I am kind of use to not be able to read a skill book, if my skill is not high enough, or use to be warned, when buying skill books, which ones my sim will actually BE able to read.
I could still buy any books, but I knew that I'd have to wait for my sim to get better to read whatever books.

Now in TS4, nothing stops me from buying a level 3 violin skill book..no warning, no telling me if my sim can profit from it yet or not yet etc.
Now, I must remember this before i decide to buy any books :

"Skill Books
Skills may be learned from Skill Books, read at the Library or purchased from the computer for use at home. In The Sims 4, you can learn the first four levels of a Skill from the first volume, though you must reread the book to do so. You will not gain Skill level from Volume 2 or 3 until you've reached level 4. Volume 2 works up to level 7, at which point you can read Volume 3. The last volume will only take your Skill to level 9, requiring you to at last use the Skill for Mastery."

I guess I am not use to so much efforts...lol

Skill books in TS4 are very annoying. You have to pay so much attention to sims, and only a small moodlet will tell you if the sim is actually getting something from the book. Plus, they keep putting the books away anywhere else than in their inventory or bookshelves. What's the point of that?

It would be nice if the extra books couldn't be accessed through a bookshelf if the skill isn't high enough or is too high, or a warning that says they've already finished the book or skill level the book covers. That would make things so much easier.

Glad to see that I am not alone! I am so new that I am never sure if it is just my lack of gameplay experience, knowledge or if this is a real thing.
I always search first..but then I got this quote from Carls sims guide...

This may explain why I avoid them...and it also may explain why I have so many kitchen fires.

If I could avoid them, I would in certain situations. My sim's house aren't always big enough for a chess table, maybe my sim does not live near a park that has one, or maybe I am not willing to travel to a lot just for the sake of skilling up huh..
Though it made sense to me, that my new sim would read violin method to learn music, or piano ones..short of having classes in the game, with a teacher who actually teaches you.

I just see if they have the skill bar above their heads, if they don't then it is the wrong book for them.

Yes, but you can only see this after you spent money they might not have, on a skill book..which i think one should be warned.

What I can't stand is how my toons seem always to be experts at getting up and putting skill books back in the bookcase when they are at like 99.4% of the way to the next skill point. Nope, gotta get that sweet sweet vidya or TV (or worse, talk to a Sim that used to be standing in front of the house but is now 1/4 mile away). Then you have to cancel that action in order to send them back to the bookcase so that they can finally skill up.

But as usual, I'm not bitter or anything.

The only time I use books, is when it's a promotion requirement, called Finish reading a book.

I click on Bookcase > Read Something, then they go and pick out their favourite book, then I have to take note of the book Title that are reading, so everytime it's reading session I make them pick that same book they read before (It doesn't have to the same copy, as long as it's the same title.), they do eventually finish their reading book, just don't know when, then an new option appears whenever that Title is clicked as Read Again, so game at least seems to be keep a record of what book has been read by every sim. I want one of my geeky bookworm to finish reading every book in the sims4world, then he can be the brag of the library.

The only time my sims read books (as directed by me) is if one of them is in the writer career, I think it's so cute when they read their own novels. But other than that i don't bother with them. Bookcases are there to make a room look good. If I want them to learn a skill I just have them use an object, it's way more convenient.

When the vampire game pack came out, the skill book thing was broken for many of my sims. If the got book one, stopped browsing the web and only read the books, they were OK. But if they browsed the web until they maxed out their lore skill, they'd never get to buy book two. They'd be stuck at one for good and the web only goes so far.

I didn't realize how much I hated skill books until the vamp pack reminded me.

Shouldn't really waste your money buying them books, when I'not playing them, mine will autonomously read their book at the park, put it down on the ground then go home, and leave it behind.

Now that I think about it, the only skill books I routinely buy are the first Gardening and Handiness books. The Gardening one so that they can get to Level 2 faster, where they can evolve plants. The Handiness one so that they can upgrade items sooner without destroying all their fingers on the woodworking table. :p