Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Robyn Devine.
It is unmistakably comforting to curl up in a thick chair with a tattered copy of a book you love, listening to the rain while you let yourself get carried away by the words on the page. I know – I used to hoard books. Don’t let the title “minimalist” scare you off – I have a love of books that dates back to my years toddling around with Dr. Seuss, a love that was handed down from my mother.
Until just a few years ago, books were stacked everywhere in my home. My two huge book cases were double-stacked with volumes ranging from children’s fiction to college text books, and piles had formed next to couches and the bed, not to mention on any available surface. I could not imagine my life without these friends surrounding me – the very thought of letting go of just one was enough to send me hurling at my shelves, attempting to wrap my arms around every book I owned in protection.
Today, I am the proud owner of approximately 20 books – six of which are craft books. To move from one extreme to the other took some serious work, and was not an overnight process. It started with the realization that I was not so much attached to the stories and words themselves, but the physical books sitting on the shelves. Once I had that realization, I began to let go of some of my books, and moved slowly towards a more minimalist reading collection.
The best way for any book-collector to tackle their bookshelves is by looking at one book at a time. When we look at the whole expanse of our book collection, it can be hard to imagine ever letting a single book go, but in reality there are volumes hiding on those shelves that we truly don’t need or want. Taking time to pull a book down off the shelf and truly look at it as an individual item will help you decide for that book alone if staying on your shelves is the best option.
Here are a few suggestions to help even the biggest bibliophile relieve your sagging shelves of stress:
1. Write It Down.
Sometimes, it’s the way a book made us feel, our connection to the story or a character that keeps us from letting go of the book itself. Take some time to write down those feelings, those connections. Maybe you’ll keep these notes on your computer or in a notebook, or maybe you’ll begin a blog for them. Once you get those emotions and thoughts out, it can be easier to pass the book on to someone else who you think would love the story as much as you did.
Tiny Action: Grab a notebook and start writing down your thoughts about each book as you take it off your shelves. If you can’t think of anything to say, you probably won’t miss the book if it weren’t there anymore.
2. Divide. Get ruthless with your “yet to read” pile.
My rule of thumb is simple: If it hasn’t been read in six months, it probably won’t ever be read. I went so far as to test this theory myself as I found books on my shelves I hadn’t yet read, but couldn’t yet bear to let go. I dedicated a shelf to “need to read” books, and noted the date. Any books that started out on that shelf on that date but were still there six months later I purged – I had discovered I truly had no desire to read them!
Tiny Action: Let go of any book you haven’t read yet that has been on your shelves for more than six months. Afraid you’ll want to read it someday? Make a note of it in your notebook – title, author, ISBN number even – so you can find it at the library if you truly want to read it later.
3. One of the best ways to make use of your book collection is to share it with others!
As you look at books, anytime you find yourself thinking “So and so would LOVE this book!” write that name down on a sticky note, stick it on the front cover, and set the book aside. After you’ve got 20 or so books in a pile, begin handing them out – drive to friends’ houses and drop them off, or put them in the mail (book rate shipping is SUPER cheap).
Tiny Action: Pick five books off your shelves that you’d love to share with someone else, and then send them off to their new homes. Today.
4. Set aside one shelf of your book case as your “desert island” shelf.
Most book lovers have books they know they will never let go of, no matter what. I call these “desert island” books – they are the books I’d want with me if I were stranded on a desert island, that I could read over and over again for the rest of my life. As you come across these books in your collection, add them to your shelf. Not only is it comforting to see those books being saved as you pare down others, you now have a physical boundary – you can have no more “desert island” books than will fit in this one space, so you are forced to think analytically about your collection.
Tiny Action: Clear off one shelf to keep as your “desert island” shelf. It can only hold one row of books – no double stacks or piles!
5. Organize your non-fiction books by topic.
I found when I began to organize my non-fiction books by topic, I had overlaps in some subjects. For me, the largest overlaps came in religious studies (my major in college). As I saw where I’d doubled up on topic, it was easier to let go of a few books.
Tiny Action: Organize your books by topic and author. Begin to pare down where you see overlaps.
