If you love home organization or Netflix, you’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo. This tidying-up expert has transformed households across the world by asking one simple question: Does it spark joy? Rather than view living spaces with disdain and focusing on what to remove or change, Marie focuses on what we love and need to live the life we envision for ourselves. 

A while back, I went through my entire house using Marie Kondo’s principles and rid myself of excess stuff: clothes, kitchen supplies, towels, unneeded duplicates and even keepsake items. But I drew a hard line at weeding through my books.

Um, no. 

I am a book collector. I love books on my bookshelves, books in baskets in each room of the house, book stacks on my desk and counters and books beside my bed, too. When I run out of room for more books, I head to the overloaded, extra bookshelf in our basement or box them up to read later or share with others. My books are everywhere and I was told that, if we ever move again, I must carry my own boxes of books. And I’m okay with that. 

But. 

I also know that having a book collection overflowing with books can have reading side effects: the visual clutter can cause overwhelm, the books are likely unorganized and hard to find and it can make deciding what to read next even more challenging. And the idea that all of those books are sitting there waiting patiently to be read, but might not be, saddens my reading heart. Besides, weeding our bookshelves opens more space to welcome new books into our lives, books that are likely more relevant and suited for the season of life we are currently in, not where we were when we originally purchased the book. 

So, I’ve adopted Marie Kondo’s principles and applied them to my reading life to intentionally curate my collections, both on my physical shelves AND on my too-large digital TBR shelves (more on that in a later post). Here’s how you can, too.

Know Your Why

First, before you even get started, articulate why you are choosing to cull your book collection. Clearly stating your ‘why’ behind this work will give you the energy your bookish heart will need to tackle it. Say it out loud. Are you sorting through your books to gain:

  • a cleaner and refreshed look to your bookshelves?
  • additional space for new titles and genres?
  • a chance to sift through your reading life past and plan for the future?

Whatever the reason, define your why and hold it close throughout the process. 

Remove & Sort

Next, pull all the books off of your shelf so you can literally see and touch each one. This contact is important. Quickly glancing at the titles on your self will not suffice. Pick up each book and sort them into two piles: read and not read yet. 

Review the Books You've Read

Then, head to the stack of books you’ve already read. Pick up each book, say the title and author out loud and fan the pages. Saying the title out loud will jog your memory of the book and fanning the pages will highlight any dog-earned passages, bookmarks or sticky notes, all signs you loved the book. If this process does NOT jog your memory of the book, then that’s a sure sign you might let it go. 

Make a decision to keep or donate each book. Is it a book that you read, loved, remembered and want to keep? Yes? Well, why? If you have a compelling reason to keep the book on your shelf waiting patiently for another reader that might never come, then do so. If not, set it aside so you can pay it forward to share with a reader who will love and appreciate it. Continue the process until you have sorted all of the books into KEEP and SHARE piles.

But don’t put them back on the shelf. Not yet!

Review the Books You Haven't Read Yet

Next, it’s time to head to the stack of books you have not read yet. Just as with the books you’ve already read, pick up each book and say the title and author aloud. How do you feel? Does the book register in your memory? Does it tug at your reading heart? Or do you feel nothing at all? Use that gut feeling to decide whether to keep the book on your shelves or donate to others. These questions might help you decide: 

  • Do you remember when and why you purchased the book? 
  • Are those reasons still relevant in your life today? 
  • Do you remember who recommended it to you and why they thought you might enjoy it? 

If you can answer these questions and are still interested in the book, keep it. If not and you do not feel any tug at your reading heart, then pay it forward to another reader. 

Now, there are two steps left: to reorganize your newly culled reading shelves and decide on your donation strategy.

Reorganize & Reshelve

First, let’s reorganize. Organization of your bookshelves is a personal process that should be based on your preferences and wishes as a reader AND your desire for organization and accessibility. Here are a few methods you might try: 

  • Shelve books by reading status: read and not yet read
  • Arrange books alphabetically by author last name
  • Categorize books by genre and/or format
  • Sort books by hardcover and paperback
  • Cluster books by your mood for reading
  • Visually display books by color, size and/or shape
  • Celebrate favorite books in a showcase

Choose a method that speaks to your bookish heart and experiment with combinations of strategies, too. You might have a TBR shelf arranged by genre. Or an alphabetically arranged shelf within a certain genre. The choice is yours.

Donate Books Forward

Lastly, it’s time to get your excess books into the hands of its next reader. Here are a few possibilities:

  • Donate adult books to your local library.
  • Donate children’s literature books to your local school. 
  • Add a few books to a Free Little Library in your neighborhood (or start your own!)
  • Gift them to family and friends with handwritten recommendations
  • Declare yourself a book fairy and leave a book in a random place for the next reader to find. 

Once you see the possibilities for pressing books into the hands of its next reader, it doesn’t seem quite so daunting, does it?! Culling your book collections is a necessary stage of the reading life: sharing books that no longer serves you to others and better appreciating those that have made the cut for years to come. 

So, how do you feel about weeding your bookshelves and culling your book collections? So, set a date on your calendar and get started! I created this handy decision tree to make the process as easy as possible. If you’d like a version to download and print, just click the image below!

What strategies work best for you? I’d love to see the ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures of your bookshelves and/or library! Share in the comments below or tag me on your favorite social media platform at @AffinitoLit!