I received a good question from a reader the other day, asking about the best location for keeping books in her home.
She has the usual variety — books for reading, information, decorating, reference and more — storing them in her bedroom, her living room and her office.
From a Feng Shui standpoint, books are viewed as “alive” because they embody the energy that went into writing and creating them.
Because of this Yang aspect, books ought not to be kept in your bedroom, where you want the energy to be as calm and serene as possible.
Books can also be regarded as embodying stale Chi if you’ve already read them or they’re out of date.
In this case it’s time for a purge.
Letting go of books lifts a tremendous weight from your life, especially if there’s little chance you’ll refer to them again: paperback novels and old textbooks spring immediately to mind.
(Feeling guilty about discarding books? Check your local library’s donation policy.)
So after removing books from your bedroom and off-loading the ones you no longer want, where’s the best place to store the books that remain?
The first place to look for space is the Knowledge & Self-Cultivation area of your home.
Next, divvy them up by subject and store them where they’re most likely to be used: work-related and reference books in the office, eye-catching decor books in the living room, books to be read in the family/TV room or living room.
Where’s your favorite place to store books? Have I overlooked anyplace?
