Why I didn't KonMari my books

I love Marie Kondo's decluttering advice, but here are five reasons I'm keeping my books!
Books mentioned in this video:
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Franz Liszt by Guy de Pourtales, translated by Eleanor Stimson Brooks
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
1984 by George Orwell
All books by Tana French (author)
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin
#konmari #booklover #darkacademia
Chapters
0:00 Intro
2:49 Aesthetics
4:32 Avoiding screens
7:57 Ease of access
9:17 Censorship and licensing
11:06 Inspiration
11:36 Conclusion

[@Lou.B]

Book: No batteries required.

[@YunuPolsen]

Every time I walk by my beloved collection of books I feel like I'm being greeted by a dear friend. Like you, I don't mind reading in digital format and really enjoy listening to audio books while driving, doing housework or working on a puzzle, but my collection of physical books is more precious to me than the finest gems. In all other aspects, I have practiced and enjoyed the minimalist lifestyle for the past nine years.

[@Blake4625kHz]

Just a lightbulb with electricity 😄

[@comette4u]

Books spark joy. Enough said!🥰

[@YunuPolsen]

Wise words! ❤

[@lavieestduresansconfiture3912]

Here I am, the woman with a little more than 10000 books. And yes, I read them all, some of them not completely, but a lot more than one, two or even three times. It's like visiting good friends. Some books I reread just because of one or two scenes, a discribed ambiance. I read in french, italian, german, english and if I have to in spanish and latin. We moved 9 years ago from one edge of the country to the other and it wasn't funny to move our library too and I left some hundreds of my books behind. But to live in a new house, in a new city wasn't possible without these friends. It wasn't cheap, it was a lot of effort but worth every penny. On the other side I work with and in my library. Like our huge art library, it's part of our jobs. As a child and adolescent my books saved literally (sic!)my life and still as an adult they are helping me trough tough times. You missed one important point in your video: bookshelves on the exterior walls are a perfect insulation of your house. Ecofriendly and practical. ;)) I although have an e-reader, not a kindle, I didn't want to be the slave of amazon. But my reading is different, I don't dive as deep like I do in a physical book and I forget more. But yeah, great for journeys and when the loved one is already sleeping. The times travelling with a tiny suitcase for the clothes and a big one for the books are finally over.

[@LiteraryHiker]

Yes, books are like friends! That’s a great way to put it. It’s wonderful that you have the experience of reading in multiple languages as well!

[@nula14]

This is my first video of yours. I subscribed the moment you said Marie Kondo "murdered 40 books". 📚

[@olgayaleo729]

ha! so did i....great (reading) minds think alike...

[@manuelahrasky8472]

You had me there, too! 😂

[@carmensjournal677]

I love your explanation. I too was changed by Marie Kondo. For my book collection: it did change. Instead of automatically keeping every book, or buying books because they are on sale, or have a shelf of all the classics because ‘I should.’ I now think more about the books that I keep in my house. I still have 2 book cases and around 300 books,but every book I have means something to me and is a book I want to reread. So I do not stick to her 40 books but every book I have sparks joy and instead of a big library I now have a library of favorites

[@Littlebiglibrary]

"A sense of History" you saying that is the best description I have ever heard for a reason to own a book. As a retired Printing Press operator who started in the printing press/ graphic arts trade in 1975 I Love the Printed Word/Book. The art of printing a book, especially with an old style letterpress can never be replicated. I love the smell and feel of certain paper. And even the smell of the ink used during the printing process. The process of printing books used to be a work of art, in my opinion. You just can't get any of that from anything digital. And I respectfully disagree about how many books you can own. While my books amount to probably less than two hundred, I feel that if you have the space and means and desire and it's not a financial burden, then any amount is fine. At 66 y/o I wish that I had been able to keep every book that I have ever owned. But we moved around a lot when I was young and I moved a lot as a young adult and when we/I would move the first things to leave behind were the books. My home now is small and can not support a large collection( I own mostly paperback books). I'm sorry for the long post but as you may can tell I am passionate about the subject of books( and printing) . I really, really enjoyed this video. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate it and you make a wonderful case for the printed word. -James

[@LiteraryHiker]

It’s cool to hear that you worked in book printing! Yes, there’s something so special about paper and ink. Thanks for the comment - I enjoyed reading it!

[@AZtea4UnME]

Absolutely enjoyed reading your history with print & books. No need to apologize

[@sharonrose5134]

I agree with everything you said😊 I love my books, when I am feeling sad or life is painful I can pick one of my favourites to cheer me up.

[@Brigitte333]

Agree with you 100%! One of the things I haven't heard the extreme minimalists talk about is nonfiction, like art, crafts, sewing, decorating, especially out of print books. I have a large collection of dollhouse/miniature books and various crafting/sewing books. I also have many Midcentury decorating books and magazines that have gotten really pricey in the secondhand market. As far as censorship and editing existing books, I still have my large Whitman copy of "The Night Before Christmas" with Santa and his pipe...I've heard that's been removed from new editions. It's also about time for a re-read of "The Lord of the Rings", my well-worn paperbacks are the 1973 editions. Thanks for this awesome video!

[@JamesRuchala]

There's something hilarious about accumulating extraneous copies of Marie Kondo. Three copies would be 10 percent of one's total.

