Margareta Magnusson brought out her beautiful little memoir/self-help book /cultural philosophy on death book in 2017 and contributed to yet another facet of the intentional living movement.
I rented the audiobook this go around. I’ve read it a couple times from the library before. This one I really should just add to my bookshelf. I don’t visit it as frequently as Goodbye Things, but three times in six years is probably enough times to qualify buying the ebook.
The title is morbid. I think every person says that who talks about this book. In a way, I think that is the point. It faces the major element of the topic head on and makes you look at it without beating around the bush.
The bad part is: it’s really hard to buy it as a gift for a lot of people. I want to give it to my Mother in Law (kindest woman you’ll ever meet) because she’s been wanting to downsize, but isn’t sure how to go about it. She’s not wanting to be a minimalist by any stretch of the imagination, but she’s aware she’s struggling to decide what is important, and what is not. Sadly, I really can’t help anymore than I have at this point. This is where I know this book would be of value. She’s in the age bracket to really get full utilization out of it. But it feels really morbid to give it to her. So, I’m pressing for her to rent the audiobook and listen to it when she gets the chance.
I’ve used some of the points in it to better evaluate sentimental items. It’s helping me getting going in the New Year with another wave of cleaning out things I just don’t want to be managing anymore. I’ve been downsizing my physical book library pretty ruthlessly. I have a couple antique books and children’s picture books I’m keeping because I love looking at them, but if I can get the physical book as an ebook, I’m just ditching the physical and will buy the ebook if I find I want to revisit reading it with enough frequency to warrant spending the money. This has opened up a phenomenal amount of space in my house already.
This is definitely one of those books, along side Savvy Estate Planning and There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather that I feel should be given as very well meaning gifts and out of a realm of love. I would highly encourage you read this book. I don’t rightly care if it’s audiobook, rental, buy it – but give it a read before you get squeamish about the book title. It helps with prioritizing the space you want to live in as you age. We all age. It’s inevitable. And if you say ‘but some people die early!’ Well. That’s also part of the point of this book. Do you want your family fighting over your stuff? Or do you want to make that transition as painless as possible as one of your last gifts to them?
Books in the Cottage 