Books I Let Go: Lessons from My Reading Journey

One of my challenges through 2024 was to read what I already owned, rather than buying new books, and to only keep the books I truly loved and felt I would revisit. This was harder than I expected, in the past I would have held onto a book I absolutely loved, even if I knew I would never revisit it – just in case I guess. In case of what I’m not sure, but it would have been alien to me to get rid of a book I had enjoyed.

I do feel I’ve honed this skill over the last year or so – for example I thoroughly enjoyed the ACOTAR series, but felt comfortable only keeping my favourite of the series. Back as far as January 2024, I read Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller which was heart-breaking and beautiful but I know it’s not one I will ever reach for again, and so I passed it to a friend – with a warning of course!

I had intended to buy absolutely no books in 2024, which didn’t pan out entirely, but I slowed the incoming to approx. one a month on average, which is a huge improvement on the years previous. That being said, there were some books on my shelf that just weren’t getting any love, I passed over them time and time again and ultimately decided to clear some of them without revisiting the pages.

Some I’ve read, some have sat on my shelves a while and have never been opened, but I have to start getting realistic about what is adding value and what is taking up space. I always worry that there might be some life changing lesson that I will miss if I let books go, but some of these have been on my shelf for so long, or have been neglected for so long that I think they are low risk.

So, a selection of the ones that are leaving:

Wild Together – Kelly Lund

Filled with beautiful photography, this is a book that will make you want to pack you bags and hit the road van-life style. Following Kelly Lund and his wolf-dog Loki, it chronicles some of their adventures exploring the backroads of the USA.

I first came across Kelly and Loki on Instagram [you can find them here] and loved seeing their adventures. I was very kindly gifted this book when it was first released, but it’s been on my shelf for a while – and honestly, I would reach to find them on Instagram before I’d reach for the book. I have passed this to a friend with a dog who looks just like Loki so it is definitely going to a new home where it will be loved.

Inside The Magic of the Making of Fantastic Beasts – Ian Nathan

This look behind the curtain of just how film magic is created for the Fantastic Beasts movie. This was a fascinating read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it when I read it in 2024 but I just don’t think I’ll come back to it so it’s been donated despite making the cut the first time around.

Travel the World for $50 a Day – Matt Kepnes [Nomadic Matt]

I used to religiously read Matts blog, it got me through many a slow day at work as I dreamed of handing in my notice and taking off for the foreseeable. I still love his blog – check it out here if you fancy a look.

This book was the natural lead on from his blog, and it is jam packed with tips, trick, stories and inspiration. It’s a great read and has valuable insight, but I personally would look to his blog first – I’m still chained to a desk so much easier to sneak a look at the blog than a book. It is worth noting, it’s about to be revised to Travel the World for $75 Dollars a Day – this is to reflect the natural uplift in costs since it’s release in 2017 – but also to reflect the post-pandemic changes in travel.

Lean In – Sheryl Sandberg

I have had this on my shelf for close to a decade – if I was going to read it, I would have done so by now. I’m sure it’s been a huge source of inspiration for a huge number of women [and hopefully men too] but I just can’t see myself picking it up.

Ham on Rye – Charles Bukowski

There are some of Charles Bukowski’s works that I really enjoy, and have enjoyed over the years – but there is no getting away from the fact that he is a fairly problematic person and major misogynist – I don’t feel I need to keep this work of his in my space.

I do love this quote though:

some people never go crazy.
what truly horrible lives
they must lead.

https://allpoetry.com/Some-People

Spiritual Ecology , The Cry of The Earth – Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee 

I’ve owned this book for many many years and have started it multiple times – whilst the content interests me, I’ve just struggled to get through it, I’m going to pass it on to someone that will give it the love it needs.

Fear: Trump in in the White House – Bob Woodward

Honestly – I just don’t want to know. I’ve read books by Bob Woodward before and I do enjoy his writing style, obviously he’s an incredibly well known investigative journalist following his work on the Watergate scandal. But Trump is back in the White House and I don’t want know any more about the potential inner workings of how he does things, it is already scary enough.

The Kindness Diet – Alicia Silverstone

This is a beautiful cookbook from Alicia Silverstone, focusing on plant based nutrition that nourishes from within. Filled with gorgeous images, tasty food and personal anecdotes this is an easy read even if you don’t feel like cooking.

This has served me well, but I’m not reaching for it – so it’s heading to a new home.

Deliciously Ella – Ella Woodward

Another beautiful cookbook, but not one that I have been using for the last few years so it’s heading to a friend.

The Quantum Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen – Brian Cox + Jeff Forshaw

I want to read this, I really do – I want to be that ‘cool girl’ that can confidently discuss this book over a strong black coffee in some major city of the world – but I’m not. I’ve had to come to the realisation that it’s just not the one for me right now. I hope that one day I will come back to it, and it will find a place onto my shelf after being read. But for now, it just makes me feel bad for not reading it so it needs to go.

In Conclusion…

It’s never easy to let things go, especially books when I have such a deep love of my little home library, but practice makes perfect – and it’s definitely getting simpler to be realistic about what really deserves space on the shelf and what no longer serves.

Let me know if I let go of any of your favourites! Do you have any tricks for letting go of books?

Nx