I’ve always been one of those people who like to snoop around someone else’s house.  I’m not the kind of person who snoops through the medicine cabinet or sneaks into someone else’s bedroom, but I am constantly on the lookout for one thing…books.

So why do I search out books?  Personally, I believe that you can tell a lot about another person by the kind of books they read.  You can quickly find out if they have a nerdy streak, are into history, read nothing but celebrity magazines, have a taste for classic literature or get their kicks from comic book collections such as The Simpsons or Garfield.

I take notice first of the books that are lying around on coffee tables, kitchen counters, bathroom counters or even the floor.  That way you have a snapshot of what they are in the middle of reading (or have just finished reading).  If there are no books lying around anywhere, I look for bookcases and check out the titles offered there.  It is really fascinating when you find a book you would have never imagined that person owning.  Like a mild-mannered person owning a collection of books on sexual fetishes, or a fanatically religious person owning Southpark comics.  I don’t pass judgement, but it’s interesting to see how much more there may be below the surface to the people you thought you knew well. 

Just in case you are a closet book snooper, here is what you would find in our house right now.  On the coffee table are two Oprah magazines, a 2nd grade literature textbook, a collection of classic horror stories, a book about a Mengele twin who survived the holocaust, a book about weight loss for teenagers, several books about writing and two books about controversial issues that Christians are often afraid (or unable) to reasonably discuss.