And Still More Books….

📚 The Final Chapter: Letting Go of the Library

When Books Hold More Than Just Stories

Good afternoon, friends,

As I shared in a previous post, books have been one of my greatest decluttering challenges.

Not just because I love to read—but because of the deep emotional attachment I’ve formed with them over the years.

🏡 A Room of Our Own

When my husband and I built our home 15 years ago, one of our non-negotiables was a dedicated library room—and oh, what a space it was.

Floor-to-ceiling shelves lined every wall, lovingly filled with thousands of books we had collected over decades.

Books weren’t just decor. They were dreams, histories, ideas, and quiet companions.

📦 From Thousands to Five Boxes

Fast-forward three months into this minimalism journey—and today, I’m proud (and a little emotional) to say:

We are down to our last five boxes, ready to be donated to our local library.

Today, I cleared out the final three shelves, and we’ve decided to keep about 50 books for now—just a small, meaningful handful. Favorites. Keepsakes. The ones that still speak to us.

Was it painful?

Yes.

But now, standing in the space we’ve reclaimed, I feel something else, too:

Freedom.

Accomplishment.

A gentle lightness I didn’t expect.

📲 The Love Hasn’t Left—It Just Evolved

Now… I won’t even mention how many books I have on my Kindle app or in my Audible library (because let’s just say, that number is eyebrow-raising!). 😅

But it’s proof that my love for reading hasn’t gone anywhere.

It’s just shifted—as many things do.

The joy of reading lives on.

The stories are still with me.

They’re just not weighing down my shelves.

💭 What About You?

If you’re at this stage—facing your own biggest emotional obstacle—I’d love to hear from you:

What’s the hardest category for you to declutter?

How are you working through it?

You’re not alone.

We’re walking this path together, one page, one box, one shelf at a time.

Hugs,

Anke