What's that noise?

We were sitting quietly and reading as is our wont (yes, I'm being pretentious)...when a loud crash brought us to our feet and running into the study/office/spare bedroom. (that's just one place) There were books everywhere! A full shelf of books had become unattached from the wall and the shelf and books had fallen onto that portion of the desk that my wife uses. And had used just minutes before. Also lucky for us was the fact that she had just pushed the monitor to the back of the desk and so it was unscathed by the cascade of shelving and books.
How could this happen? The shelf material was massive (a full 2x12) and appeared so sturdy. But a quick look revealed that the shelf had been held up by plastic inserts into the drywall. No screws went into the studs behind. And right above the failed shelf was another, just like it in construction. That one we took down. What was the previous owner thinking? The fasteners were barely enough to hold the shelf up, let alone a load of books.
Okay, the wall is repaired and has been repainted. Now we need to find a sturdy shelving system. In black to match the decor.
Until we get the shelving up, a pile of books will remain in the corner of the room. Except for the books I'm reading. I have painted myself into a virtual corner surrounded by these books. Hot, Flat, and Crowded/T. Friedman, A Hole in the Gospel/R. Stearns and That Used To Be Us/T. Friedman&M. Mandelbaum. I should complete one and move on. I don't. I read a little bit of each one every day. Hanging out around the appetizers when I should be sitting down for dinner.  
We're off to the hardware store to buy shelving...