What does your bookshelf say about you?

Beyond the books themselves, there might be a surprising amount of information sitting there about the person who owns them.

Perhaps your shelves are neat and orderly, with every book standing perfectly straight. Or maybe they look like they’re one strong breeze away from collapse.

Either way, your bookshelf probably tells a little story about you.

The organised one

Your books are arranged alphabetically, by genre, author or perhaps even colour.

You know exactly where everything is and, if someone puts a book back in the wrong place, you will notice.

You probably like a bit of order in other areas of life too.

The sentimental one

Some books aren’t going anywhere, no matter how many times you've been told to declutter.

There’s the childhood favourite, the cookbook mum gave you, the novel you took on a holiday or the book signed by someone you admired.

You might not read them anymore, but they hold memories, and that’s reason enough to keep them.

The collector

You don't simply buy books. You collect them.

First editions, beautiful covers, special editions, books by a favourite author or perhaps an entire series lined up together.

Your shelves aren’t just somewhere to keep your reading material. They’re a collection you’re proud of.

The eternal optimist

Your bookshelf contains a very impressive number of books you haven’t read yet.

You bought them because they looked interesting, someone recommended them or you were convinced you'd have more time to read.

You probably will.

Just not necessarily this year.

The traveller

Travel books, maps, cookbooks from different countries, biographies of adventurers and novels set in far-flung places fill your shelves.

Even if your passport isn’t currently getting much of a workout, your bookshelf certainly is.

The homebody

Your shelves are filled with recipes, gardening, crafts, interiors, mysteries, novels and perhaps a few books about making the most of a quiet afternoon at home.

You know there’s nothing wrong with a weekend spent pottering around the house, putting the kettle on and getting stuck into a good book.

The ‘I read everything’ type

There is absolutely no theme.

A crime novel sits beside a biography. A gardening book is next to a thriller, followed by a cookbook, a history book and a novel someone gave you.

You don’t worry too much about categories. If something catches your interest, you’ll give it a go.

And then there is the bookshelf that perhaps says the most.

The shelf filled with books that have been read so many times the covers are worn, the pages are folded and the spines are starting to show their age.

Those are the books that have earned their place.

Because ultimately, a bookshelf isn’t really about how many books you own or how impressive they look lined up in a room.

It’s about the stories that stayed with you, the things you’ve learned, the places you’ve imagined visiting and the memories attached to the books you couldn’t bring yourself to throw away.

So, have another look at your bookshelf.

What does yours say about you?