I’ve written about decluttering quite a bit on the blog–but what’s my inspiration behind it?
When I was fresh out of college, living in the Bay Area, I lugged a LOT of items out to California from my childhood/high school/college days. Items that, it turned out, were pretty useless now that I was adult with a job and wedding to plan. Whether it was totally outdated clothes and shoes, the bike I never rode and later gave away, or kitchen gadgets like three different mixers–I could have taken less than half of what I moved with and been completely fine. Probably better, since I wouldn’t have been trying to squeeze things into every corner of a one-bedroom apartment!
While in California, I got into minimalism and even more into sustainability. I read books, articles, watched movies and YouTube videos and participated in online forums too. I love returning to the genre every time I need a gentle nudge to declutter our house (which, with four little but constantly growing and changing boys, is a lot).
Maybe you, too, are looking for a little nudge to clear out your home and enjoy the wonderful feeling of physical spaciousness that results? I’ve compiled my favorite decluttering and minimalism books into a reading list below and a few that are still on my to-read list. There’s something for everyone on here!
Decluttering & Minimalism Reading List {2026}
- Lighten Up!: Clear the Clutter, Live with Ease by Jennifer Melville
- No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity by Ashley Piper
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo
- The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story by Marie Kondo (a good alternative to #3 if you prefer a how-to book with pictures)
- Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life by Marie Kondo
- Sustainable Minimalism: How to Live with Less by Susanna Heiskanen
- 100 Ways to Declutter Your Home by Fiona Ferris
- A Chic and Simple Christmas: Celebrate the holiday season with ease and grace by Fiona Ferris (if you feel overwhelmed by Christmas clutter with presents, to-do’s and commitments–you need this book in your life!)
- Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control by Dana K. White
- Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff by Dana K. White
- How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis
- Lightly: How to Live a Simple, Serene, and Stress-free Life by Francine Jay
- The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize and Simplify Your Life by Francine Jay
- The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves by J.B. MacKinnon
- Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne (this one covers not just simplifying your possessions but also your schedule and discipline strategy. My favorite parenting book EVER!)
- The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson
- L’art de Simplicité: How to Live More with Less by Dominique Loreau
- Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism by Fumio Sasaki
- Soulful Simplicity: How Living with Less Can Lead to So Much More by Courtney Carver
- Practising Simplicity: Small steps and brave choices for a life less distracted by Jodi Wilson
My top pick for someone new to a simpler lifestyle? A tie between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and The Joy of Less. I’m definitely not exaggerating when I say that decluttering with the Konmari method changed my life and continues to be my favorite strategy for “tidying up.” I appreciate Francine Jay’s musings on how a simpler life can be so much better, too.
In non-book news, I’ve decided to challenge myself to 30 days of blogging to get back into it. I’m trying to get out of the headspace lately of “everything I do has to be maximally efficient”–anyone else get stuck here sometimes? Enjoying something is enough to merit spending some time on it. It doesn’t have to be earning me money, taking care of someone else or physical self-care to get my time and attention. I repeat to myself over and over again 😛
Enjoy the minimalism reading list and have a wonderful afternoon, friends–or whatever time it is in your part of the world!
xx Claire
