Books You Must Have in Your Library

Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as the latter.
- Paxton Hood
When you build a new library for your home, there is a lot of confusion on the titles you need to include and those you have to avoid. Everyone loves to read, but it is not necessary that they like to read everything. There are some subjects and niches that interest all of us, while some that only a selected few love to read. Then there is the list of bestsellers that comes out every month, sometimes even every week. How many books can you include and then, keep on adding to them? For this reason, in this article I have given you a simple method of selecting the books you must have in your library.

Books in a Personal Library

Stacking your shelves with every single great book ever written is a waste of your time and a waste of those books too. If you want to know where exactly you should spend your money while building a library, the answer is right here.

How to Go About Selecting Books:

A Lot Of What You Like...
There are some niches that interest us more than anything else in this world. Make a list of your favorite niches and search for the best books in these. Also, add a few more books that you have already read. Many people like going through their favorite literary works once every few months. Compiling this list would take quite a bit of time and thus, you would have to be patient. People have libraries in their homes because they can keep books they like and continue to pursue their hobby of reading. This is the most basic purpose. By adding your favorite books to your library, you are just fulfilling this purpose. If you like a particular book, note down the name of the author and keep a check on his/her latest publications.

A Little Bit Of What You Don't Like...
Sometimes, you feel like reading something new for a change. Yes, we need change in our hobbies too. This is why you should have just a selected few niches that you aren't really fond of. Maybe 5-7 books on subjects that don't interest you much but ones that you don't hate either. The best way to do this is to make a list of niches that don't interest you much. Then, look for some bestsellers in these categories and buy them. By buying the bestsellers, you just reduce your chances of picking up something that you might not like at all. Suggestions from friends are always welcome. If you want, you can go through some book reviews as well.

Give Character to Your Library:

Some Classic Love Stories...
Love stories are a must in every library. This is one niche that everyone connects too. It is not necessary that you choose clichd stories. You can search for some really unique and different books on love and relationships. It is always nice to read something light for a change. Variety in anything will get you interested. The reason I insist so much on classic love stories is because they were written in a completely different era, where love was still treated as just love. Today, in every story, you are bound to find a small materialistic tag to the meaning of love. Of course, there are exceptions to everything! If this is one of your favorite niches, nothing like it! These five are a must read.

• Wuthering Heights - Emily Bront
• Doctor Zhivago - Boris Pasternak
• Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
• Lady Chatterley's Lover - D. H. Lawrence
• Far From the Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

A Few Autobiographies and Biographies...
Reading about famous personalities and knowing them up close and personal is always a great idea. Sometimes, these real life stories inspire us in great ways. There is always a lesson to learn from these books. No library can be complete without including some autobiographies and biographies in it. If you have an idol or someone you always wanted to know more about, check if there are books written on them or by them. These books provide motivation in many ways. They tell us that all these celebrities and personalities were once, common men and women, just like us. In a way, they teach you to believe in your dreams, once again. You might like these:-

• Mein Kampf - Adolf Hitler
• The Story of My Experiments with Truth - Mahatma Gandhi
• Long Walk to Freedom - Nelson Mandela
• Mozart: A Life - Peter Gay
• Diana: Her True Story - Andrew Morton

Some Selected Bestsellers...
When you refer to the books in a library, you call them a collection of books. To be called a collection, there must be some books that are really rare and unique. After all, your love for reading should be seen, isn't it? There are some must-read classics and bestsellers that have to be a part of your library. Though that list is long enough for you to finish, you can start with collecting just a few. This will help you to make a complete collection. Sometime if you have guests, even they would want to borrow from your library. A complete collection shouldn't disappoint anyone. Here are a few:-

• The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
• Dangerous Liaisons - Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
• Black Beauty - Anna Sewell
• Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
• Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
• Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
• The Lord of The Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien

Now that you know which books you must have in your library, you can start collecting them soon. This way, in a few days you will have a complete collection of books piled up in your library at home. Always know what you like to read the most. Once you know that, you can keep on doing some research for latest works. In the end, your sole motive should be that your library doesn't even disappoint you. Happy Reading!