[@factcheckingyourmum]

I thought the same hahah. Maybe it sparked THAT MUCH joy

[@spikedaniels1528]

Such a superbly satisfying validation and vindication for living a life filled with books. I have at least a couple thousand print books as well as a couple thousand ebooks on Kindle… just relish in the thought of having a library, my library. During my last move, almost a decade ago now, I donated a few dozen boxes of books to The Friends of the Library bookstore, only to “rediscover“ at least a half a dozen of them on subsequent visits - so nice to have them back in the fold…

[@carefreedelight2355]

Haha! That’s exactly what I would do!!!

[@maryfilippou6667]

As a first- time viewer I like that you jumped right into your presentation with clear articulation, setting out your points, no beating around the bush.

[@maypasifiki9360]

Same. I am also a first time viewer. Sometimes I can't stand people beating around the bush 😅

[@daphne4875]

When I was a kid, mom took me to a very old bookstore in Oakland California. The towering shelves and the sweet fragrance of that old book smell will remain with me forever. Imagine my excitement when I first got to go to Powells in Portland Oregon! Same sights and smells, only 40 years separating them. I have a miniature library compared to most of you but all are my favorites. (Will never part with my 20 Nancy Drew books❤❤). "A house without books is like a room without windows." -Henry Ward Beecher

[@davidmartin8211]

Several years ago I went to a bookstore in hot springs, Arkansas. The high humidity from the springs was not kind paper. , most of the books were molding!!

[@annatrajewska1045]

I agree with you completely. I’m on a decluttering journey myself, trying to be quite radical about it, but I am also a book collector. I particularly love old, vintage editions. As a child of high school literature teachers I grew up sorrounded by overloaded bookshelves. Books have always been a huge part of my life. Even touching them, leafing through them, smelling them brings me comfort, joy and peace. My form of therapy, I guess. I regularly get rid of the ones that are unimportant, but I keep and buy the ones I love. I had to adapt minimalism rules to my mindset and I’m happy I’m not the only one 😊 All the best from Poland!

[@victorianoe4728]

I'll personally go through and donate books that no longer serve me, but my friends and I have had a habit of loaning out books to one another, so having the physical copies are useful. Plus seeing a beautifully curated bookshelf is a goal that will be realized as soon as I have the money and time to turn the wall behind me into one. Also, I love being the kind of person that exists between physical and electronic media, especially now that with ereaders, I can read in the car without motion sickness, which is something I could never do with physical books

[@LiteraryHiker]

Great point about existing between physical and electronic media. Each has its place in today’s world!

[@MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm]

My process of keeping or getting rid of books is based on a 5 ⭐️ rating system. I keep anything I rate 4-5 stars, 1-2 stars automatically get donated/sold, and three stars are a gray area. I usually keep them for about a year, then I go through them again and see if my feelings towards them have changed for the better or not. Then I donate the ones that don’t feel like their permanent home is with me. I don’t know how many books I currently have, but it is a lot. Definitely in the hundreds, but probably not 1,000 yet. They’re very important to me and for the very same reasons, especially censorship and licensing, that you mentioned in your video. ❤️

[@cecilie...]

Are we the same person?! My process is exactly the same! With one tiny caveat, I kept the book that annoyed me most at school just to glare menacingly at it from time to time lol

[@MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm]

@@cecilie... 🤣😂🤣 There are times where I wish I had kept the worst book I ever read so that I could show people instead of just telling them about it. I’d probably keep it locked up the way people do with dolls they believe are haunted. 😅🤣

[@menthalightfoot4948]

I did KonMari my books despite being a book lover, because I realized I was using the purchasing & owning of books as a placeholder for identity. I would buy up books, investing in an imagined future self, and then never read them. Owning them made me feel like I was still working towards that, but I wasn't putting in the work. When I went through them, I had to make hard decisions about whether that person was still someone I wanted to be. Now I own less books in volume, but I love the ones I have, and I don't impulse buy books as much as I used to. I also use the library more for exploring new topics.

[@schoo9256]

I did this too. I did a LOT of crying. I was paralysed over one dense academic book about esoteric Buddhism for a solid hour, had an anxiety attack, everything. I couldn't give up the idea that I was the kind of person who would be widely read about EVERYTHING, knew a lot about comparative religion, and was hugely academic for fun. I *can* read academic texts, but when given the choice, unless it is a subject I care about intensely, I just... don't. Had to get over the idea that not reading everything academic in sight is a moral failing.

[@JCornie]

I've always dreamed of having my own library too but don't have the space available in this home, so last fall I purged over 350 books, which was about half of my collection. Rather than asking if a book sparked joy, I asked three things: Have I read it? If no, will I read it; if yes, will I read it again? If I had to move today, would I take this book with me? I appreciate your mention of censorship and history. Roald Dahl was my favorite author when I was young and I'd kept all of my childhood books until my kids each had their own copies and I thought to myself, "It's silly to have so many copies in the house. If I want to read one, I can borrow from one of my kids." So I sold all of mine over 10 years ago. When the publisher announced they were going to sanitize Dahl's books, I went out and bought myself a whole new set so as to have the original stories in tact! Now when my kids move out and take their books with them, I'll have my own set to enjoy, just as Roald Dahl wrote them and intended for them to be.

