KonMari and my books

While my kitchen and bathrooms were being remodeled, all my stuff was packed into two rooms. The front half of the house wasn't being fixed, but the demolition was going to leave a lot of dust, and all the demolishers and remodelers needed to carry big objects through the house, so I packed my stuff away and taped it off.

Every time I walked into my empty house, I said, what am I going to do with all this space? But as soon as I started unpacking it flipped into, where am I going to put all this stuff?

It seems like good time to try tidying up with Mari Kondo. I'm not going to put all my books in a mountain though. That's the first step -- to get a sense of how much you have -- I can't do it.

I like the idea of taking each book in my hands and judging whether it sparks joy, though. And if it doesn't, releasing it to spark joy somewhere else. I think I'll try that.

I marked all my books "unread" on Librarything. As I go through, I'll switch the ones I have read to "read", so at the end I will be able to see what I own and haven't read. Maybe I will even write a sentence about each of them as I go.

very short book reviews

The Polar Express
by Chris Van Allsburg

I think this is my least favorite Chris Van Allsburg book. His picture books are interesting but his words are not.

This book's message, that believing in Santa earns you the privilege of sharing in Christmas magic, always makes me think of that Mark Twain quote: Faith is believing what you know ain't so.


We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy
by Maurice Sendak

Full of adorable creatures and astonishing cruelty. And jokes. In 1993, I didn't notice that after the rats seize the little brown boy, the speech bubble TRUMPED is right next to the background word TOWER.


The Happy Hocky Family
by Lane Smith

When a child starts to enjoy the humor that comes from a sharp contrast between a story's set-up and its conclusion, give them this book.


Kate Culhane: A Ghost Story
by Michael Hague

I bought it for the Michael Hague illustrations. The ghost story is creepy, and Kate Culhane is smart and brave.


The Bee-man of Orn
by Frank R. Stockton,
Maurice Sendak (Illustrations)

Charming.


You Read to Me, I'll Read to You
by John Ciardi,
Edward Gorey (Illustrator)

Funny poems for children. Beautiful Edward Gorey illustrations.

Content note: references to spanking.


The Mitten
by Jan Brett

Jan Brett's illustrations are so beautiful and complicated.


My KonMari learnings so far: I need every single one of these books. If I do seven a day, I will be done in three years. Or I could do three a day and be done in seven years.