still, a girl can dream.
Amid the throes of grad school, I've been rather neglectful and for that I apologize. However, that doesn't mean I haven't stopped reading or, indeed, reading a lot. Yet, I find myself relying a certain selection of apps that have made my reading life much more organized and collected.
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| Evidence: My stack of current reads and library loans. |
1) Goodreads
Your one-stop shop for all things book-related. Not only are you able to track all of your books that you've read, but also you're able to keep a "To-Read" list that I find exceptionally helpful. My favorite part: using my iPad or phone I can scan the barcode of whatever book I'm longing to explore and it will add it to my list automatically.
2) Longform
This app is simply fantastic. Not only does it aggregate all the best long-form stories from the top magazines and newspapers, but it places them all in an easy-to-read format that is addictive to the avid reader. A truly terrific way to find fantastic nonfiction writing.
3) Shakespeare
An app devoted to all things Shakespeare. This freebie includes dozens of works by Shakespeare, Shakespeare quotes, biographic info and even some of the bard's portraits. Clearly, this app was designed for the English nerd in us all.
4) Small Jane Austen Collection
For the Austenites out there, need I say more?
Similar to the Longform app, Readability allows readers to save desired articles from the Web into an easier-to-read platform. Moreover, the site also curates some of the Internet's "Top-Reads," so that users can discover even more reads that might pique their interest.
6) Oyster
The self-proclaimed "Netflix of Books," Oyster is the newest app designed for the modern bibliophile. With over 100,000 titles available, this app provides (almost) unlimited access to the books you've been dying to read.
7) Book Wall
Aside from the fact that this looks pretty damn cool, Book Wall is also a fantastic way to discover new books and appreciate book art. How many apps can do that?
