Looking back on it, I’m not sure whether it was Joshua Fields Millburn or Joshua Becker that wrote it when I was first introduced to minimalist literature in 2020 – but one Josh discussed the hows and whys we keep books on display.
Haha. Honestly it still makes me laugh to think about the reason I used to keep my books on display in my living room. I actually used to think that people would walk through my front door, take a look at my book collection and use the titles as conversation starters. Or at least, look at them and realise how much of a well-rounded person I was. *Cringe*.
I’ve never been much of a reader, and the truth is I hadn’t even read half of the books that sat on the shelf. The more I thought about it, the more I saw these books as a burden. I realised that they were in fact adding weight to my life. They were a constant reminder that I don’t read as much as I would like to. Like a neglected puppy sitting in the corner of the room, staring at me for attention.
I don’t have many books these days, but this week I decided to once again cull the book shelf(/ves). This may be harder for those who haven’t ditched any books, and especially for those who find a lot of joy in books – but that person isn’t me, ladies and gentlemen. I threw out the fiction books that I’ve been meaning to read or finish for years, and I threw out the non fiction books that I started but never finished and haven’t had any desire to finish in the last 6 months.
My new philosophy is that if I want to read a fiction – I would probably buy one before heading to my cupboard. My little library now sits in a corner of my bedroom; a particularly personal space.
Now now, calm it bookworms. I didn’t “throw” out my books. There are plenty of book swap stations around – often in coffee shops. There if one in my local cafe, and one in the Starbucks at the cinema where I live. Next time I head to the cafe I’ll be politely popping my titles on their shelf. Who knows… Maybe they will even start a conversation!
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