Mariella Hunt

It has been a busy summer.

I cleared out all of my bookshelves this week in order to donate things I was no longer interested in or those which I had read and did not like. The process taught me much about myself: in seeing the books I chose to keep, I learned what I am truly interested in and the topics which ignite in me fascination.

It is also fulfilling to know the donated books will someday be in the hands of people who will love and enjoy them, rather than being stuck at the back of my bookshelf, forgotten. Books deserve to be loved.

Of the books I kept, they were mostly Penguin classics, my favorite mystery series, fantasy novels I know I will read again, and some of my favorite works of literary fiction that helped me discover how beautiful the English language can be.

I’m not done with the organizing yet; there remain plenty of books to sort through, as well as other knickknacks that I no longer need and which will be useful to someone else. I can still celebrate the achievement of declutterring and discovering the sort of reader I truly am.

Have you ever decided to clear up your bookshelves? Did you find it to be a learning process, or was it mostly a drag to you? Was it easy for you to decide which books to keep and which should go? I want to hear your stories!