Question

"The books lay like great mounds of fishes left to dry. Figurative language ​

Answer 1

It’s simile because you are using the word “like” simile means to compare something using “like” or “as”

Answer 2

"The books..."-Simile. Comparing it to fish left out to dry portrays a sense that the books weren't really revered. It was place haphazardly instead of stacked or shelved.