bars not spines

He began to look upon the spines of the unread books as prison bars.

decorative library

The hotel lobby had many bookshelves but the books were turned so that the spines were facing in, facing the wall, as though their titles and authors mattered not, and their purpose was merely decorative like any wall covering.

hard back

Reader, be a breaker of books.

tough crowd

I like writing in a room full of books where the titled spines reprove each written word.