[@lindaharrison3240]

I enjoyed all your reasons. I read Kondo, too, but I threw her across the room when she said something like "you shouldn't have more than 40 books," or some such nonsense. Who does she think she is?! How dare her tell me how many books I should have. I get worked up just thinking about her.

[@staceycoates1418]

I watched her show. And when she talked about books I was like 'Nope, nope, nope!'

[@tambikhai3601]

If she actually said that, I would agree - but... she didn't

[@lindaharrison3240]

@@tambikhai3601 Good for you, then

[@19Rena96]

@@lindaharrison3240 “I now keep my collection of books to about thirty volumes at any one time.” But that does not mean she thinks you should have only 30 books. That number is just what works for her. THIS is what she said!! Kondo does suggest that your books will probably spark more joy if you get rid of the ones you have always vaguely planned to read or reread and probably never will. But all of Kondo’s advice comes with the caveat that if something sparks joy for you, then you should by all means keep it. “Only you know can know what kind of environment makes you feel happy,” she explains. “The act of picking up and choosing objects is extremely personal.” In other words, if a book-rich environment makes you happy, then you should by all means hold on to your books.

[@gemusefreund7471]

I talked to some of my Japanese friends and nobody knows her, one college told me she is a „western phenomenon“ and I was shook haha (I never read anything by her -.-)

[@user-ld7pv4tn7l]

Living in my own library sparks joy. During the pandemic I always had the opportunity to read and re-read so many books. I do endorse your 5 reasons. With book regards, Lily

[@mediumjohnsilver]

Another reason to keep the collected books is that if you get rid of a book, and later wish to re-acquire it for a reread, it may be pricey. That’s especially true if it’s an old paperback that has never been digitized and has become sought after. Such is the case of many late 20th century horror books featured in Grady Hendrix’s _Paperbacks from Hell._ My own collection has 1,588 books that are stored in a converted bedroom that serves as my library. I keep a list of them in a sortable Word document; that’s why it’s easy for me to get a quick count.

[@LiteraryHiker]

That’s a great point. It does add up to buy books. Your personal library sounds wonderful, and it’s cool that you have them cataloged as well!

[@g.flesch9731]

I love your idea of making a room your library. My daughter was working on a history paper & her teacher asked if she would come to his house because he had a book she could use. We drove over & he had many, many books. How wonderful that he lent her a couple books for her paper. He lived with his wife & kids in a small converted former church.

[@schoo9256]

Do you digitise them?

[@mediumjohnsilver]

@@schoo9256 No, I have not attempted to digitize any of my physical books. I do, however have a CD-ROM set called “Ultimate Library” with 10,000 files (not part of my book count), and I will sometimes convert some of those files to PDF then copy those to my iPad and iPhone. Especially the files that are the pulp adventures of The Shadow. That CD-ROM, unfortunately, cannot run on any computer after Windows XP.

[@davidmartin8211]

It's safe to say that majority of the books printed after 1900 have never been commercially digitized or even reprinted in the last 20 to 30 years.

[@LuminousLibro]

I own over 2,000 physical books and another 800 on my Kindle. And I regularly go through and cull the books, and ask myself if they still bring joy. I’m happy with the size of my collection, and I think that is Marie Kondo’s point. Great video! Love all your insights into why it is important to keep books, but not let them overwhelm your life. I think the type of books that Marie Kondo was ripping pages from were not what we would think of as printed books. They would have been more like notebooks or a bound syllabus or textbooks. If I remember that part of the book correctly, I think she was talking about nonfiction, leftover school notes, manuals, and stuff like that. It would be better to take a picture of the information you wanted to keep though. Not rip out the pages!!

[@anna481]

Before the Internet, I understood why people had a lot of books and bookcases😂. Personally, a bookcase with about 300 books was not enough for me, because I remembered their contents! But I wanted to read something new. 20 thousand books in about three rooms is normal for a private home, if there are books for children of different ages and special books for different professions and hobbies. Many will say - take library books. I was once a regular at libraries, especially as a child. Then I stopped going to libraries for adults because of the poor condition of the books. A book that was taken only 2-3 times ALREADY looked HORRIBLE! With crumbs inside, coffee stains, disheveled. Apparently, the books in the children's library were in good condition, because most children read little and what is asked at school))) When you start buying books for your family and neat relatives to read, there are a lot of bookcases, but not enough space on the floor)))😜 Recently, a large Russian online bookstore that sells paper books conducted a survey on which system do you prefer to arrange books in your bookcase? Apparently they hired an administrator who doesn’t read paper books)))😆 Most of the answers were - where will we put it by force = like Tetris)))🤩

[@David_Alvarez77]

Good video. One problem I find with the idea that one should replace paper books with ebooks is that I primarily read philosophy and much of the literature only exists in print. Academic and/or obscure philosophy books do not have enough market presence to be converted to efiles. Add to that the issues that you mentioned about licensing vs ownership and censorship, and it seems unreasonable to move away from print texts.

[@schoo9256]

Same with occult literature. Obscure esoteric publishing houses go out of business all the time.

