Did you really think I was going to overlook books? That I might allow you to ignore the towering bookshelves in your living room. Shelves filled with “books-that-I’m-never-actually-going-to-read.” Today, we are letting go!
Over the years, books generate the most passionate discussions. Very good arguments are made to keep book collections. I wonder if people fear they might lose the knowledge gained from the book if they give it away? Actually, I think they want to keep the feeling they had when they read the words. There is a sentimental attachment to books.
Especially the ones we get lost in. Books you cannot put down. The ones for which you will ignore work, spouse, and children. I have no idea what happened during the days I read Water for Elephants. I was unable to speak or look up during that time. Then, I was sad when it ended. I felt this way about The Help, The Nightingale, Half-Broke Horses and The Harry Potter Series.
And yet, I keep reading. Because I know I will find more like this. Books that challenge me to grow in my faith. Ones that inspire my writing. Others that teach me new things.
Reading is good, owning is the problem. There was a time when I was reading less and yet my collection was growing. I felt a renewed interest in reading when I purged nearly all of them. There was a weight lifted. I felt free to read new titles. I joined a bookclub. And now, I read more than ever.
At any given time, I read 4 books. One with my son, one for me, one devotional and one for bookclub. The best part…I carry them everywhere on my Kindle and Kindle App. Which leads me to the second most passionate discussion I encounter…e-reader vs real books. I love my e-reader, but you might not. I borrow nearly everything electronically from the library and purchase just a few e-books.
Decluttering Challenge Day 22
Count – Let’s start by counting your book collection. Yikes! Office, home, attic, garage, all of it! Reduce by 25%.
Stop Shopping – If you own many unread books, commit to not buying new ones for 6 months. Give yourself a deadline for reading them and then donate. Remember, the goal is to read more so if your current collection is unappealing then you’re ready for a clean slate. But this time, leverage your local library or a Kindle.
Wishlist – Start a list on Amazon or Goodreads to track what you want to read. Resist the impulse buy.
Donate – I like to donate and support the local library. They re-shelve or sell donated items.
Remove a Bookshelf – The easiest and most effective way to declutter is to remove furniture. Now that you’ve counted your books, consider how much space makes sense to dedicate to storage. Kindle requires almost no storage and transports easily. 🙂
Do you struggle with books too? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
We just went through our books today. My husband purged his books. Even found some computer manuals from over 10 years ago. I’m still not sold on e readers. I have a Kindle but prefer a “real” book especially for a devotional or bible study. But pleasure reading (when I have time), I like them. Still many books to go, but we donated some and are going to be giving some to friends and family that could appreciate them. Great tips. Keep em comin!
Melanie – thank you for your comment. I thought about old reference books this morning. I will include in a future version. GREAT point – much appreciated. Reference books/computer manuals lose their usefulness very quickly. I am so glad this post helped. I respect you are not sold on e-readers. My devotional book is paper too. I’m highlighting and writing in the margins every morning. 🙂 I think you have hit on a good compromise for using the e-reader for pleasure reading or a real book from the library. I’m on board with both. Thanks again!!!!