How to KonMari Your Books: The Ultimate Guide for Book Lovers

Fellow bookworms, when it comes time to KonMari your books I can feel your horror and hear your internal screaming. But fear not, I’m here to make it as quick and painless as possible. It may even end up – dare I say it – FUN!

Nope, I haven’t lost my marbles. (They’re definitely around here somewhere.) You’re about to curate the best book collection there ever was. 📚

Let’s go!

(Small side note that this post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Your support will go directly to funding my strawberry trifle addiction. 🍓😘)

When to KonMari your books

Books is the second category in the KonMari Method so it’s best you tackle it only after you’ve completed the clothing category.

The order is very important to the Method because it moves from the least rare and sentimental to the most. This allows you to ease in and build your decluttering muscle along the way.

Now, if you’re a true-blood bookworm, you might scoff at the idea that books is one of the easiest categories. You have emotional attachments to them!

Fear not. Whether you’re a casual reader or your home is basically a lived-in library, this post has everything you need to declutter with confidence.

How to prepare yourself to KonMari your books

Mentally

Imagine you’re the ultimate librarian… in the world’s smallest library. It’s your job to curate the best collection of books you possibly can. 🤓

You want it to be filled with only the most swoon-worthy romances, the most swashbuckling adventures, and the most informative tomes.

Don’t settle for a second rate story.

Physically

Books can be heavy so don’t bite off more than you can chew. Only handle/carry a few at a time, and don’t pile them too high or they’ll be in danger of toppling over.

And I know this one will be painful but you’re not allowed to open a book. If you do that you risk getting sucked into it and distracting yourself from the task at hand. (Ask me how I know. 😏)

What if your book collection is extensive?

You don’t have to KonMari your books all in one sitting. If your collection is on the larger side, feel free to break it down into subcategories.

No, it’s not strictly in keeping with the KonMari Method but best to make progress than let rigid rules stop you from getting the job done.

Here are some ideas to get the juices flowing:

• By genre: Pretty standard stuff. You could keep it broad and do fiction vs. non-fiction, or go all out and break it down as small as you’d like. Nobody but you will know that you subcategorised into ‘dragon romantasy’ and ‘vampire romantasy’ to make things more manageable for you.
  

• By letter: Perfect if you store your books alphabetically. Start with the As and work your way through to Z.
  

• By colour: Go by whatever is the predominant colour, so tackle all your blue books together. Speaking of blue books…
  

• By feeling: Sometimes a book evokes a certain sentiment. If that’s how you mainly experience books, use that to your advantage. Totally cool if you have a “storylines that give me the ick but ultimately scratch an itch” category. (Bonus points if you let me know what those storylines are in the comments.)
  

Of course, these ideas are just for inspiration (and funsies) so do what you feel will work best for you. But rest assured that you don’t have to tackle everything all at once.

I have a detailed checklist of everything included in the KonMari Method, where I break down every category into much more manageable subcategories, including for book genres. It’s a great way to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Plus, ticking things off a list? Is there any greater sense of satisfaction?

Should you include newspapers, magazines, scrapbooks, manuals, etc. when you KonMari your books?

Honestly, it’s entirely up to you. Personally I included them because my book collection was small.

If yours is larger, or your energy levels are lower, save them for the paper category.

What about digital books?

Again, this is a judgement call based on the size of your collection. For the purposes of this blog post I’ll mostly stick to physical books, but a little further down I’ll dive deeper into digital books and share some steps for taming the eBook beast.

You can tackle it first, or tack it onto the end of the book category. Or, if you’re not ready to face into it yet, feel free to push it back to the ‘komono’, or miscellaneous’, category of the KonMari Method.

What to do with sentimental books

If you have some books that are very sentimental to you, save those until the final category of the KonMari Method – mementoes.

I have a beautiful antique book that my husband gifted me many years ago when we first started dating. It’s one of my most treasured possessions and so I treat it as such.

The emotional attachment is a lot stronger so, while I do love reading, this one’s a step above.

I also have an old copy of Roald Dahl’s “The BFG” that I’ve had since I was a little girl.

I was always a bit of a bookworm but this is the first book I remember falling utterly in love with.

How to know if a book sparks joy (even if you haven’t read it)

I know, I know, as a bookworm ALL books spark joy. But again, we’re curating the BEST collection here, so how do you separate a general love of reading with a love for a specific book?

The by-the-book definition of ‘sparks joy’ (pun totally intended)

For a true ‘sparks joy’ experience, Marie Kondo says you should get a little thrill when you hold the book in your hand. (Remember, we’re not OPENING the book, just holding it.)