[@lynnkibbe2929]

I recently went through my books and sold some of my collection. They were novels I knew I would never reread. It freed up my shelves and I had some money to spend on new books. It was difficult to do but I'm 67 and I'm starting to purge alot of things I don't need.

[@anneroy4560]

I moved from Canada to England with 2 suitcases ... one was full of books. That was a few years back & I now have 4 Ikea style/size Billy bookcases all full ... in fact the shelves are double stacked ... lots of engaging piles on end tables etc. We have no telly. I read & intend to keep on ... many of the books are 2nd hand copies I have found on Abe books ...

[@g.flesch9731]

I love to read. I have some books I have had for decades & I re-read some of them even three times. Those books I keep. I make good use of the local library. If I buy a book & know one read will do, I donate to my library. I love how you collected rocks. Old clothes is the easiest to give away. I have a church thrift shop & give things I truly do not want or can wear for someone else to have. It makes me feel good & it is a form of recycle.

[@kenfreeman8888]

I've also dreamed of living in my own library.

[@PatRoche-ow7li]

I love have a collection of books. I can always find a book to match my mood on my shelves. I feel like it is a great luxury that brings me comfort.

[@hoogmonster]

Books are totemic for me. They are also really an incidental aesthetic that gives decoration to both the room they occupy and the readers mind they once lived in. I do read books on a tablet, but with books close to my interests, personal history and which touched me in some way then they go on the shelf in my lounge where they can be returned to like old friends. I enjoyed your video.

[@Skavop]

Can't beat sitting with a book by the fire in winter. Beats the kindle thing any day. Kindles seem to have you turning pages constantly, whereas books set you dreaming about sentences and ideas contained there. Maybe it's just from being used to physical books, but I do love the tactile thing; the schlliiick sound the page makes when you turn it, and the feel of a book in the hands. It helps you really immerse yourself in what you're reading, I think. There's something lovely about browsing your own bookshelves that digital books can't compete with, too. I found the erasing of books and editing of them to suit the times quite shocking when you discussed it, and it was a really interesting video. I loved seeing your books, too, of course. If I go into someone's house, and they have no books, I become very nervous, because I wonder how on earth we're going to find anything to talk about, since I'm not a TV type either, or even radio, which everyone I meet seems to be surgically attached to, as I suspect I may be, to my bookshelves.

[@SuperPuddingcat]

I gasped when you read that section by Marie Kondo! I used to have have overflowing bookshelves but also take the approach now that I only keep books on my shelves that have meaning to me. I read mostly digitally (except for books that I sourced second hand) If I loved the book I will buy a physical copy for my collection.

[@Diego-wk4xr]

That's relatable. Would you do a 'bookshelf tour video'? I am really interested in how your bookshelf looks like and what kind of book you read

[@bamboolaceway]

I agree with your reasons and will add a few of my own books I will not part with . 1. Art and photography books. You simply cannot reproduce the experience of looking at a Georgia O'Keefe book by seeing it online or on a kindle. Also, as you say, some art gets deemed inappropriate and gets banned. 2. Cookbooks, especially the kind with interesting backstories for the recipes. 3. Knitting and other crafting books. Maybe others can do it, but I simply cannot follow knitting charts on a kindle. And I find that trying to read craft books on a kindle robs me of the pleasure of reading about the craft. 4. Foreign language books and dictionaries. These are hard to replace, and I like to put sticky notes in them to remind me of definitions or context. 5. Poetry books. Again, I like to feel the book in my hands as I read poetry, and besides, Kindle often messes up the spacing on poetry. 6. Children's books, especially the picture books. The art can be so good with uplifting messages, and yet these books often go out of print. I think I counted my books once and was around 800. My daughter tells me that when you have more than 1,000, you are considered to have an actual library.

[@LiteraryHiker]

Great points!

[@susannee.colella6109]

I agree I have many books I do not care what others think about my books they make me happy 💕

[@daphne4875]

Good for you❤. That is what we all need to do!

[@betinaceciliafeld9854]

Loved this video! Also, some of the books behind you sound fascinating. I'll be looking forward to more bookish content from you!

[@LiteraryHiker]

Thank you! There will be a mix of books/hiking content to come.

[@cathyg.9996]

I couldn’t agree more with all of your reasons. I downsized and donated a lot of things that I no longer wanted or needed but I can’t part with my books. I love to be surrounded by books. I have never owned an ereader because I love the feel/experience of physical books.

[@imladris3746]

I enjoyed your video. I currently own just under 400 physical books, but I have over 250 books on my wishlist to repurchase. Yes, I also own a kindle with just over 600 books currently on it. So, not a large physical or digital library. My physical books are authors that I will reread often. My kindle books are more what I consider "throwaway" books: if I don't care for them, I can just archive them and forget about them. But if I buy a kindle book and it ends up being something I like alot, I will buy the physical copy of it. Yes, I download all my kindle books onto my device, I don't leave them in the cloud. But, like you said, you don't actually OWN the books; however, my physical books are mine.

