Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and… (édition 2016)

This was a second book from the same author that I read few weeks ago. That one was more about the idea behind the system, while this gave more practical advice. I just have to say: I'm a fan. I've started tidying already :) And it works!

I read some of the reviews now for this book and the earlier one and there seems to be quite a lot of people who criticize the way you're supposed to talk to your possessions and that the storing them in certain ways makes them unhappy. I can understand why this feels strange, but I also think that the idea is more to be grateful for the things you have and appreciate them and store them so, that they stay better for longer and also that you feel you appreciate them. But to each to their own, I loved the book and the system and I am convinced it works in my life :) ( )

If you are a Marie Kondo acolyte, this book ramps up the pace several notches. I am now deeply inspired to reconfigure the spaces within my storage spaces, especially in my kitchen and bedroom dresser. Also, Kondo's point about the books is a great challenge for an English major who has hung on to so many books and needs to start letting only those that spark joy remain in the house. ( )

I can understand why it is subtitled as a "Master Class" on tidying up; this book was much more difficult to get through than the first. A good chunk of it is obviously review of the first book, but in this one there are a lot more details about categorization, storage, decoration, and kitchen tidying. There are also many stories about her clients. There are some cute illustrations, but they don't really do much to add to the content of the book.

As I read the book, I couldn't help but think that there's no way I'm going to do X, or there's no reason for me to do Y. However, what I particularly appreciate about this book is that it demonstrates where you can bend the rules and gives good examples. The first book was pretty strict about the "when in doubt, throw it out" mentality, but this one makes reasonable exceptions.

I think the most valuable part of the book, is the latter third where KonMarie talks about her first rebound client, and how some people are happier in more "lived in" spaces. She talks about how you can't force your level of tidiness on others, and how you should focus on your own self before allowing someone else's stuff to irritate you. There's also a very relatable story about how one of her clients was constantly annoyed by her husband's lack of tidiness, but after KonMarie told her to really touch and observe the things in her husband's space, the woman came to understand that her husband has his own system and that his stuff wasn't really junk, but things that he valued greatly.

Although it's not really necessary, I would certainly recommend reading KonMarie's first book before this one, and then using this one as a kind-of quick reference. ( )

Clear and insightful advice for organizing your physical belongings. I found Marie Kondo's methods for storing clothes particularly helpful. I would recommend this to anyone with problems keeping their room/home clean/organized. ( )

Because I'm a little entrenched in old habits and still folding socks the wrong way, I enjoyed this book more than I did the previous one. This book focused on joy. And I got that. ( )