The Bookshelf Mirror or When I Asked AI to Analyse My Books

I could almost see AI wince and cry technological tears when I asked it to analyse my bookshelves. My book collection is anything but ordinary or bound by genre. It’s chaotic, to say the least. I collect books on psychology, drawing, writing, fairy tales, negotiation and communication skills, picture books, poetry books…

But, let’s go a bit deeper — I have a slight addiction to books. I buy at least four books every month.

Books give me ideas, pleasure, and hope. When I am sad, I can open one of my books and be reminded of a funny occurrence, and it lifts my mood. When I am lost, books inspire me and show me new ways of dealing with thoughts or emotions. Books are my companions. I get motivated, energised, and uplifted simply by looking at some of the covers.

I always felt that I wish I could share this feeling with others. Not by inspiring them to read. Everyone knows about the value of reading. No, I wanted to pass down the magic — the hopeful dreams that are ignited within me after holding or reading a book. I’ll go back a bit — I don’t always read my books cover to cover. Some of my books I only open on occasion. Others are half-read. A few are never opened. But that does not make them less valuable or effective.

This feeling the books give me comes from fleeting ideas and gathers after scanning through pages — or getting inspired by a few memorable lines. They give me food for thought, and I’d never want to part with them because they are more than simple paper to me. They are my silent mentors, my personal educators, and sources of inspiration. But how I wish to share this with others. So one day, I decided to put AI to good use and took pictures of all my books. Then I asked AI to analyse me — tell me what my book collection says about me (I am a sucker for self-reflection and deep analysis).

Its feedback surprised me a bit. Not because it said something new and profound (how could it, it’s a machine), but how it helped me to get to know myself a bit better.

🧠 I’m Not Just Interested in Strategy — I Want to Understand People

Apparently, because I have Robert Greene’s The Art of Seduction and The Decision Book, it reveals my obsession with the why behind human behaviour. I’m drawn to the unspoken — the micro-signals, the mental shortcuts, the emotional undercurrents (whatever that means — AI words, not mine).

I always thought that I bought books like that because I wanted to learn tips on how to better interact with other humans (I was relatively timid as a young woman). I never thought that I wanted to learn the why behind human behaviour, but the AI might have a point. It is possible that I could not put it in words, but subconsciously that was one of my hidden objectives.

Have I succeeded? I suppose so, in a way. Human beings are still mostly a mystery to me because each and every one is different — but at least I have an idea of why certain behaviour might occur.

✍️ I’m a Storyteller Who Needs Permission to Begin

This bit was like a real “wow” moment. Almost profound. Because it is true. I collect books as some sort of shield — protection against beginning something. As if buying books is similar to creating books and art.

The Artist’s Way and The Emotion Thesaurus are there when and if I need them. But they serve as a protective wall — if I don’t feel like creating, at least I can flip through their pages and get inspired. I am doing something, right?

Well, not really. If nothing is started or finished, that’s delusion and escapism. Thank you, AI, for this insight.

🧚 I Believe in Everyday Magic

I bulk buy books like A Year of Living Curiously, Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales, 365 to Draw a Cat (not a real book, but very similar to some drawing manuals I’ve got on my shelves). And AI claims that I buy not just to read them — but to live inside them, a bit.

It does have a point. I buy fairy tales and books with short, quick stories or remarks to be transported somewhere else — if only for a brief moment. Those types of books give me a quick dose of dopamine (I start and finish something within minutes), I gain some shallow knowledge, I am entertained, and I’m taken out of my day-to-day.

(Believe me, after a day at work and then trying to be a good parent, escaping to an imaginary universe is exactly what I need — and it’s healthier than doom-scrolling because at least I am using my brain.)

🧘 I Want Parenting to Feel Like Connection, Not Correction

Mixed in with the coaching manuals and creativity prompts are quiet reminders that I’m still figuring this out. Mindful Moments for Busy Mothers lives next to Burnout and The Motherhood of Art. That’s no accident.

I do indeed look for ways to be a better parent — and not simply correct behaviour. My kids are my family. I don’t see them as a project, as a responsibility to bring them up as decent members of society. No, I am a parent, yes, but I am also a person. I want us to live together and enjoy this life.

Not me throwing everything at their feet because I brought them into this world and now I have to... Or because they are so cute or manipulative. No, we are a family and we will have good days and bad. I will need to adapt, and they will need to be taught vital skills. But most importantly, we’ll need to make each day of our lives worth living. Not sacrifice and responsibility, but individuals, big and small, existing to interact with each other and learn from each other (if my rumblings make any sense). So yes, AI, you might have something there…

🎲 I Collect Tools More Than Rules

My collection doesn’t follow a system. It follows a feeling. And this is spot on. It’s whimsical, eclectic, weird — and possibly a little shallow (I don’t tend to buy deep philosophical tomes).

I collect poetry books, negotiation charts, quote dictionaries, card decks, and visual journaling guides. I don’t plan on mastering anything or conquering the world — but to create a spark. And this spark makes me happy.

In short: I don’t collect books to know more. I collect them to feed my insatiable creative appetite.

Final Thoughts

I have found this AI exercise quite useful and insightful. It made me list and categorise all the books that I own. Yippee! But this ask to analyse what my book collection says about me prompted a lot of self-reflection and realisation.

I collect books because books ignite something within me. And I would like to use those sparks of inspiration to ignite someone else’s fire (that sounded a bit like AI, but hey, it is true — I do want to pass my spark onto others who might need it). Would you like some?

P.S. AI has been quoted in this post. See italics (and headings, I’m really not great at writing headings).