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Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Why Marie Kondo Doesn’t Actually Want You To Throw Out All Your Books

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Marie Kondo took the world by storm with her ‘revolutionary’ tidying up ideas with her bestselling books. On January 1st, Netflix decided to drop “The Art of Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” bringing even more people on board the KonMari train but also causing many people to lose their minds when Marie Kondo ‘made’ people get rid of their books in an effort to clean up and take back their living spaces. 

Except she didn’t???

I haven’t finished watching the series nor have I had the privilege of reading any of her books but based on what I have seen and what I know about her books, nowhere does she explicitly state you should get rid of your books and everything else you love.

I am a lover of reality shows that focus on lifestyle so when I dove into Tidying Up With Marie Kondo I was expecting the kind of reality TV that usually airs on American TV. Tons of drama, crying, etc, etc. Tidying Up With Marie Kondo has such a completely different vibe though – in the way The Great British Bake Off  is so vastly different from anything on Food Network. 

Marie Kondo is one of the few, if not the only, host of a show like this that doesn’t ever pressure people to do anything they don’t want to. She doesn’t talk down. She doesn’t judge. 

If people criticizing her for wanting everyone to throw everything out took more than a second to watch and appreciate what is happening, they’d understand that. 

Marie Kondo wanders from home to home giving people the tools they need to tidy up and have that lifestyle they have always dreamed of. She sits down with people and helps them re-evaluate their relationship to the items they own. She does not want you to throw out things you love dearly in an attempt to make space and have a house that looks right out of a magazine, Marie Kondo wants you to get rid of stuff for which you have no use and that brings you no joy. And honestly, she doesn’t really want you to do that either. You are in charge, not she. You can keep whatever you want to without any judgement from her because the ultimate goal is not for your house to be rid of stuff, its for you to reevaluate the stuff you own and your relationship to your stuff.

SO NO. MARIE KONDO DOES NOT WANT YOU TO THROW OUT ALL YOUR BOOKS. IF YOUR BOOKS BRING YOU JOY (and don’t @ me with literature does not solely exist to provide joy, that is not what this is about), YOU GET TO KEEP THEM. 

There is legitimate critique about the show out there too and I don’t mean to disregard that, but if you are shitting on Marie Kondo – the nicest woman ever – because you think she wants you to throw your books out, you need to reevaluate what it is about Marie Kondo that pisses you off more than anyone else who does the same. 

The unreasonable standards Marie Kondo and her show are being held up to really show that people are willing to find the pettiest crap to criticize non-white women about. I am not here for that. 

Ridiculously Awesome and Fun: The Disasters by M.K. England

Posted by on 12/24/2018 • 1 Comment

I dove into The Disasters with almost no expectations. I had grabbed it on a whim and only vaguely remembered it had something to do with space. I’d say I regretted doing this but honestly, it was truly the best way to read this book because I ended up being taken completely by surprise by its awesomeness and just, IT WAS SO GOOD and it’s so GREAT to have a book completely surprise you.

There are many space books out there and it’s likely you’ve read and loved some of them. I am here to tell you The Disasters is better (or at least I think it is.) It’s the space book I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW I NEEDED. Are you tired of all those space books that are super…

A Short Guide To Teas

Posted by on 01/15/2018 • 13 Comments

 

First of all, Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day! Unfortunately we seem to be alive in a time where it feels like all of his work was for naught. I have a lot more feelings in general but today is not for me and I don’t feel like its my place, today of all days to talk about //my// feelings. Anyway, I do hope you’ll take the time to reflect on the work and words of Martin Luther King, Jr on this day.

Today, I am going to be talking about TEA!!! If you know me, you know I LOVE my tea. I constantly joke about getting an IV drip for tea because I run on tea. On a regular day, I consume somewhere between 3-5 cups of tea….

Different in a Good Way: Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon

Posted by on 04/07/2017 • 2 Comments

Motorbike clubs is always a good way to get a person’s attention but I honestly did not expect what I got from Done Dirt Cheap. I assumed there would be an element of fluff to the book but instead, what I got was a complex, thoughtfully crafted novel with words that just jumped off the page. There are some books you finish that will oddly make you feel nostalgic for something you don’t even quite remember and Done Dirt Cheap was that book for me. In some ways it was reminiscent of the contemporary YA novels I grew up on.

I think part of the nostalgia for me came from the focus on female friendships in this book. Like both the main characters have their love interests and those relationships are important (and…

One of the Most Important Books: Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

Posted by on 03/23/2017 • 2 Comments

It’s in the title of this review post but I am going to repeat it anyway: Amina’s Voice is one of the most important books published this year and has clearly not gotten the hype it deserves. It’s a middle grade book and I know a lot of people shy away from reading those because reading tastes vary but please don’t overlook this book. Amina’s Voice is such a wonderful, heartfelt book and deserves and infinite amount of love from everybody.

I should take a moment to say I am neither Muslim-American or Pakistani-American but Amina’s Voice still resonated with and I found myself nodding along and feeling Amina’s struggle with her cultural identity on a spiritual level. I grew up feeling similar struggles and even though it wasn’t ~my story~, it felt really…

DNF Review: Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Posted by on 11/27/2015 • 11 Comments

Welcome to the Hotel California Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place) Such a lovely face Plenty of room at the Hotel California Any time of year (Any time of year) You can find it here

Let me tell you something about my childhood. Back when I was a kid, I would fly to the Sultanate of Oman (a very peaceful Middle Eastern country) to spend time with my father. He worked there as the head Quality Surveyor of a pretty kick-ass construction company, and the times I spent there were one of the very few times I could be with him (the rest of the year would be spent in the Philippines, away from his loving arms). Every time we were in the car, he would put on…

Review: PIXU by  Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon (Illustrations), Becky Cloonan (Illustrations)

Review: PIXU by Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon (Illustrations), Becky Cloonan (Illustrations)

Posted by on 09/23/2015 • 1 Comment

I don’t read a lot of Graphic Novels, but I do enjoy them once in a while. I have come across a lot of really great ones, but unfortunately this was not one of them. The artwork was beautiful, and the story was creepy and disturbing, but it left a lot to be desired. I understand that with this type of novel, you are a bit limited, though there is no reason that it couldn’t have been a more fully developed story. Others I have read are plenty well rounded. Anyways, this is a great creepy novel for going into Halloween season. It was a short and quick read. Be forewarned though, there is much adult content in this. Not just in the blood and gore, but the subject matter…