6. Look for multiple copies, and get rid of them.
You may laugh, thinking you would NEVER buy a multiple of a book, but trust me when I say I’ve found multiple copies of books on the shelves of almost every sentimental bibliophile I’ve met. Once you have more than a shelf or two of books (not a book CASE or two, a SHELF or two!), the chances of your remembering what books you own dwindles. Even if you love the book, there is never a need to own more than one copy of it!
Tiny Action: Every time you notice a multiple of a book, immediately give one copy away.
While going through this process, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Take breaks. When I first began paring down my books, I would get dizzy after 15 minutes!
- Take five minutes to step away anytime you begin to feel overwhelmed – this is a new experience for your body, and it takes some getting used to!
- Stay hydrated. I found I would get drained and tired as I went through my books – keeping a glass of water next to me helped keep me alert and focused.
- Set a timer. Sort through your books for no more than 30 minutes the first go-round or you will find yourself getting frustrated and overwhelmed.
- Honor your emotions. Your sentimental attachment to your books is not something to feel ashamed of or sad about. Acknowledging your emotions as you sort through your books can be the first step in helping you move past that attachment and towards a more minimalist reading habit.
- And above all, remember this: you did not acquire those books overnight, so you will not release your attachment to them quickly either. By spending a few minutes a week and by letting go of a few books at a time, you will find your feelings shifting towards the stories and the moment rather than the books themselves.
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Wondering how to get rid of books? Consider donating them. Here’s a list of 20 places you can donate your books.
For more help with decluttering, see our list of 10 creative decluttering tips.
Sharon says
Your attachment to your “minimalism” completely negates any good you are achieving. Sure, if you have too many books you don’t read and other people could benefit from them then great, if this is just yet another exercise in superiority then don’t bother. Stuff, books, lots of them, can be helpful, joyful, reference, memories, so much more so than that pretencious “minimalist” tool the kindle. “minimalism” – such an overused and misunderstood term in any event – has nothing to do with selling off every thing you own but learning to live with a clear mind and heart even when there is nothing to be had. This is just another aversion therefore another attachment. It’s not healthy or heart warming just pretentious
Teresa says
For the lady that commented about “staying hydrated?” I found your comments to be rude, but you are entitled to your opinion. Maybe you are in such fantastic shape that this advice does not apply, but as a person that currently has 2 entire rooms of books to sort through, I found it a good reminder. If you take the weight of one hard-bound nursing textbook and multiply that by 50, and then start lugging those around a few shelves, let’s see how long it will take even the most fit person to work up a sweat.
I also did not find the author to becoming across as pretentious. On the other hand, I found the negative comments to be so. Are you perhaps jealous that you can’t get rid of your own stuff? That is how it comes across to me.
My understanding of minimalism will have a different meaning than many other people’s. For me, becoming minimalist means removing all the baggage in my life-negative, emotional, physical (stuff/clutter/belongings), and being more in control of what comes into my life (avoiding advertising and conference ‘swag’, freebies, etc.), so that I am much more happy with the things that I have. There will be less to store (eg. books), and less to clean, and more time for other things.
One of the big ideas behind minimalism is about learning to control things instead of letting the stuff/clutter/thoughts/negativity control you. This will be achieved in different ways by different people.
Maybe you are rich and able to afford people to care for all your stuff? As I said, it sounds more to me that you are simply jealous…
To the other lady that commented about “Being here.” Yes, that is an interesting question. Why would a person come to a blog such as this if they don’t care what it holds? Take what suits and leave the rest, but don’t have a hissy fit and throw a third grade temper tantrum over a blog post. Lol.
Get a grip is right! Oh, and for it is worth? I happen to know quite a number of people that would be classed by the average person as minimalist (nuns, monks, ordinary people). They are not attached to their stuff and live simply. There is much to be learned from their example and way of living. They are some of the happiest and most content people I know.
Sorry you woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I hope that things pick up for you.
Mels says
What an angry, pretentious person you sound like!
John Wolf says
She really took time to write a post, I don’t think she’s pretentious.
