Next episode is going to hit you in the feels. I finished the 1st and 2nd light novels so far, and the story they tell is FAR better than the Anime. It's still basically the same, but the anime is kind of fast forwarding through the story. The book, while also quick, explains things a lot more. I know way more about the shield from reading than I ever understood by watching the first 6-7 episodes.
Also, they deal a lot more with the fact that society thinks that Shield Hero is a hunk of shit due to the crown. When he arrives at the vines village, he intentionally turns his shield into a book shield so as to appear like a merchant that documents everything. This episode, he's just kind of walking around with the book for a little bit before jumping into action and converting it from book mode to a real shield mode. You miss so much. Also, the rivalry between Raphtalia & Filo.