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

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vincent

SC2: DudeMan 346
Books serve alot of purposes that are overlooked. They provide an escape deeper into the world at hand. You can read all of them, some of them or toss them to the side in favor of action. To some, books are merely there to save them the hassle of leveling up lame tech trees. I have been collecting these books since I got the game on release.​
I currently own over 170 books and have only read, maybe, 40 of them and I am still finding them scattered over, under and across the vast landscape that is Skyrim. Some of this information you may already know. At the end of this will be a FAQ. I've noticed quite a few posts that are querying over books and their importance.​
Knowing Your Books
There are several factors to consider when scouring a dungeon or a newly discovered town. The best thing you can do to increase your chances of finding books is to buy the spell, Candlelight. The lighting in most areas is very poor. You need this skill to avoid getting frustrated over staring at a black shadow while moving your mouse over every inch to make sure you didn't miss something.​
The books, in question, that are readable will have a brightish color as their covers. Having the spell will make it much easier to look at a desk or a bookshelf and pinpoint the book you would like to look at. Determining which books to look at can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Any books that have a value of 50 or greater are books that grant you a bonus to one of your skills​
However, don't judge a book by its cover. :D . Anyway, some books can reveal locations on a map. An example of this is 'An Explorer's Guide to Skyrim'. When you open up that book, the top left of your screen pops out a 'Map Updated' status. Unfortuneatly, I've opened so many books that I can't recall any others that accomplish this.​
Common Places to Search
I won't go into to much detail with this because there is no solution to all of it. The most common spots from my experience would be on a bookshelf(duh), on top of a table and behind a merchants' counter. The more trickier books to find are sometimes located on shrines out in the wilds.​
Known Books That Raise Skill
in A-Z format
  1. 2920, Frostfall, v10​
  2. 2920, Hearth Fire, v9​
  3. 2920, Last Seed, v8​
  4. 2920, MidYear, v6​
  5. 2920, Morning Star, v1​
  6. 2920, Rain's Hand, v4​
  7. 2920, Sun's Dusk, v11​
  8. A Dance in Fire, v2​
  9. A Dance in Fire, v7​
  10. A Game at Dinner​
  11. A Tragedy in Black​
  12. Battle at Red Mountain​
  13. Before the Ages of Man​
  14. Catalogue of Weapon Enchantments​
  15. De Rerum Dirennis​
  16. Death Blow of Abernanint​
  17. Herbalist's Guide to Skyrim​
  18. Horror of Castle Xyr​
  19. Incident at Necrom​
  20. Legend of Krately House​
  21. Liminal Bridges​
  22. Mace Etiquette​
  23. Mannimarco, King of Worms​
  24. Mystery of Talara, part 4​
  25. Mystery of Talara, v2​
  26. Mystery of Talara, v3​
  27. Orsinum and the Orcs​
  28. Racial Phylogeny​
  29. Response to Bero's Speech​
  30. Sithis​
  31. Song of Hrormir​
  32. The Armorer's Challenge​
  33. The Art of War Magic​
  34. The Black Arrow, v2​
  35. The Buying Game​
  36. The Doors of Oblivion​
  37. The Exodus​
  38. The Gold Ribbon of Merit​
  39. The Legendary Sancre Tor​
  40. The Mirror​
  41. The Rear Gaurd​
  42. Thief​
  43. Three Thieves​
  44. Twin Secrets​
  45. Warrior​
  46. Words and Philosophy​
  47. Withershins.​
FAQ/TL;DR
What's the purpose of Books?
They are there to allow a player to immerse himself in the game as much or as little as he/she wants. Books are also there to increase a skill level when read.
How will I know which book to pick up? Theres so many!!!
A book with a value of 50 or higher will let you know that it is a skill book. Picking up random books, just to look at them, isn't a bad idea.
What happens if I miss a book inside of a dungeon?
As far as I know, there are at least 2 copies of the skill books and tons of copies of the lower value books. If you wish to read all of them, you will have plenty of opportunities.
What happens when you get convinced to start collecting?
You spend 20 more hours in Skyrim. ha.. ha.. ha.. l_l_Z_l_l :D
Do you need to actually keep a book to get the knowledge?
No, opening the book will give you all the benefits. It's up to you wether or not you want to keep the book.
Where is a master list of known books that raise skill?
Feel free to post any additional skill books that are not on the list, I will add them. Ask questions and I will add it plus the answer to the FAQ section. Lata!
 

Demut

Veritas vos liberabit
Interesting. I didn’t expect to find someone else who paid as much attention to books as me. I, too, collect them in the game and have about 100 now (I should count them at some point, I guess) but unlike you I read all of them. This can be boring at times but I couldn’t stand having a book in my shelf which I didn’t read :D Also, having read them makes it easier to decide whether a found book is already in my collection or not without keeping an external list of the collection (like on a piece of paper).
 

Shew

Account closed (at sincere request).
I too collect books.
I collect about everything.
One copy of each weapon, armor, jewelry, trophies from missions, rare items.
I have centurian dynemo's around each of my enchanters, a sigil stone, the right eye of the falmer, the dancers flute. And every Dungeon claw that I have used in the game.

I really like collecting the books though because they are involved, just as in real life and like demut I refuse to have a book on my shelves I havn't read and like demut it does make it easier to decide if I already have the book cause alot of titles are simular but stories are not.
 

vincent

SC2: DudeMan 346
I put all my books that I've read on a bookshelf and the rest go in the chest at the bottom of my bed. I have a pretty good photographic memory so I can tell if I have the book or not.
 

Stone

Retired Moderator
I used to collect books, then I took an arrow in the knee.
 

GrandMasterK

New Member
For those who don't know there is a pdf that has every book in the game. I have it on my iphone, I read it when I'm bored. =P
 

vincent

SC2: DudeMan 346
For those who don't know there is a pdf that has every book in the game. I have it on my iphone, I read it when I'm bored. =P

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?
 

Shew

Account closed (at sincere request).
a hypothetical trechery
 

GrandMasterK

New Member
The only books that interest me are the ones elaborating on the daedra as it resembles divine mythologies.
 

Rayven

Global Moderator
Staff member
I'm a book collector too. Sometimes when I know I only have a few minutes to spare to play, I just hop in the game and read some of them. Gets me a taste of Skyrim without having to get lost in a dungeon or similar.
 

Shew

Account closed (at sincere request).
plus as a lore source for the missing years between this and the other Elderscroll games
 

I_I_Z_I_I

New Member
you guys to made me decide to collect books... Friendly said
fluff you, you just made me lose 20 more hours into Skyrim ;)
 

vincent

SC2: DudeMan 346
gave u a shoutout in OP, Z.

And I still have no idea what my favorite book is. So far, The Mirror was pretty intense. Its my number 1 for right now
 

Brad

Member
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?
 

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