I’ve never been a hoarder. Clutter irritates me no end and I hate having a pile of things laying around in case I need them “one day” so I’m probably pretty far out from Marie Kondo’s ideal candidate for her methods. It still shocks me that adults need someone else to tell them to throw clutter away to be honest, but so many people praise her methods that there must be something to it.
Whenever I de-clutter (which I love doing) I do it to my own set of rules. The whole does it bring you joy thing means I’d end up throwing away practical things that I don’t necessarily love. For example, my hair straighteners. They don’t bring me joy holding them, but I don’t want my hair to be a frizzy mess so I keep them.
My rule is if I haven’t used it in a year, then I don’t need it. My exception to this is my big suitcase as it only comes out for certain types of trips.
Anyway, all of that aside, the reason I could never do the Marie Kondo thing is the books. My first thought upon reading that the ideal book collection is around thirty books was “the woman is insane”. That’s probably a bit harsh, but thirty books? Come on. Wizard’s First Rule has 23 books and Harry Potter has 7. That’s my limit hit off two series’.
I can’t imagine throwing away a book just because I’ve already read it. I mean she does point out that if you throw one away and regret it, you can always buy it again, but that honestly seems like throwing money away as well as clutter.
And her theory on throwing away books you haven’t read yet? I have a to be read pile of around 300 books. I haven’t not read them because I don’t plan to. I haven’t read them yet because there are only so many hours in a day. But I will read them. I wouldn’t have bought them if I wasn’t going to read them.
I don’t think she fully understands books. They’re so much more than a “thing”. They’re a gate way into a different world, a place to go to find comfort and escape reality, a place where familiar characters live. They are a way to laugh, to cry, to be moved.
And that’s just fiction. Her theory on non-fiction seems to be that once you’ve read it, you have the knowledge. But sometimes, particularly in a technical subject, you need to brush up on some aspects of things. And why would you want to buy the book again when you already had it and threw it away?
I don’t think I’ve ever held a book that hasn’t brought me joy in some ways. Even if I don’t particularly want to read it, how could I hold it and not feel the author’s joy at producing it?
For me, it’s the one area I will never consider to be clutter. How can something that contains the whole world’s knowledge, and so much more besides, ever be considered clutter? An over stuffed bookshelf is and always will be my happy place.
What do you think? Could you Marie Kondo your home? Your book shelf? Let me know in the comments 🙂
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No ! I don’t see it as hoarding : I class it as feathering my nest – a sort of trip down MEMORY lane
Great way to look at it!
I could never clear out my book collection,but maybe clothes xx
Yeah my wardrobe could do with a declutter like lol x
I could never do it. I am too much of a pack rat. #anythinggoes
I read another post somewhere else where the blogger felt the same way about books as you do Deb – and my husband would agree whole heartedly. I’m a bit more ruthless and I get all my books online or from the library, so it’s not such an issue for me. I’m a very practical de-clutterer too and I’ve never understood the need to fill up your life with too much stuff (well….except maybe books for some people!)
With the exception of books, I don’t have clutter. I hate clutter but I could never see books as clutter.
I feel exactly the same way. I do declutter everything and we try and live without too mich stuff but I couldn’t throw my books away. Only if I didn’t enjoy it. Otherwise o might read it again! I love my books.
#AnythingGoes
I just can’t bring myself to view books as clutter.
I totally agree – I can’t throw my books away. What if I tell someone about this great book I have read but can’t share it with them? Most of my books aren’t done with after reading xx
Same here – I regularly reread books. To me this is like wearing a dress and looking fab in it and then throwing it away.
I am a natural declutterer too. I have more than 30 books, though. I save books that have a special meaning to me, but not all the books I have read. Friends of mine have Little Free Libraries and I usually wind up donating about 80% of the books I read to them.
That’s a great way to get rid of them without feeling like you’ve just thrown them away 🙂
When it comes to pretty much most things particularly getting organized and de-cluttering, I normally follow what works best for me and leave those that don’t make sense to me. So when it comes to Marie Kondo method, I follow some and dismiss some. 😊 #AnythingGoes
I pretty much throw away things I don’t need and keep those I do haha
I’m the same as you when it comes to clutter. If I haven’t used it after a while, then I get rid of it. Since I live in an apartment I only have so much room, too, so I don’t keep a lot of physical books. That’s why ebooks are great. I can had a ton on my kindle and not take up any room.
Would you believe I don’t even have a Kindle lol. I have the app but I only use it for work purposes really
I don’t think books should count as clutter. I find it completely abnormal if I enter a house and don’t see any books or at the very least a kindle sitting around somewhere.
Me too!
We have tons of books, and kindles too that also have lots of books. I do love my Kindle these days, I can have as many books as I like and they don’t look a mess anywhere. 😉
#bloggerclubuk
I don’t have a Kindle – I’m a dinosaur when it comes to reading, I like a physical book
I don’t know who this Marie Condo is but I definitely have more than 30 books. What is she thinking? Is her mindset on people who rent books from the library versus those who buy? I buy my books because I like to keep them. I even still have the books I used to read to my kids when they were small. Not the baby books mind you. Their mouths were on those and they got thrown away for that reason but I have a shelf dedicated to their favorite books I used to read to them every night. Unless that counts as hoarding but even if it did I don’t plan on throwing them away that’s for sure. #AnythinGoes
I just don’t think she “gets” books. I love that you still have your kids’ favourite books
Debbie, I agree with you. But I have known a few actual hoarders who really would have benefited from thinning out their book (and everything else!) collections. As you said, books are so much more than “a thing.” Thank you for hosting the link party.
Haha people would most likely say that about my book collection!
I have been working on decluttering, but the books stay!
Yes! Books always stay
I’m not a hoarder but my husband is. He just refuses to throw anything away – even though he knows it needs to go. It drives me up the wall. But yesterday, I managed to get down to the tip with a car load of stuff. It made me feel better – next week, I intend to do a bit more x #AnythingGoes
That would drive me mad too! x
I am now trying to give books away (or find them homes elsewhere) but I do find it hard. Even some of the kids picture books I’ve had to keep because it was too hard…but in the end, it will have to be done so I am trying to be ‘kinda’ ruthless now…with varying degrees of success….Good post.
I don’t think I could follow her motto either; I too dislike clutter and I clear out areas frequently but I use my own set of rules on what to keep and what to toss. I too have a pile of books waiting to be read but I do tackle a few every now and then and whittle them down but then I’m gifted more… I won’t hold onto a book I have no desire to read but I wouldn’t toss a book I haven’t read yet that I’d like to!
i love a good declutter just not her way lol