Rose says
What a lovely post. I love that you include the power of acknowledging our feelings and thoughts that we connect with each book. I am preparing to move from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest and am drastically thinning out my herd of books! I did it before during a big move so I know there will be more books to fill my heart again once I settle into my new home. I have been going through my books 8-10 at a time, giving myself time to look through each one for a moment, and then lining them up to take a picture of the group before hauling them off to a local bookstore that buys used books. The whole taking a picture thing seems to make it easier to know I can always look at them if I am trying to remember a title or find the book sometime again.
Kellen says
My local library is tied into the Links+ borrowing system, meaning patrons have access to books at libraries up and down the West Coast, including university libraries. For anybody who enjoys reading academic or little known books, this is nothing short of amazing. There is probably not a single book I would ever want to read that can’t be located and borrowed, even if my own local library system doesn’t have it.
For some reason, knowing I have this kind of access to rare or OOP or academic books that would otherwise cost a fortune or simply not be available for purchase has made it easier for me to let go of many of my books and begin the culling process. I’ve been taking full advantage of Links and have borrowed probably a dozen books in the past couple of months coming from all over California and the West Coast. Between my library/Links+ and my Kindle, I’m definitely feeling more comfortable about letting go of books, but yes hanging onto books has been one of the most difficult aspects of embracing a minimalist life. Part of it for me is letting go of all of the actual physical shelving that books require. I’m interested in a completely different look in my rooms containing large and dark bookshelves.
Cindy D. says
Been working very slowly on this one, giving up one book a week, weeding out the ones I have no attachment to. However, last weekend, I sold 7 books on our local buy/sell/trade site and really, unless I look at the pictures of what I sold, I can’t remember the titles. Some of us need to go slower than others de-cluttering. It’s okay, as long as we continue moving forward.
Kellen says
I agree, it has been so very difficult for me to part with books. But I’ve been moving forward. I like the idea of one or a few books at a time being let go. It starts to acclimate us very slowly to having fewer without the “shock” of it occurring all at once, which I would find traumatic.
Wendy says
I have so far reduced my collection of 400+ books down to about 50… I think I can get it down just a tad more with this advice! When I began trying to cut down the initial 400 I did not take the regular breaks as suggested here and ended up breaking down in tears after two hours, I was so distraught at sloughing off so many treasured stories and pieces of knowledge! But each time I return to the task it gets easier.
I think for me the biggest criteria for making it to the desert island shelf is “how does this book make me feel?” Rather than keeping the rare ones, the ones that greatly influenced me, the ones that I strongly feel are part of my identity… I think in the end the best ones to keep close to you are the ones that make you feel warm inside. I love the many cerebral and thrilling items on my shelves, but if I want to read them again I can go to a library. The ones that I really need by my side at a moment’s notice are the handful that can lift my spirit within minutes of opening them.
Mariam says
Hi,
I find your tips and hints very helpfull. As Im newbie in the world of minimalism, my struggle is great with books. I am a literature graduate and a book worm so you can imagine the piles of books my rooms has . I will be using some of your hacks getting rid of some books also you got me when you mentioned the sentimental attachement to certain books and novels . Thank you for making it easier.
Lauren Oliver says
The Author: Lauren Oliver
Holden Caulfield says
Mr. Salinger, whose job has actually shown up in The New Yorker as well as
in other places, informs a story well, in this case under the special troubles of casting it
in the form of Holden’s first- individual story.
She is the solitary individual that provides and simply
in time– the love that Holden requires.
bill b says
Great article. As a relatively “new to retirement,” college art teacher. You can imagine the size of my collection of books. I tried “book crossing,” a great site for repurposing books. But most on my books are not often sought after by others in our community. So I found a Zen center in New Mexico to send my Buddhist philosophy and practice books and a small Art institute to take my Art Books. I kept about 20 of the ones that I read over and over. Actually I mosty look at the pictures over and over, being an artist. It was a long and difficult task, but this article would be a great help to someone starting the process. Now comes the prospect of relocating some of the mass of paintings that are “children” that only their parent could love. Looking for a place that they will be loved, not judged, just loved. Or maybe a place they can hide, where they can quietly wait for future adoption. Do we all have things like that? Probably if we are “Makers” we do. But the problem of “attachment” is something we all face, one way or the other.
Wendy says
Thanks to the Kindle app I have been able to part with most of my books. I slept with books. I would say though that I DID frequently re-read most of my collection constantly!