[@bluecannibaleyes]

I can also totally relate to what you said about feeling your progress in a physical book better than with digital. YES! There’s just something satisfying about seeing the bookmark progress deeper and deeper into a book and physically seeing how far you’ve gone in it. I also might kind of have a bookmark collection; it’s fun to get to pick out a different one when I start a new book. There’s just a bigger sense of accomplishment and completion when you get to that last page in a physical book, take the bookmark out, and close it. And I personally love the smell of physical books (well, most of them, anyway...). I’m a person you gets attached to inanimate objects, so I totally understand the sentimental nature of a used book. My copy of Hannibal was originally my dad’s and I think he dropped it in a pool. I reread it recently and just holding that copy in my hands brought me back to when I sneak-read it in the basement as a too-young-to-read-it teenager. Digital could never. As someone who is barely allowed to say anything here anymore, the censorship thing is something I’m well aware of and it’s absolutely horrifying. It’s disgusting what they’ve done to Roald Dahl books. Especially since it’s after his death, so he has absolutely no say in this. Seriously, mentioning Conrad was so offensive and had to be replaced with another author? No, that’s just wrong. It changes the entire meaning for no good reason. And I’m saying that as someone who hated Heart of Darkness. Let the author make the dang literary reference he wanted to, even if you don’t like it. And I’m sure that wasn’t even the worst example of change. We’re truly living in a dystopian nightmare. I’m kind of like you in the sense that I was resistant to ebooks at first but I have been enjoying Kindle lately much more than I thought I would. My eyesight isn’t so great, and the ability to basically make everything large-print in the digital format is starting to win me over. But I still love physical books and don’t see myself quitting them anytime soon for pretty much all the reasons you said.

[@ladyariananorth]

If I'm not sure if I want to keep a book, I'll check the price of a used copy on Amazon or eBay. If it's way cheap as a used book, I know that if I do purge it, and then regret it, I can buy it back cheaply. That knowledge helps me go through books.

[@manuelespinosa724]

I often purchase used copy paper backs and if I enjoy it I may get a new cloth-bound and give the paperback away.

[@vonHolzwege]

Like you, I love books. It was a combination of Swedish death cleaning (I'm in my late 70s) and a (probable) move out of country that led me to cut down my physical books to.a little over 200. I found good homes for my maths and philosophy books, so I'm happy about new readers. The remaining books are essential to me, for the most part.

[@airtwo2270]

yeah, i'm thinking we're gonna need that shelf tour

[@robinboyd1103]

I feel exactly the same! My reasons for not culling my herd of books correlates point by point with yours. As a matter of fact, I'm still looking for some books I want. 📚

[@Mement0o]

There is only one reason for me. Human beings get attached to things and when I read a great book I associate my love for it with that object. That is why people get memorabilia from their favorite shows or games. They need to associate their love with some object that represents it. My books are a constant reminder of the value I have gotten out of reading.

[@lisacarter3952]

We bought some old text books in an antique shop a while back. The most interesting part of them was the writing on the front and back covers. When I showed them to my son he recognized some of writing as the lyrics of an old 1940's song that was background music on a video game he used to play "Fallout".

[@brigidine37]

I agree. A room without books is a room without a soul.

[@kawaiimombear]

I grew up in poverty, so I'm not a fan of minimalism. However, I do keep everything organized so it doesn't look like clutter. I so agree with the aesthetic part of it! I love your bookshelves! I love books but also enjoy Kindle and audiobook formats 😊

[@jimbeard8947]

Arthur W. Upfield wrote about a fictional detective in outback Australia. I've got all his novels in that series. Can't bear to part with them. Don't try to sneak in back of my house and steal them!!! Noooooo.....

[@jimbeard8947]

BTW, since you did your multi-day hike in Grand Canyon recently, you might be interested in Harvey Butchart's and George Billingsley's hiking logs which are extensive but very interesting in sections. Both were explorers in the Grand C and of course Butchart wrote the first three guidebooks for the canyon, long before GPS so it takes some patience to understand his directions. Billingsley is a long-time geologist with USGS in Flagstaff, since retired (more or less) and he did a lot of research in the canyon, both for his PhD and afterwards; my sister worked with him for some years before she also retired. He also worked as a NPS Ranger seasonally, then went on to work some summers on the Colorado River as raft guide. Both these hiking logs are available at Cline Online Library at NAU (Flagstaff). I obtained both and occasionally browse through them. When I first started backpacking into the Grand C "way back when" the only guidebook available was Harvey's. He started exploring in the GC back in the 50's or 60's when he got a job at Arizona College as Math Professor; it later became NAU. So, lot's of good reading. Enjoy.

[@g.flesch9731]

Have you watched The Dr. Blake Mysteries on PBS. Dr. Blake is a doctor & also investigates crimes. Very entertaining. The setting is the town of Ballarat, Australia west of Melbourne.

[@jimbeard8947]

@@g.flesch9731 Watching something on TV isn't the same as reading. When reading, you can stop, put it down, go walk the dog, have a snack, check your emails, etc. Unlike watching something on internet, like a video, you can stop it, rewind it, bookmark it and play it again to check content more closely. I find myself watching something on TV and reaching for the remote to rewind it. But I have a problem watching some shows on PBS, they seem a bit too pretentious or serious. The show is dictating to you, as watcher, what comes next, what you should feel or think. Nah... Nova is kool, though. And I liked that recent Nature show when they put cameras on fake sea animals and cruised around with octopi, seals, and other animals. That was interesting. This Old House (and Ask This Old House) used to be a lot more interesting than it seems (to me anyway) now and I've heard the same sort of complaint from someone else who no longer watches it.

