One thing I find helpful is to frame the exercise in a different way; look at it not as culling but rather curating your collection. Embrace it as an opportunity to reassess your reading habits, look at how you’ve changed as a reader and consider the kind of books you’d like to read in future. Thinking about what happens next to your books can also make things easier. If you’re passing them onto a friend or donating them to a charity shop, the knowledge that they’ll bring pleasure to other readers offers some consolation.
In practical terms, the mere thought of decluttering can feel overwhelming, especially if you have a large collection. You can make things more manageable by setting yourself a specific task such as tackling a certain number or shelves or just one subject. Setting yourself some ground rules before you begin will also help. Perhaps you want to keep only certain editions, authors or genres.
When it comes to the nitty gritty of actually removing books from the shelves, start with the obvious and get rid of anything you didn’t enjoy or have no intention of reading again. Duplicates and anything out of date can go too; I cleared a lot of space just by jettisoning old travel guides. Unless it has sentimental meaning, anything tatty or falling apart is also a good candidate. Don’t forget those unread books that have been lurking on your shelves or ‘to be read’ pile for months.
Once you’ve made a start, decluttering can feel oddly liberating, even cathartic so take care not to make any rash decisions. I’ve given away books in the past only to regret it and find myself dashing out to buy another copy a few days later. If you’re not sure about something, put it aside for a little while and think about it.
There are, of course, books I could never part with. My vintage Penguin collection is sacrosanct but what about the rest? We each have our own list of essentials and it changes as our tastes and needs evolve. We discover new authors and fall out of love with old ones. These days I find myself returning to the familiar, books that bring me joy no matter how often I read them. Here are 10 that will survive any attempt at decluttering.
The books you should never declutter
- The Wind on the Moon by Eric Linklater – This wartime tale of two naughty little girls who take on a tyrant was one of my mother’s childhood favourites and it later became mine.
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith – A classic coming of age story and my ultimate comfort read.
- Persuasion by Jane Austen – Regrets and second chances in my favourite Austen novel.
- The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian – I could lose myself for weeks in O’Brian’s world. These are among the best historical novels ever written.
- Gaudy Night by Dorothy L Sayers – Harriet Vane takes centre stage in this Lord Peter Wimsey mystery set among the Dreaming Spires.
- A Room with a View by E.M. Forster – Class, culture and a kiss in a field of violets. Forster’s glorious novel is a paen to Italy and the power of love.
- All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West – An octogenarian widow finally gets to live on her own terms in this beautiful life-affirming book.
- Rivals by Jilly Cooper – Always my favourite of her bonkbusters, I’ve read it so many times the pages are falling out and really, you can never have enough Jilly in your life.
- The Moon’s a Balloon by David Niven – Possibly the greatest movie memoir ever written, certainly the most entertaining.
- The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Basho – part travelogue, part meditation on the eternal and some of the most beautiful poetry ever written.