You should feel happy and uplifted and like hugging it close to your heart. 💖

It’s pretty straightforward stuff and over time it’ll become easier to recognise that feeling, so don’t stress out if you’re unsure at this early stage.

Struggling to discover what ‘sparks joy’?

What often helps me is to create a benchmark – I find a book that I just know with all my heart and soul is truly special to me (like aforementioned “The BFG”). I pay attention to how I feel when I hold it, and then I use that as my barometer for all other books.

For the books that come close, I keep them.

Additional questions to help hone your ‘sparks joy’ intuition

If your joy-o-meter isn’t fully calibrated just yet, here’s some extra advice.

Basically, books can be broken down into two broad categories – ones you’ve read, and ones you haven’t (yet).

Books you haven’t read yet

This one can be confusing because how are you to know if a book sparks joy if you haven’t even read it?

Pay close attention to how excited you are to read it. Do you want to abandon everything and dive right in? Are you living with the anticipation of curling up with it this weekend?

If so, BINGO, it sparks joy.

Feel free to separate it into a special ‘to-be-read’ space, maybe by designating one specific shelf to TBR books.

But if you just think you’ll get around to it someday, you’re probably better off decluttering it.

In other words, if it’s not a “hook it directly to my eyeballs”, it’s a no.

Books you’ve already read

Be brutally honest with yourself about whether you’ll ever truly read or reference them again.

Some books reveal new things to you each time you read them. You walk away with a new perspective or understanding. Your life is all the better for it.

Those are the books worth keeping.

Others simply spoke to you at a certain time in your life that you’ve since moved on from.

(If you’ve ever re-watched a show you loved as a kid and wondered what the hell you were thinking, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Some things don’t hit the same when you have a few decades under your belt.)

Again, if you’re truly excited to re-read it, keep it.

Extra considerations

The world is full of incredible books, and new ones are being published every day, so you owe it to yourself not to waste time on something you think is mediocre.

Why (re-)read something ‘meh’ when you could discover something magical? ✨

And remember that you can probably pick up another copy at the library or local bookshop if you ever do decide to dive back in. The vast majority of books are easily replaceable.

Likewise, with a reference book or any sort of non-fiction, chances are you can find the information on the internet so you don’t need to keep a physical copy. (Lookin’ at you, encyclopaedias and large academic tomes.)

And with the speed the world is moving at, whatever’s in those books was probably already outdated before you even got through the table of contents. (This thought is what allowed me to let go of all my old legal textbooks.)

If you genuinely think something in there is useful (like a recipe in a cookbook), then photocopy or snap a photo of the relevant page(s) and say goodbye without guilt.

Truth be told, the physical book is rarely what holds value to you, it’s the story or information within.

Donating the book doesn’t erase the information or the impact on your life.

How to KonMari your books

The time has come! Brew up, buckle up, and let’s declutter those books!

Step 1: Take them all down and put them in one place

Yes, you have to find all the books strewn all over your house – bedside table, bathroom, book nook – and bring them to one central place.

(Remember, you can stick with one subcategory at a time if it’s more manageable for you. I won’t tell Marie. 🤫)

Yes, you have to take them down off the shelves; no, you can’t just skim the spines.

I know this seems like such a hassle but trust me when I say you won’t make the same size dent in your collection if you leave them on the shelves.

An optional step is to tap each pile to “wake them up”. Marie Kondo often does this so if it speaks to you, go right ahead.

(Personally I skipped this step.)

Another optional step but one I highly recommend is to snap a picture of your pile. It’ll make the ‘after’ all the more satisfying.

Here’s my ‘before’ photo from way back in 2015. (Forgive the poor quality, I was but a fledgling blogger at the time.)

Step 2: Hold each book in your hand (remembering not to open it) and ask yourself if it sparks joy

How do you feel when you hold it? Are you excited to read it? Or, if you’ve already read it, are you fondly re-living the story in your mind?

For any that don’t cause a little zing of happiness ⚡️, thank it for its service and send it on its way.

Step 3: Deal with the remaining piles

When you’re done, you’ll be left with only the most special books, plus the ones you’re ready to part with.

The discard pile should go into boxes for selling or donating. (I share a few good options a little further below.)

Close up those boxes and get them into your car or to an out-of-the-way place immediately so you don’t attempt a rescue mission. 📦

The stuff you’re keeping goes back on your bookshelves.

