‘Imagine what it would be like to have a bookshelf filled only with books that you really love. Isn’t that image spellbinding? For someone who loves books, what greater happiness could there be?’
Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising
Introduction – How to KonMari your books?
What do you do with a physical book once you’ve read it? There are two approaches. Are you team ‘I need to keep every book I’ve ever read’ or are you team ‘I’ve read it, let me pass it on to someone else ‘?
Most people fall in the former category and struggle to part with books. They probably agree with the below quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero: ‘A room without books is like a body without a soul.’
However, not everyone who hoards books is pleased with their massive book collection. Some people feel it takes over their entire house, while others live in small spaces and physically can’t store them all. Yet others would like to pass on their books so others can read them, but don’t know how. In 2021, I analysed in more detail why people struggle to part with books, so that I won’t repeat that here.
There are many different approaches to decluttering your books, but in today’s article, I want to explain how to apply the KonMari method to your books.
DISCLAIMER: I personally don’t use the KonMari method on my books; I explain my own approach to parting with books in this article.
Who is Marie Kondo, and what is her KonMari Method?
I have written about Japanese Organising guru Marie Kondo on multiple occasions, most recently in an article entitled: ‘The KonMari Method: A Transformative Approach To Decluttering’. Below, I will briefly recap who she is and what her methodology is all about, before explaining how you can apply it to your books.
The KonMari Method is a decluttering and organising technique developed by Marie Kondo, a Japanese organising consultant and author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
Marie Kondo has been tidying since the age of 5. When she was slightly older, she realised that the key to tidying is not just rearranging but also discarding. She started annoying her family by discarding their things without their consent.
At one point during her experimenting, she realised that the key to organising was not only arranging things neatly, but also discarding items…This became the focus of her work.
She even went so far as to discard some of her family’s items in secret. When she was found out, she was forbidden from tidying anyone’s items but her own. (Marie Kondo and the KonMari Method: The Ultimate Guide)
The KonMari method, which she developed as an adult, is based on the idea of keeping only the items that ‘spark joy’ and discarding the rest.
‘The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.’
― Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising
The Key Principles of the KonMari Method are as follows:
1. Tidy by Category, Not by Location
Instead of organising room by room, sort items by category (e.g., clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous items, sentimental items).
2. Follow the Specific Order
Marie Kondo recommends tidying in this sequence:
- Clothes
- Books
- Papers
- Komono (miscellaneous items)
- Sentimental items
- Hold Each Item and Ask, ‘Does This Spark Joy?’
If an item brings you happiness, keep it. If not, thank it for its service and let it go.
3. Discard First, Then Organise
Before putting things away, eliminate the clutter so you only organise what you genuinely value.
4. Store Items in a Way That’s Easy to Maintain
- Use vertical storage (e.g., folding clothes so they stand upright) to maximise space.
- Organise in a way that makes everything visible and easy to access.
The KonMari Method isn’t just about tidying—it’s about creating a home that aligns with your ideal lifestyle and brings happiness.
How to KonMari your books?
So how do you KonMari your books? KonMari-ing your books means applying Marie Kondo’s decluttering method to your book collection. Here’s how to do it in a few simple steps:
1. Gather All Your Books
Take every single book you own from every room—bedroom, shelves, boxes, etc.—and place them in one pile. Seeing the total amount helps you process your collection as a whole and makes it easier to assess what to keep and what to ditch.
2. Hold Each Book & Ask: ‘Does This Spark Joy?’
Pick up each book one by one and pay attention to your emotional reaction.
If it sparks joy, keep it. If it doesn’t, thank it (mentally) for its service and set it aside to donate/sell/recycle. Joy can come from content, memory, or even aesthetics. But ‘just in case’ is not a valid reason to keep it.
3. Don’t Read While Sorting
Avoid flipping through or skimming. It distracts and weakens your decision-making clarity. Trust your initial feeling. It also slows you down.
4. Let Go of the ‘Someday’ Books
Books you plan to read but haven’t touched in years? Marie Kondo advises parting with them. If they were truly meant for you, they’ll come back into your life later.
5. Keep Only the Ones You Truly Love or Need
Books that made a profound impact, reference books you use often or a few sentimental or beautifully bound editions (if they spark joy!)
6. Neatly organise the Books you decided to keep
I have written extensively on the various methods for organising your books.
Marie Kondo suggests arranging your books vertically on shelves, never in piles by category, such as fiction, nonfiction, and so on, or by colour.
7. Donate or Recycle the Rest
Once you have your ‘to keep’ and ‘to get rid of’ piles, consider donating, reselling, or recycling your old books. Check out my suggestions on what to do with old books here.
Conclusion – How to KonMari your books?
As alluded to above there are multiple methods of lightening your book collection and the KonMari method is only one of them. Furthermore, not everyone feels the inclination to part with their books, it’s a personal choice.
trabantbettina
Bettina Anna Trabant, Founder of Life Organised, your professional organising and decluttering service in East London. Eco-conscious minimalist and avid tea drinker,