Every place a book and every book in its place

There’s no need to finish reading books that you only got halfway through. Their purpose was to be read halfway. So get rid of all those unread books. It will be far better for you to read the book that really grabs you right now than one that you left to gather dust for years.

I’ve never read The Art of Tidying Up because I honestly don’t hold a lot of things for sentimental reasons. If I had my way, my entire apartment would look completely different, but when you live with someone, those rules change. You make compromises and sometimes those compromises become a part of you that you didn’t know existed.

When I was younger, I was very organized. A place for everything and everything it’s place. I still believe in that. Even in the chaos of my living situation (I live with my boyfriend), there’s a place for everything and everything it’s place. This is why I never let my boyfriend clean or put away the dishes.

The one part of my life where I feel completely chaotic is books. I have books everywhere. I don’t think I can describe to you the severity of the issue. I have only one bookshelf that is three rows deep with books. There are books holding up my couch right now because we broke one of the screws when we first got it.

I even have a book sitting next to me.

Something about this quote really resonated with me. I look down at the books surrounding me and I’ve somehow created a fortress of paper and ink. It’s a beautiful fortress, but living in the city doesn’t allot you a lot of space. There needs to be a purge.

Perhaps Marie Kondo is right. If books had a purpose, they are either there to be read or to sit on your shelf. I have so many books I’ve told myself that I would read and eventually let go because I know deep down in my heart that I won’t ever read it. When I first bought it, it seemed like a good idea and that was the extent of my relationship with that book. If only a relationship with a book can be lasting and eternal.

However, I think the quote can be used in any situation when it comes to books. If you’re reading and you stop halfway, then that’s where your journey ends. When you feel guilty for not finishing a book because you just didn’t like it, well, that’s the journey you had with that book. It feels more sane and less stressful to believe that buying a book and having it sit in my TBR pile for years is a sign that that was the extent of my journey. It brings me joy to watch it collect dust, but now the joy is knowing that perhaps someone else will pick it up and their lives will change.

I’ve got to clean my bookshelf.