Reading is a gift. It has the ability to transport us away to new times and places, to teach us a brand-new skill, and to give us a way to relax and recharge. Some of us are casual readers, while others are hardcore, always-have-a-new-book-in-hand readers.
But let’s face it. No matter what type of reader you are, one of the hazards—or blessings—is the inevitable accumulation of books. And no matter how many bookshelves you get, it seems like there’s never enough space to accommodate the growing mountain of novels. Here are seven types of books that you might find on your shelves.
- Books you love.
This one’s easy. These are the books you hoped would never end. You rated them five stars. You can’t get their characters out of your head. And you wouldn’t mind picking them up to reread . . . and then maybe reread again. There’s no way you would let them ever leave your shelves.
- Books with nostalgia.
If you’re a reader now as an adult, the odds are that you were a reader as a kid too. And these particular books are the ones that delight your sentimental inner child every time you notice their spines peeking out at you. Their covers might be a little worn, the writing might not be like you remembered, but you keep these around because of the emotions they stir in you.
- Books you plan to read.
This is what happens when you innocently go to a bookstore thinking you’re just going to peruse, maybe pick up a book or two . . . and then you stride out the door with a stack of 15. Oops. But never fear. These books have a special place on your bookshelf because you know you’ll get to them eventually. Speaking of which . . .
- Books you plan to read—but never will.
Come on. Don’t deny it. You hang on to these books for no reason other than the fact that you’ve already held on to them this long, so surely you’ll read them eventually. But you never do. And these books will continue to sit forlornly on your shelf, peering out at you with sad, dusty dustjackets as a Sarah McLachlan song plays in the background.
- Books on super random topics.
You know the discounted section at bookstores that usually has a mix of genres and topics? There’s just something about a great deal and a colorful cover that can convince you to pick up a few extra volumes filled with random facts. The next thing you know, you’re waltzing home with a snarky deep dive into punctuation, a collection of trivia from the Disney vault, and a textbook on the life of Rameses the Great (I speak from experience).
- Books you have no idea how they got there.
There are just some books that you frown at and think, Where did you come from? They’re usually the ones that you got as gifts or maybe had to buy for a college course 10 years ago but never bothered chucking into the donation bin. Somehow, they’ve beat the odds and survived to be read another day. Who knows? They could become your next favorite rainy-day read.
- Books on your e-reader.
Okay, these aren’t technically on the shelf, but I think they count just as much as physical books. For one thing, it’s so much easier to take advantage of special deals or discounts by your favorite authors. And probably best of all—the digital shelf of an e-reader allows you to collect all these books I mentioned above and then some! (Which is good, because those 99-cent-book spending sprees can get way out of hand.)
Do you have any of these types of books on your shelves? What’s your favorite? Do you have any other types I didn’t mention?
Jessica Sly grew up immersing herself in the books of her school and church libraries—soaking up the adventure, the romance, the fantasy, and the history. These creative worlds, characters, and plots stoked her own imagination and fueled her dream to become an author.
A member of ACFW, Jessica is a 2020 ACFW Genesis Award winner and is the winner of the 2020 Mountain Brook Fire Award. Her upcoming debut novel, The Promise of Deception, dives into Edwardian England in the midst of Irish-English conflict—wrapping readers in mystery, magicians, murder, and a speculative twist. It’s slated for a December 2021 release.
To get updates on her writing process and other shenanigans, you can connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, or sign up for her newsletter here. She’d love to hear from you!
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Jessica Sly