Before you return your freshly curated collection, though, dust your books and give your shelves a wipe down. After all, you wouldn’t display a beautiful treasure in a grimy glass case.

And snap that ‘after’ pic as proof of all your hard work.

This was mine and it’s so funny to me now how few of those books I actually still have. Maybe 10?

Please take this as a sign that you don’t have to get everything perfect first time ’round. As time goes on, and as you grow and evolve, you’ll naturally shed more and more.

Back then I started with 66 books and finished up with 31.

If for some reason you want to hear me yap about the process, or you just want to see a fresh-faced Laura (I was but a baby), I have a YouTube video on decluttering my books here.

Did Marie Kondo really say you can only keep 30 books?

A while ago there was a big ruckus online (surprise surprise) claiming that Marie Kondo said you can only keep 30 books. 😱

It takes a lot for bookworms to revolt but that about did it.

The truth is that this was taken all out of context. (On the internet? Shocking, I know. 😏)

Yes, she does offer this as a guiding number, and says that she herself tries to stick to that amount.

BUT Ms. Kondo has always been crystal clear 💎 that if something sparks joy, you can keep it, no matter how much of it there is.

So put the pitchforks down.

My top tips for how to KonMari your books with ease

I’m a card carrying… umm… library card carrier. 🙃 So my book collection is actually quite small.

Still, when I tackled this category of the KonMari Method for the first time many years ago, as I said I whittled my collection of 66 items down to 31.

In the intervening years I’ve done a few little “maintenance declutters” in this category and have learned a LOT. I’ve mentioned some of these already but there are some new ones, and it’s handy to have them all in one place.

Here are my best tips to KonMari your books:

1. Stop being selfish. By hanging onto books you’ll never read you’re depriving a fellow bookworm of the joy of reading. Let someone else dust it off and dive in.
   
2. Take notes or photos of the bits you want to remember. You don’t have to keep a whole recipe book because it has 3 meals you want to try, or a whole book on personal development when you can summarise the key points in a paragraph or two.
   
3. Use your library’s app to check whether they have a copy of the book. If they do, you know you can always pick up another one if you do decide (in the distant future) to read it.
   
4. Life’s too short to read sh** books. Remember how many incredible books are out there. Even if no other books were ever printed, there’s still enough material out there right now to keep you going until the end of your days. You owe it to yourself to seek out the best. You can’t waste time on mediocrity when there’s a whole world of amazingness out there. If it’s not grabbing you after 50 pages it’s totally fine to set it aside.
   
5. If you’re a perfectionist like me who feels you have to finish a book once you start reading it, something that’s helped me immensely is to tell myself I’m just setting it aside for now and I’ll come back to it when I feel called to. This lets me put down a book without feeling I’m giving up. I’m just taking a little break… for all eternity. 🙃

Where to donate or sell your books

Obviously you want to give your books a second chance at life if you can. Here are some options that will help other bookworms find them.

Where to sell your books

• Sell them to a local book store. If your local store has a secondhand section, chances are they’ll pay you for yours. Be aware though that they won’t take all your books, only the ones that are in highest demand (which generally means recently published or a bestseller), and the amount they’re willing to pay will likely be pittance. 🥲 Still a good option if you’re strapped for cash, but don’t be expecting a big pay day unless you’ve got some rare gems in your collection. Speaking of which…

• Bring them to an antique book store. If they’re truly rare and valuable, like first editions or signed by a notable author, this is a good option. 💰

• eBay or other online store. There’s a market out there for almost every type of book so you’re likely to find an audience here. However, weigh up the time it’ll take you to get your book listed, plus the shipping and listing costs, with what you can reasonably expect to get for your book (or collection). A quick search might give you a good ballpark.

Where to donate your books

• Little Free Libraries. These are a wonderful place to donate a few books (and to pick up a few, if anything catches your eye). It’s also a good place to leave some magazines if you’re done with them. Local people are always looking for reading material.

• Libraries. Regular libraries usually accept donations too, either to put on their shelves or to sell to raise funds for the library service. (My local library hosts 2 book sales a year to raise money.) It’s a solid way to support a great service, especially when that service provides free books to the community. Win win!

• Your friends and neighbours. There may be someone in your circle who’d love to read one of your books. Host a book swap, or simply text the group chat to see if anyone’s interested in anything from your collection. Our neighbourhood passes around books and it’s such a lovely way to share the love of reading. And it gives you something to talk about too! Very important if you’re a socially awkward introvert like me. 🙃

• Thrift stores. A lot of these are inundated with books, and some won’t even accept them. But if you’re on your way there anyway, maybe with donations of other kinds like clothes, it’s worth asking if they’ll take them.

