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 because 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 will find more like this. Books that challenge me to grow. 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 take 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 electronically from the library and purchase just a few e-books. The library still lends regular books too. 🙂
But books are SO HARD TO PART WITH!
I know! You’re struggling to let go. You are not alone. But if you’d like to read more, here’s what I recommend.
Count – Let’s start by counting the collection. Yes, all of them! Office, home, attic, garage, etc. Set a goal to reduce by 50%. Or more. Books took a few passes for me. But when I acknowledged the burden I felt to read something that was no longer interesting, it was easy to let go.
Curate Your Collection – I have a small collection of physical books. Less than 10. They “made the cut” because I reference them frequently and the notes recorded inside. Consider selecting books like this to keep and pass on the rest. Unless it is a very rare edition, you can likely find it again.
Stop Shopping – Commit to not buying new books for 6 months. Give yourself a deadline for reading existing books and then donate. Remember, the goal is to read more. If your current collection is unappealing then start with a clean slate. But this time, leverage the local library or a Kindle. Solicit recommendations from friends and ask to borrow their copy.
Wishlist – Start a list on Amazon or Goodreads to track books you want to read. Resist the impulse to buy each time you hear an interesting title.
Donate – I like to donate and support the local library. They re-shelve or sell donated books which support the services I use.
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. Open spaces give our eyes a place to rest. Removing furniture from a crowded room creates a more peaceful and relaxed environment. Perfect for reading!
Did I mention that Kindle requires almost no storage and transports easily. 🙂
Do you struggle with books? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m in the process of moving, actually I will have moved twice in the last 2 months. This article has helped me to see that I need to start the donation process quickly before I move from the new apartment to my new home. Thank you for giving me the courage to think I Can Do This!!
Nancy – Thanks for your comment and feedback! I’m so glad this was helpful. I believe you can do this! I’d love to hear how the process goes. Best of luck with the move!