Book

Books are items obtained in quests and elsewhere in RuneScape. Most books can be read by players, providing information ranging from lore to game mechanics. When a player reads a book, their character displays an emote of looking at a green covered book, similar to the way reading the World Map displays an emote.

Books in bookcase
Bookcases are built in the Parlour, Quest Hall or Study of a player-owned house. All of the bookcases will contain the same books. Bookcases have the ability to save bank space, because they automatically store most books from previously completed quests and other miscellaneous books. There are some exceptions, and these are listed below.

Books are stored in the following order:

(non quest-related books in a random order first, then in alphabetical order of quests)

Inventory-only books
Having these books in your inventory, and using them on the bookcase gives this message: There doesn't seem to be space for that on the bookcase.


 * Damaged books
 * Mage's book - reward from Mage Training Arena minigame
 * From Wise Old Man's bookshelves:
 * Book on chickens
 * Book of Folklore
 * Strange book
 * Slashed book - After the quest, it will be found in the same house south of the Elemental Workshop in Seers' Village. The Battered book, however, can be found within the bookcase; use a knife on the Battered book to get the Slashed book. However, either book can be used in the Elemental Workshop to make a Elemental shield or Mind shield.
 * Books given as rewards:
 * Old tome - a reward from the Meeting History quest.
 * Tome of xp - a reward from Darkness of Hallowvale quest. After the third reading: "The book crumbles into a dust cloud of knowledge."
 * Tome of xp 2nd ed - a reward from Legacy of Seergaze quest.
 * Book of knowledge - a reward from the Surprise Exam! random event
 * Locked diary - part of Returning Clarence miniquest after Back to my Roots quest; will not be available after the miniquest.
 * Tightrope 101 - provides instructions on performing tightrope tricks in Balthazar Beauregard's Big Top Bonanza. The book disappears after the performance.
 * Wilderness manual - Provides information on the Wilderness.
 * Turkey book - provides a list of locations for locating turkeys during the 2008 Thanksgiving event.
 * Soul wars guide - provides information on the Soul Wars minigame. The book may be right-clicked to activate in-game help features.
 * Tome of Frost - Reward from the Dungeoneering skill.
 * (Incomplete) Mysterious Book - Given to the player after completing the first clue of the Cryptic Clue Fest II. Though it is a book, it appears in the Toy box in POH.

Missing books
Some books obtained during the quest "seem" to be missing in the bookcase:
 * Journal (Filliman Tarlock) - Nature Spirit quest; obtained when searching the Nature Grotto, and is not available after the quest.
 * Books obtained from Sithik Ints's bedroom drawers in the Yanille guest house north of the bank as part of the Zogre Flesh Eaters quest; no longer available after the quest.
 * Necromancy book
 * Book of 'h.a.m.'
 * Book of Haricanto from Ghost Ahoy quest
 * Book on costumes from The Giant Dwarf quest
 * Silver book from Murder Mystery quest
 * Translation manual from Ghosts Ahoy quest
 * Haemalchemy from Darkness of Hallowvale quest
 * Bolrie's Diary - The Path of Glouphrie quest; attached to the lectern in Yewnock's machine room in the Gnome Village Dungeon.
 * The grim reaper's diary of 2007 Hallowe'en event - cannot be taken out of Grim Reaper's house during the event. After completing the event, players cannot re-enter the house.
 * Varrock Census - Defender of Varrock quest; found on a pedestal in the Varrock Palace library; cannot be taken.
 * The Phoenix from In Pyre Need quest is attached to the shrine in the Phoenix Lair.

Unreadable books
Some books are unreadable and cannot be taken in the inventory. Some examples follow:


 * From Wizards' Tower library, ground floor. Upon searching the bookcase: There's a large selection of books, the majority of which look fairly old. Some very strange names... You pick one at random:
 * The Life & Times of a Thingummywut by Traiborn the Wizard
 * Wind Strike for Beginners
 * Life With a Wizard Husband ~ a Housewife's Story
 * The Dark Arts of Magical Wands
 * So You Think You're a Mage? Volume 28
 * Fire, Earth and Water ~ What's it all About?
 * How to become the Ultimate Wizard of the Universe
 * 101 Ways to Impress Your Mates with Magic
 * Interesting... - Only the titles of the books are mentioned, and the books have no image and cannot be read.


 * There are 2 stacks of books outside Nickolaus' tent in the Hunter Woodland area north-west of Eagles' Peak. Upon examining: These books stacked very neatly.


 * Flying books, in the Mage Training Arena minigame.

Lores and histories
The Game Guide has additional books of "records of the histories of the great nations of RuneScape, the diaries of bold explorers, and fantastical tales spun in ages past."

Real-world books
One guidebook and three novelisations have been published by Jagex:


 * RuneScape: The Official Handbook (2006)
 * Betrayal at Falador (2008)
 * Return to Canifis (2011)
 * Legacy of Blood (2012)