And if all else fails, be sure to recycle rather than simply dumping them.

How difficult is it to KonMari your books

It will definitely depend on the size of your collection and your status as a bookworm. A casual reader with a small collection is obviously going to blast through this one a lot faster than a diehard reader.

I surveyed my audience for this one so you’d get a better idea of the broad consensus. Here it is:

You can see that my own answer lies a little more towards the easier side of things but, as I said, my collection has always been quite small because I’m a regular library user. (Read and return is how I keep my collection in check, folks. Read and return.)

Still, most people found this on the more difficult side so don’t despair if you don’t make the biggest dent.

If you stick to the ‘sparks joy’ system and the tips I’ve outlined above, you’ll still make massive progress.

And you can always do a second sweep a few months from now.

How to KonMari your eBooks

OK, before we wrap everything up I want to talk briefly about how to KonMari your eBooks.

I may be struck down for saying this but eBooks are my preferred way of reading these days.

Before you bring back out the pitchforks…

As a perfectionist I hate cracking the spine of a book, marking pages, or in any way tarnishing a tome.

eBooks just make it easier for me to highlight and take notes, and not worry about a stretchmarked spine.

PLUS they’re easier to read at night when my husband’s trying to sleep and doesn’t want a light on, but I’m staying up to read JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER. 🤡

So while my physical book collection is quite small, my eBook collection cracks 4 figures. (Yes yes, I need to follow all this advice myself very soon.)

Now, as far as I know, Marie Kondo has no specific advice on this topic so I’m gonna add my own here, while still trying to keep to her Method as best I can.

Step 1: Find all your eBooks, wherever they are

You can’t physically put them all in one pile, but you can do the next best thing and identify where they all are so you have a comprehensive list.

Here are some places your eBooks might be hiding out:

• The Libby app (or the equivalent app your local library service uses). For me this has various elements because some are books I’ve actually borrowed, some are books I have on hold, and others are on various wish lists within the app. It’s important to jot them all down so nothing slips through the cracks.

• Your Kindle library. Something to note right upfront is that if you borrow Kindle books, the title may still be sitting in your library even though the book has actually been returned. When you try to open it you’ll get a message saying as much. Those can be quick ones to declutter because they’re essentially just placeholders. (Only do this if you don’t plan on re-borrowing. Sometimes an eBook I’ve borrowed will be automatically returned before I’m finished reading it. In that case, when I go to re-borrow it’ll have kept my space. Handy!)

• Goodreads, or any other book-tracking app you use. Chances are you’ve got a wish list on here. Sure, they’re not technically eBooks you’ve bought or borrowed, but who wants a wish list full of books you never plan to read? It’s a WISH list, not a wishy-washy list.

• Apple Books. (Does anyone actually use this?) You might have a few books hidden in here, especially as some books come pre-downloaded. (Or, at least they did… BACK IN MY DAY. 🧓)

• Your computer. You’ve likely downloaded the PDF or ePub version of a book at some point and saved it to your computer. No idea where you saved them? A quick search for “.pdf” and “.epub” should show them.

Step 2: Ask if they spark joy

Now that you’ve done the digital version of gathering them all together, it’s time to apply the “sparks joy” criteria.

Working your way through each list, delete anything that doesn’t spark joy to you. Remember, you’re not opening any books, you’re just looking at the cover to see if you get that fizzy feeling. ✨

This might be trickier with a digital item because you can’t hold it in your hand but, going back to a question I mentioned earlier, ask yourself how excited you are to read the book.

Are you ready to drop everything and dive in this weekend? No? Out it goes. Do whatever’s necessary to delete it from your device.

I know it’s tempting to keep eBooks because they’re not taking up physical space. It’s harder to see the negative impact they’re having when they’re hidden away on a device.

But as someone who’s had to wade through hundreds of mediocre eBooks to find one I actually wanted to read, I can tell you that it does make a BIG difference when they’re all bangers.

No more seeing that dreaded “you’ve already reached the maximum number of holds” message when you’re trying to add a new book you really want to read.

Meanwhile your holds list is full of books you don’t even remember adding.

Or so I’m told. 😏

And there you have it, a whittled-down book collection, full of joy-sparking stories. 🙌

Reward yourself by grabbing a beverage and some snackies, and curling up with one of them.

You’ve absolutely earned it.

And whenever you’re ready, you can advance to the next category – papers. 📑

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