[@laurac56]

As a 66 year old, I find reading on a Kindle easier than a lot of printed paper books. I have many ebooks stored on my reader. However, I have a curated (mostly) collection of favorites and those books that I would like to read, but the used copy is cheaper than the ebook. If I don’t picture myself ever rereading it, I will donate it when I’m done. I have my bookshelves (just 2 decent sized ones) in an extra bedroom that is set up as a den. I can sit on the couch while listening to something and enjoy looking at my shelves. BTW The Secret History is one of my favorite books. I have a nice hardcover edition and also borrow the ebook from the library if I want to read it that way. This year I chose to listen to the audiobook read by the author. It was wonderful.

[@JennyFernBooks]

Well-thought-out video! I also always dreamed of having a library as a child and started my collection young, picking up cheap classics from the thrift store even though I knew I wouldn't read them for years. There are a handful of things I regret getting rid of as a younger person and they are all books (my collection of Scooby Doo books, my collection of Goosebumps books, and some random children's books). I have repurchased some books that I had as a younger person and some I will just never remember even though I wish I could.

[@mariaquintino1670]

New subscriber here. Im really looking forward to more of book videos. Especially a video of your library setup and your collection of older books. Most book tubers mention popular classics and more current books. I would like to see more unpopular older books. Really enjoyed this video and I agree with everything you said. 😊

[@LiteraryHiker]

Thanks for the suggestions! I do plan to make a video about some of the older books in my collection!

[@angellover02171]

If your things spark joy, then keep them. If that means you have a house full of books, so be it.

[@miriamfrigard9614]

After leaving two libraries behind in my lifetime so far. I’m taking your advise and editing my current library. Thank you.

[@lesanimaux4416]

"Marie murdered 40 books" - that was the part that horrified me too. I love her book though (and I still have it - nuff said)

[@YellowRavenInk]

The first time I did apply the Marie Kondo method was great. I did my clothes, my utensils, anything really. Than I got to my books and, damn, was it hard. But I tried to do it anyway even if in a much lighter way. And do I regret it. I gave away some amazing volumes and got rid of some titles that would have been useful to me in the upcoming years. I was really pissed off because I knew deep down that I should have kept them but went against my instincts to follow somebody else's advice. However I did learn to understand which books to keep overtime and which to gift to friends and family whos name would come to mind when looking at the cover. I love gifting the right book to the right person and the notion of ripping a page from a volume or throwing a book away is so absurd to me.

[@britasarkar6285]

This did me a lot of good. I do part with books I don't vibe with, but I buy more than I can read, yet the urge is so strong. Like you, I love having the books at hand, ready to be read whenever it's that time of the day or week or year. I was just wondering if I ought to clear some space by giving away some books I bought with a great deal of trouble but did not get round to reading. It's unjust to do that - so they stay. Marie Kondo, a personal favourite, but bookwise - no, would be like suicide

[@bluecannibaleyes]

I read horror, but the thought of defacing any of my books like that is far more horrifying. 😱

[@Grunfeld]

Thanks. I've decided that my last physical books are going in the next few weeks, and I'm finally okay with that. The point about *licensing* -- that you don't own Amazon e-books -- is really important for me -- and one can rectify that. It was a quite big task to change nearly 2,000 of my e-books to a safe format but at least doing it fixes the issue you've raised here.

[@LiteraryHiker]

Good point!

[@rckoala8838]

With you all the way. Text is one thing, but who wants to look at an art book on a Kindle? It doesn't hurt, though, to prune one's collection once in a while so as to avoid becoming a book accumulator instead of a book collector. When I moved into my house I made myself get rid of 50 books. Of course, that was 40 years and about 2500 books ago! Thanks and happy reading!

[@garlandofbooks4494]

Yep, books are the only thing I’ve ever collected. It’s what I spent babysitting and birthday money on, bookstores is where I would go on my birthday. They are my decorations, almost entirely. Some musical instruments and pictures too. Haha borders rip. I’ve now spent countless hours scouring ThriftBooks

[@rosvw3517]

You’re wise beyond your years! Keep your books. 🙌

[@denisadellinger4543]

I totally agree with you on all the reasons to have books. Especially the censorship.

[@rhondabryant6873]

Thank you for sharing! After watching a minimalist video just today, and hearing “love your today-life” I thought I really should sell the books I’ve kept since homeschooling my children. (Years ago I did get rid of boxes and boxes of books which were readily available at the library.) I just can’t. Like you, a lot of it is the aesthetic. It makes me happy to see them and know they are there. Most of them are OOP, which means they would be difficult to replace. I do hope that one day I will have grandchildren to share them with….

[@debbierussell2830]

Such a great video! I have always preferred holding a real honest to goodness book in my hands, but when the pandemic hit and the library was not an option, I bought a Kindle and was glad to have it, but the reading experience was just not the same. I recently put my Kindle in a drawer and am happily back to a stack of books on my bedside table!

