Protect yo shelf, my friends. Your books are your most prized possessions, and therefore they deserve the utmost protection. We were inspired to craft this list of anti-thievery tips after meeting Tina, aka the Tiny, the top-notch thief in City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson. Because if you want to protect yourself from a thief, you have to think like a thief. Read on for ways to save your books from foes!

1. Keep inventory.

The best way to keep your books safe is to know what needs to be protected. The better you can recognize your inventory, the easier the search will be when you discover something is missing from your bookshelf . . . heavens forbid.

2. Beware the book thief disguised as a borrower.

“Can I borrow your book?” seems like a simple question, but it’s far from that for dedicated book lovers. Of course, we’re ecstatic that a fellow human is interested in reading that which we hold so dear, yet letting go of said book can be challenging. We recommend thoroughly vetting anyone who borrows from your shelf. If it’s been longer than a week, follow up with the borrower. You can even disguise it as impatience to discuss what they thought!

3. Set up a bookish booby trap.

Take a page from Kevin McCallister’s book (perhaps not the best idiom in this context), and guard your books with booby traps. May we suggest traps that involve glitter bombs—glitter is impossible to get out of clothing, making it easier for you to spot the assailant.

4. Password protect your e-reader.

These are the steps that must be taken if you want to be a digital reader in a digital world. Set your password as your favorite/obscure literary reference. And if anyone can crack that password, though they are a thief, they are probably your soulmate too.

5. Stay alert when reading.

You are most vulnerable to book thieves when you are reading *gasp*. Though there’s nothing more joyful than losing yourself within the pages of your book, you don’t want to lose your book. Try and take a peek up from reading every 20 pages or so to check your surroundings.

Read more about City of Saints and Thieves here!