The 'What for' and 'Why is' of Book Collecting

[vincent]

If you drop items on the ground, you can hold the button that you use to grab things and pick it up/move it. If you want to spend enough time, you can stand them upright.

 

[Rayven]

I think I will be taking up this hobbie as well... I just recently decided to keep more stuff to put in my house. Displaying stuff seems like it would be cool. Although, is there any way of ORGANIZING stuff on a shelf, table, counter? My OCD refuses to let me simply "drop" something on the dining room table... For example, will books put upright, and packed into the shelf when you look at it? Or will weapons/items be set, as if on display, on the table?

Well... you can take the time to organize stuff, yes. The actual organizing, however, seems to be part art and part patience. If you get the object to "stick" to your cursor by using whatever your "pick-up" button is and holding it for a second longer, you can move the object wherever. Then, you need to deal with in-game physics as you try to move and twirl it about without messing up all the stuff you already have in place. There is also the added fun of objects jumping off shelves, tables and other surfaces when you return to the place where you put them.

If you have OCD, you may enjoy this sort of thing. It is rewarding to see your stuff nicely arranged. But, better take a screenshot before it ends up all over the place again. Books are a special case. The shelves have a limit and if you put books in it like you would put things in a chest, it will stand them up, bugs notwithstanding.

 

[Gemini Sierra]

Well... you can take the time to organize stuff, yes. The actual organizing, however, seems to be part art and part patience. If you get the object to "stick" to your cursor by using whatever your "pick-up" button is and holding it for a second longer, you can move the object wherever. Then, you need to deal with in-game physics as you try to move and twirl it about without messing up all the stuff you already have in place. There is also the added fun of objects jumping off shelves, tables and other surfaces when you return to the place where you put them.

If you have OCD, you may enjoy this sort of thing. It is rewarding to see your stuff nicely arranged. But, better take a screenshot before it ends up all over the place again. Books are a special case. The shelves have a limit and if you put books in it like you would put things in a chest, it will stand them up, bugs notwithstanding.

I so get annoyed when I come home and find the stuff I've placed on the tables and shelves on the ground. I think it's some kind of setting. It happens when I first place an item but after coming back and replacing it, the items seem to stick where I put them. Well, except for that glass two hander that keeps falling of the table.

As for the books, I collect them too. There are book shelves that allow you to put a few 11 to 18 books per shelf like a container and they stack upright, but I found you can't really sort them in these. So what I do is find a chest or cupboard and put the books in there. It sorts them in there. I throw all my books in there and when I go back and see duplicates I take the second copy out and put them in the bookshelves or sell them.

I like putting the books in the cupboard because they also have shelves you can manually stack things. I put all the journals that I find on there sorted by color. It takes a little patience but you can stack them up nicely.

 

[mappam7]

Do you need to actually keep a book to get the knowledge OR can you just READ it and leave it where you found it?

 

[vincent]

All you have to do is open the book and you will receive notifications that you either gained a skill level or your map has been updated.

 

[Stone]

Take a look at My Enourmous Collection of Books

 

[Gemini Sierra]

I read somewhere, can't remember where, that some books provide other recipes to cook too? Is that true?
I found "Uncommon Tastes" and it has recipes in it, but not one with ingredients you could use.

 

[vincent]

books provide other recipes to cook too? Is that true?

False. If you don't receive a notification in the top left of your screen then nothing has happened.

 

[Ebony Knight]

Has anyone actually tried to make any of the recipes in uncommon taste though? Never thought of it. I never cook.

 

[vincent]

You can't specify what ingredients you use. The cooking options are all listed. If you have the ingredients then you are allowed to make the preset item. Theres one stew that raises magicka by 100 and increases regen by like 50 or 75%

 

[Ebony Knight]

Interesting...Not sure how I feel about that but in the end it's really indifferent as I, again, never cook. I avoid food items like the plague.

 

[vincent]

It helps in harder difficulties when you come back to town with like 10 venison chops. Add a salt pile and they basically turn into a minor health potions for a much cheaper price.

 

[Ebony Knight]

Smart....I might just start doing that.

 

[Zagraeth Cold-of-Heart]

I open every new book I come across, but I certainly would not consider myself a collector or avid reader. I pay attention to the color of the cover and the value, mostly. My favorite books are always the Daedra-related tales, especially Boethiah's Proving, as, well, the ending reminded me so much of myself.

 

[Straumgald]

In game stats where it says "books read" Its over 180. I've also read 50+ skill books, are those counted together or separate? I guess a good way to tell if you have a book is to open it and see if it adds to the books read number. I pick up every book I see pretty much.
I put all my books in a container to check for doubles then filled all my bookshelves with unique books (and spell tomes). Riften, Whiterun and Markarth all filled. Wont buy a new house tell I have enough books to fill the shelves.

 

[Teritus]

Thats pretty cool. I prefer to find them in-game though. It's like another option if I get bored selling stuff or wandering the landscape. I can just go back to the crib, open a book and get lost in the story. Once I'm done reading, I can pop back into the game and think about the book while I navigate. Just my opinion though.

Whats your favorite book?

I rented this room in Dawnstar one night, and on the bedside there was a book called 'A Cabin in the Woods'. Try it.

 

[Shew]

my newest guide should help those searching for skill books : Skill Book : Locations

 

[Straumgald]

my newest guide should help those searching for skill books : Skill Book : Locations

Recently bought Proudspire Manor and couldn't stand looking at the empty bookshelves. I went next door to the Bard's College and raided the library. I had over 100 different books and filled all the shelves no duplicates.

That and the Bookshelves in the Arcaneum that you can open (you have to steal the books) should be a great start to any collection.

 

[vincent]

PurpleShew Put you're link in the OP

 

[OMG CHUBBON]

Thanks for the tip on books worth over 50g. Wondered if there was a give away to the books that up your skill