[@kallistoindrani5689]

I do have an Ereader and it's conveniant for sure but I also do regret getting rid of books during my 'minimalist phase'. I am making up for it now thought, buying the books I really want,those that I reread again and again. It's nice to have them and be able to pick them up whenever I want. Plus, my bookcase looks pretty in my flat so yeah.

[@marcgoulding5230]

I remember library book-sales, from the late 70s and early 80s in Bridgeton, Maine, USA! Big paper grocery store bag, $1. My family would spend an afternoon. I get the value of digital books, but I won't ever be able to go away from the physical. Could not agree more with your thoughts.

[@neviswarren]

Wonderful video. I can relate to the points. Thanks.

[@DEVAEGIR]

There is no such thing as 'too many books'. My 'like' is for the inlay "she murdered forty books". I shake your hand, Literary Hiker. P.S. My own collection is around 3-4000. The family library is about four times as many books. The KonMari method, after all, does say to keep what brings joy. :)

[@sharonevans6864]

Thank you. I cannot get rid of my books. I have tried and now I will live with them forever. Enjoyed your video.

[@monikalantos7493]

Books are the best friends.

[@divinemotherwisdom6611]

Great video--also love printed books and believe the right amount is the amount each person feels comfortable with and has space to accommodate. Also, if the "apocalypse" fantasies that so many believe in ever happen or electricity goes away for any other reason, either, printed books will be some of the most valuable items on the face of the earth--just as they were for many centuries.

[@antontaun]

I agree completely; decluttering has its place, but adhering completely to minimalism robs your belongings of feeling truly unique. I collect retro video games and they mean so much to me. I don't think any minimalist argument will persuade me to part with them. They have history and bring me so much joy to look at on my shelf

[@sixtenjohansson4246]

Thank you! So well said and so relatable.

[@olgayaleo729]

hear, hear!! i was so horrified by kondo's description of getting rid of books - and "tearing out one relevant page"!!!! GHASTLY! i've gotten rid of so many objects, but NOT my beloved books (down to about 3,000) - except for marie kondo's book, har, har!! don't need furniture, knickknacks, TV, electronic gadgets (apart from cel phone and pc), and all that stuff - but hands off of my beloved friends, my books! i move a LOT, but packing and unpacking my books, reorganizing and reshelving is excellent exercise (apart from yoga). i've been reading since i was 2, according to my parents. i grew up with bookcases in bathrooms and kitchen (and was shocked to discover that other people didn't live that way). there are worlds, universes, new ways of perceiving and thinking in books, means of understanding and connecting disparate ideas, cultures, emotions, ways of opening your mind and embracing new, well, everything! so in accord with all of your reasons!

[@Eudaimonia88]

"Soothing"..."peace and serenity" .... "the activities we like to do here: reading and thinking"... subscribed!

[@DMoriarty-sk9db]

Thank you. Well said!

[@marielleladt3830]

I agree completely even though I am trying to be a minimalist.... Your analyse isright on. A book cannot be compared to reading on any computer. The result is a fall of knowledge, of critical thinking even.

[@Eldertalk]

I agree, owning only 30 books wouldn't work for me. In 2020 a forest fire burned half my town including my home and most of my book collection. Since then I've collected a lot of books. I can't seem to stop accumulating them. I don't even own a bookcase yet, but eventually I'll have to buy one again.

[@LiteraryHiker]

Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear about the fire! That must have been devastating for both you and the town. I’m glad to hear you’ve been able to build up a book collection again.

[@maryfilippou6667]

Super mature video; great reasoning as I totally understand!

[@Agata_KM]

A very interesting movie! Thank you! I'm staying on your channel :) I'm waiting for the next book videos...😁

[@LiteraryHiker]

Thank you! The immediately upcoming videos are about hiking, but I do have several more book videos I’m working on 🙂

[@EFergDindrane]

I loved hearing about your yearly re-reads. I have some of those as well, and some that I read why my brain needs the cobwebs swept.

[@Jen39x]

Love books always have & it’s wonderful to find others defending the cause. I too agree that weeding is a good idea at least once a decade. It is amazing how one’s favorite reads change across a lifetime. I’m a little over 60 and am dumping a lot of romance/sf/fantasy but don’t worry shelves are refilling with mystery and literature and maybe not strangely religion

[@carefreedelight2355]

Brilliant! You have articulated everything I think of in keeping books. But I cannot bear to be parted from them - apart from old out of date legal texts!!!!

[@spikedaniels1528]

So where did you drop off those old legal texts?? 🥸

[@user-nd5qr5gx4i]

I agree completely- I Kondo-ed everything else, but I too want to live in a library. I have to limit a bit because I live in a little place but gotta have real books!

[@user-xu2xy9ud1o]

What?! 🤯 Kondo murdered 40 books??!! 😲Never knew that. I'm a bibliophile too. I ❤ 📚 📖📔

[@annette681]

I really enjoyed this video. I love keeping books for the same reasons.

[@LiteraryHiker]

Thanks!

