I bought two of these shelves. They fit nicely below a window in my family room. I've fit a fair amount of books on there for the size of it. I love the hardwood construction as opposed to compressed boards. They are sturdy and the shelf height works for both paperback and hard cover. I was a little worried about the back because of the way it's opened, but I put standard paperback books on it and the bar at the back holds them nicely.