How to Marie Kondo Your Books

And make sure they go to a good home

There’s a vicious rumor going around the internet that Marie Kondo makes you get rid of all but 30 of your books.

Some of you may have heard this and tuned her right out. As a book lover, I get you. Parting with books is akin to parting with old friends. It’s like saying, Thanks for all you've done for me but I am going to let you go. Good luck. I hope you get cared for and not burned or thrown in the garbage.

Definitely not how we treat our friends, right?

But not to worry, Marie Kondo is a kind, gentle soul who makes no demands on how many books a book lover should keep. She teaches you how to make those decisions for yourself by only keeping the things that bring you joy.

Now, hold on, I know all you book lovers are saying out loud, “But ALL my books bring me joy!” But that’s probably not completely true. That tattered, dusty, copy of The Odyssey that you read in seventh grade? Really? Maybe. But not for me. It was easy to part with that one.

And so my first ever downsizing of the books began.

First, find joy

When I was challenged to downsize from a house that I had foolishly thought I would live in forever and had filled with all the things that made me happy — including hundreds of books — to a house half the size with no basement or attic for storage, I did not think it was possible.

Books alone were a challenge. I loved them all. From the frayed copy of Gone With the Wind to the gnarly old paperbacks from junior high to the myriads of children’s books my kids had cut their teeth on. How could I do this?

Marie Kondo was not a household name just yet so I had no simplifying mentor to call on. I just gritted my teeth and dove right in.

I did what Marie recommends: took all the books off the shelf and touched each one. Why did I have it? Had I read it? Would I read it or reference it again? Could someone else use this book now?

Paperback Swap to the rescue

As I prepared for my huge moving sale, I thought that it was time to part with many of these books. I first listed them on paperbackswap.com and the response was tremendous.

Books I had been hoarding for years (read and unread) were requested as soon as they were posted. Some had been on other members’ wish lists which means they may have been waiting months or even years to obtain a copy. That showed me that I had been holding onto books that others were desperate to read.

Day after day, books went out in the mail to Paperback Swap members and my credits on Paperback Swap racked up. But what would I do with all those credits if I was trying to downsize books? I allowed my kids to log in and order whatever they needed or wanted (they lived on their own so I didn’t have to worry about overflowing bookshelves again!).

I also donate dozens of credits each year to a deserving school via Paperback Swap’s school donation program. The schools get to log in and request books for their classrooms and libraries. It feels really great to support schools whose books were destroyed by floods or hurricanes or to get books onto the shelves low-income, Title I schools that need more books to place in the hands of children.

Matching books with needs

At my moving sale, I organized the books according to topics and labeled each section so browsers could easily shop. To my delight, the books were flying off the shelf!

My young neighbor was getting her teaching degree so her parents bought out my children’s book section along with several teaching books and poetry anthologies for young children. I sent her off with ideas for how to use the books in the classroom and a giant grin on her face.

The woman who supported a ministry for women in prison was about to buy my entire Christian book section but I gave them to her for free.

A book is a ticket to the future and literacy creates endless possibilities. I wanted to be part of the future for those women.

Circling back on the idea of joy, I found that my joy was immense when I saw how the books I had been holding onto were bringing joy to those who received them.

Hoarding is not a joy-inducing activity. Giving to others is. So if you are fearful of making tough decisions about what books you should give away, don’t think about what you are giving up, think about those who will receive the blessing.

That was 2016 and it didn’t take me long to refill my bookshelves with new and interesting titles that I fell in love with. It didn’t help that the thrift store in my new town sold books for $1.00.

Keeping up with minimizing

But it was time to do it all again in 2019 as we downsized once more and I had to make more ruthless cuts. Paperback Swap mailings went out regularly as did books into the hands of friends. The rest went back to the thrift store where if they did not sell, they would be placed outside in a box labeled FREE for the many low income and English language learners in the community.

I still have 100+ PBS credits and still buy new books from Amazon and used book stores, but I also have discovered SCRIBD. It’s a fabulous resource for reading books online or listening to audiobooks on the go. And for the low price of $9.99 a month, you can’t beat the selection. Usage is unlimited so at any given time I can have a few audiobooks to listen to while I drive or clean and a book or two online to read. And my bookshelves stay minimized!

Keeping up with a minimalist lifestyle requires constant editing and self-control over purchasing new items and this includes books. By applying Marie Kondo’s J-O-Y method of decluttering and by keeping in mind those I am blessing with the books I part with, I’ve learned to keep my inner book lover happy while maintaining an uncluttered home.

Share your tips for parting with books!

I’ve loved books forever so it only made sense that my life’s calling was to teach others to read. Learn more about teaching children to read and raising a lifelong reader by following Raise a Lifelong Reader. ~Mary