[@DEVAEGIR]

Also, re. inscriptions... A book came my way a couple of years ago, that is built on the premise that inscriptions have a history. It is 'S' by Doug Dorst (and J.J. Abrams; yes, the very same; I believe it was originally his idea, with Dorst actually writing it). It is, in a way, two books in one, a volume called 'Ship of Theseus' by a certain V.M. Straka, which comes with extensive marginalia and inlays, notes, postcards and other offshoots of a reader's experience and engagement, all telling a different tale, that of two people reading 'The Ship of Theseus' and making sense of the book and the story surrounding its author. It is not Tolstoy, of course. It is a good book nonetheless, and, of course, a cool idea; I appreciated it as a love letter to book lovers.

[@LiteraryHiker]

How interesting!

[@josh-bodnar]

My collection swelled once I discovered used book stores, like Thrift Books. Too dangerous for me

[@bertasylvia2572]

I collect books, plants and coloring books ( I’m 69 and I discovered adult coloring books) I color while I listen to audiobooks

[@sw3dge]

Great video. Most of my books have been in boxes for a couple years and I can't wait to get them out when I have room for shelves here soon. I'm curious what I've forgotten I even own haha

[@LiteraryHiker]

Sounds like it will be fun to unpack those boxes!

[@malindarayallen]

Marie Kondo doesn't want you to get rid of your books, if they spark joy. So many people get that mixed up. She's not telling you to have the same number of books she does. I wish more people understood that. She's perfectly happy with you having 10,000, if that's the right number for you. I wish she had paid better attention when she read the book. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@Cakewalkingbaby]

Just discovered your channel and really like your content, especially your videos on hiking in the Grand Canyon are wonderful. I am a reader too and love to collect books. To reduce my spendings I try to thrift a lot of books. Last few days I’ve been cleaning and reorganising my bookshelves and got rid of some books. Of a few classics that I Love I have several editions (sometimes because of different covers, sometimes different translations) and wondered if I should keep them but actually some books deserve several copies:) I was wondering what title is the green book behind you from John Steinbeck? Highly appreciated and subscribed 😊❤

[@LiteraryHiker]

Thanks for your comment! I agree, thrifting is a good option for building up your collection but not spending too much. The Steinbeck book is a collection of his short novels: Tortilla Flat, The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men, The Moon is Down, Cannery Row, and The Pearl.

[@ullagomez4990]

I am with you!

[@EpurasMaria]

Hello from Romania! I have a Marie Kondo book and although very dramatic (getting rid of so much stuff?!? horror) it has some good ideas. It made me think of the books I have, do I have them only because it gives the impression that I own a small collection of books and I read, or because I trully like them? It's hard to part with them, I for one think to sell some or donate them to a library. My rules for keeping, at least one should be true: did I like it? would I re-read it? does it have some memories connected to it? will I want my daughter to read it at an appropriate age? did it bring novelty, interesting ideas, did I keep quotes from it? etc. For many books I read them a long time ago and don't even remember what they were about, should I read them again? probably. Anyway, nice video, made me laugh at a point. 👍 All the best! Maria

[@nicky_bee]

"What will you do when you move?" is what I'm wondering every time I move 🙃

[@LiteraryHiker]

Yeah, it is a Real Pain to move with a large book collection. But worth it in the end, I think.

[@seattlerain4809]

I got rid of most of my books and prefer my kindle because it reads to me, like audible that I love, even the text based kindle books that I don't by whisper sync audio with. Kindle voices as of May last year got way better so you can choose different accents and they are pleasant to listen to instead of the robot Zira voice. you can pick male or female. I picked the physical books I wanted to keep - I probably have 100 books or more still. I'm a two time recovering minimalist and hopefully will never go there again. I deeply regret getting rid of things that I shouldn't have. Don't anyone get rid of stuff that you actually love in the name of it just sits here and this isn't minimalist to have this. When you come off that trip you'll find out what you really loved, you knew it at the time, and you shouldn't have gotten rid of.

[@TinaHooper-hq8lu]

I feel the same way about all of my beloved books.

[@spencerburke]

Books are not to be subject to economic or minimalist concepts. Life gets better with more and more books. Unlike any other addiction, indulging in this one makes you a better, more rounded person. When was the last time you bought a book and then thought that it was a serious error financially? Or that it takes up too much space in your home? Very very rarely. Perhaps the writer was rubbish, but that's a different matter. Buy, collect, read as many books as you can in however many years are allotted to you. Life's too short to be worried about thinning out a collection for the sake of artificial restraints, like space, complaining wives, or budgetary problems...

[@58angieb]

...or complaining husbands! 😊

[@fenflies]

I share all your reasons and one more: books make you look cooler and hotter IMO ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Whipping out a book in public: mysterious, sexy, whimsical. Whipping out a kindle unfortunately just looks like another screen and it’s less noticeable that you’re reading, which is not as cool. Lol!

[@LiteraryHiker]

That’s a good one too! Haha

[@bradybunch84a]

@nula14 said "This is my first video of yours. I subscribed the moment you said Marie Kondo "murdered 40 books"." Well I felt the same way! I subscribed. I read that Marie Kondo book and I was agreeing with her until she came to that part of ripping out pages and trashing the rest of the book. I was totally in shock. You expressed it so well, changing the video to black and white and saying she murdered 40 books. Good for you! I did get rid of a few things in my house after reading her book but I didn't get rid of a single book, no sir!

[@LiteraryHiker]

Thanks for watching!