Here’s an idea.
Instead of reading books = skill up it can be more like having “books near/on you and get a skill xp gain %”
well they also contain recipes.
As for leveling up skills you can have actions that can use up materials like say…
“Construction use up some nails and 2x4 and get xp for lower level construction”
and “Computers get like a dev software + a device and make a little program that uses up a lot of power and time to make”
having a C++ 101 book on hand for that would make learning a little faster for C++ coding.
A learn by doing with books as just and aid.
Thoughts? Things that need (more) thinking?