We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don’t have books, don’t fuck them. Don’t let them explore you until they’ve explored the secret universes of books. Don’t let them connect with you until they’ve walked between the lines on the pages. – John Samuel Waters.
Years ago, I wrote an essay about calling identifying as a minimalism and holding down a library in my home.
Some things may not have changed too much since then.
I’m not interested in justifying why I have so many books in my home since I did this in the previous piece. Instead, I wanted to talk about the progression of having so many books.
In my life, I find myself travelling a lot; sometimes I’m away and fairly quiet so I take my kindle with me. I’ve usually read at least one book before my time comes to return home. On average, in 2026, I get through a book a month.
I find it therapeutic and the best way to exercise my mind.
Minimalism is above all else, about getting rid of the things that you kind of like, or think you might like, in order to make room for the things you truly love. This is the essence of it. If I ever found myself planning on moving to a smaller apartment or relocating to another country, then I’d re-evaluate the large presence of books in my library.
I’d probably consider getting rid of half of them. Some, from authors like Dan Brown or G.R.R. Martin are easy enough to replace. Others, like my copies of Ian Fleming are harder to replace since they are old copies. I’d have to question all of my books on the basis of whether I read them, enjoy them, if I’ve read them at all or if they have just been hand-me downs that I’ve not bothered with. It also depends on the importance and value of the book.
The answer remains the same from the start: quality over quantity. So, all the books I have are either books that I love or books I’ve been itching to read for a long time. Minimalism is experiment and when I implemented the lifestyle back in 2013, I tried it with clothes, kitchen utensils, house décor, etc. I have experimented with books but never beyond a few radical sessions of decluttering.
The simple reason remains the same. I love books and I use books frequently. Thus, I have no need to remove them from my life. I find myself at a suitable level where all the books I have are enjoyed or have important relevance to my life.
So, I call myself a minimalist and maintain the library that I hold: books hold the power of words and more – they are indeed something that serves me above all other things.