The Bible tells us why we are here, how we are to live our lives and what is to become of us. God communicates to us via His Word. The Bible is not one book but a collection of books put together over centuries as God's people have faced different situations in which God gave them direction. 
 
 The Bible can be complicated. Here is a way to read the Bible as a story and in chronological order in a year. 
 
 Listen to the Bible in a Year Podcast 
 
Catholics view the Bible a bit differently than our Protestant brethren. While most Protestants tend to take a literal view of Scripture, we view Scripture in different ways. The words contained within Scripture are meaningful and valid but not all are meant to be taken literally. For instance, Jesus calls a mustard seed the smallest of seeds and yet it grows into the largest of plants (see Matt 13:31-32). Jesus isn't making a scientific claim here but he's speaking symbolically. The image below shows the different ways Catholics view the Bible.