Whenever I first visit someone's home, I typically find myself at some point wandering over to their bookshelves. I firmly believe that you can tell a lot about a person by the contents of their bookshelves. Maybe they don't even use them for books at all (uh-oh, red flag). Maybe they have a carefully coordinated ensemble of books and knick-knacks, organized by theme or color or some other aesthetic. Or maybe every inch of space is crammed with a collection of worn favorites and unread potential-favorites. Regardless of what a person keeps on their bookshelf, I think more often than not there are certain books (whether or not you're a reader) that shape a person, that point to some relatable experience. Here are a few of those, from a biased literature-lover's point of view.

1. The Classic

There are some books that you just return to again and again and never get tired of. These books can change over time, or maybe the "category" just grows as you do. For example, for several years in my childhood, whenever I couldn't find a new book I wanted to read, I would reread Ella Enchanted. (I couldn't even begin to guess how many times I've read it.) Now, it's usually Jane Austen. Rereading these books feels kind of like putting on your favorite sweater after a very, very long week. They're familiar and friendly--they know you, because they're a part of you.

2. The Guilty Pleasure

THIS IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY ROMANCE (but don't get me started on Fifty Shades, ugh). Here I will just publicly confess that I have read Twilight and many Jane Austen or fairytale retellings with no small amount of enjoyment. The enjoyment from Twilight has significantly lessened. Nevertheless, sometimes the guilty pleasure is pure fluff--you know it isn't substantial but it's so fun. Sometimes it's just a book that you enjoy that has often been met with raised eyebrows and skepticism (like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). And take it from a literature nerd--it can take a decent amount of confidence to own up to your guilty pleasure reading.

3. The Childhood Favorite

In all honesty these might be the best conversation-starters, because some people can become fiercely defensive of these first literary building blocks. Maybe, for whatever reason, Edward Gorey's creepy alphabet primer The Gashlycrumb Tinies was read every night at bedtime (oh goodness). Maybe it was the classic Winnie-the-Pooh stories, or the less-classic Angelina Ballerina books. Maybe it was just the first book you read by yourself, or the first time you thought, "Huh, there might be something to this reading thing." Whatever the story behind it, there is a book that shows some sort of starting point, some beginning.

4. The "I-Read-This-For-School-But-Now-I-Grudgingly-Like-It" Book

Not gonna lie--I personally have a lot of books that could make it into this category. I never wanted to read A Little Princess or Persuasion when they were assigned in school. Some time after reading, I finally faced the fact that I did actually like the book that had for so long (ahem, until the due date) been the bane of my existence. Like the guilty pleasure reading, these tough loves are a very humbling experience. Everything that you argued against it is thrown back in your face and you simply can't fight the fact that you loved and learned a little more than you intended to.

5. The Challenger

I have a very long list of books that have made me cry, usually in an experience of "Oh my goodness I never thought of/saw/understood that before" closely followed by "I'm a despicable human being." One such experience: when I first read The Book Thief I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning to finish it and cried like a baby the last several chapters. Maybe it was the exhaustion that wore on my emotions, but it was also a swarm of grief for the depth of pain that humans can experience and awe at what they can endure and sacrifice for each other. Behind the Beautiful Forevers gave me a glimpse of a Mumbai slum. Toni Morrison made me realize how little I can truly empathize with the black experience. Sometimes we never understand these books. Sometimes they simply leave us in awestruck pieces of questions or doubts or ideas.

Not everyone is an avid reader (and that's okay). Certainly not everyone has the same experiences with books (who knew, not everyone cries reading The Book Thief). But a lot of these experiences as readers teach us important things about ourselves, and about the world around us. And like I said, you can learn a lot about a person by the contents of their bookshelf.