Marie Kondo’s books on tidying up is a bit intense and sometimes unintentionally hilarious, but actually also full of really good tips for de-cluttering your life. Spark Joy is basically an illustrated guide to implementing the methods espoused in The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I read Life-Changing Magic on audio, and Spark Joy is a useful companion volume, with a lot of visuals that I’ll use as a reference when I actually start implementing some of her tactics.

My main take-away from both books is that you should get rid of anything you own that doesn’t spark joy. That seems a pretty good rule of thumb when de-cluttering. Sure, it’s sometimes hard to look at a pair of socks and ask yourself whether or not it actually sparks joy, but certainly, when organizing my bookshelves (and piles of books that no longer fit on the shelves *ahem*) or my closet, this piece of advice makes a lot of sense.

This actually reminds me of a shopping trip with a friend a few years back. Every time my eyes didn’t light up instantly when I tried something on, he immediately recommended I return it to the rack. His advice has stuck with me since: “If you try it on and it doesn’t excite you or make you feel amazing, it’s not worth it.”

Before that shopping trip, I often bought clothes simply because they were practical, thinking only if they fit and not if they made me feel amazing. I’d always enjoyed shopping but when it came to certain kinds of clothes, such as those for work, I had a very utilitarian approach which, to be honest, wasn’t much fun. That friend’s advice was a game changer, inspiring me to trust my own instincts and try the most offbeat combinations just because. He made clothes a lot more interesting, and I learned how fun it can be to adapt my personal style to multiple situations.

So Marie Kondo’s advice to use the “spark joy” criteria in deciding whether or not to keep a particular item makes so much sense to me. It’s all about trusting yourself to know what is worth keeping. She also cautions against holding on to items that may have already served their purpose and no longer spark joy. For example, gifts from loved ones that you can’t actually use, or photos of scenery you can barely even place. She says that a gift’s purpose is to be received, a book’s purpose is to impart information, and so on, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about letting them go. This feels particularly relevant since as an immigrant, I’ve had to leave behind a lot of things when I moved. Part of me misses having those things around — old school projects, old toys — yet another part of me has come to understand that while the items themselves may be gone, the memories they represented remain and cannot be taken away as easily.

Her approach can sometimes be a bit intense. For example, I have no intention of thanking my socks for their work in holding my feet (sorry socks), but I see the benefit of not balling them up. (Kondo says it’s because they deserve to rest, I see it as keeping the fibres from loosening up/wearing out.) I also caution against throwing out all documents as she advises. I often throw things out when I’m stressed, only to realize later on that there are documents that would have been useful to keep. She’s also clearly a fervent advocate of living clutter-free, which to be honest, I can’t get as excited about.

Kondo says that for her method to work, it has to be a concentrated effort over a few months, and a rather severe cutting back on the items you own. I don’t know if I’m ready to commit to that quite yet, but certainly, I plan to do at least my closet and bookshelves and then take it from there. Coincidentally, clothes and books are also where Kondo suggests you begin, so I’m open to the possibility that I’m so excited by how I feel that I continue on with the rest of my apartment.

At the very least, I find myself already applying her principles to the books I read. If a book is not “sparking joy” by a certain point, I label it DNF (did not finish) and move on. Whereas I would have felt guilty before about not struggling through to the very end, I now trust that I’m making the right choice and freeing up my time for books I’ll actually enjoy. It actually feels quite liberating, and I’m having more fun reading.

Is the KonMari method for everyone? Possibly not, but I think there are some principles that many will find useful. And certainly, making decisions whenever possible according to what gives you joy seems like a good rule of thumb.

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Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for a copy of Spark Joy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the Toronto Public Library, from whom I borrowed the audiobook of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I highly recommend reading Life-Changing Magic on audio, as it’s really good background for when you’re folding laundry or doing chores and will make you feel extra motivated to do a good job.

I love Archie Comics. I grew up on the classic stories, I love the new direction the company launched last year, and I was excited to see where the new CW series Riverdale took the characters.

So I completely geeked out at the invitation from Penguin Random House Canada to celebrate the launch of the new series with a 50’s themed party and advance screening.

The set up was pure treats and nostalgia.

Coca Cola, jelly beans, celery and Cheez Whiz. Childhood afternoon snacks all over again. Not pictured: a Penguin bottle opener that was a challenge to use but super cute.

Pop Tate’s Burgers! Jughead would have a field day!

The falafel burger was my favourite, the chicken burger was delicious, and how awesome are the random Spam cans?

The taro chips were really good. Alas, I never even got to try the brownies or macaroons.

Then came a treat I didn’t expect — a comic book Q&A panel with artists J. Torres, Ramón Pérez and J. Bone, and moderated by Evan Munday, co-creator and co-host of the Archie Comics podcast Radio Free Riverdale.

Artists J. Torres, Ramon Perez and J. Bone, who have all worked on Archie Comics.

Evan Munday as Mr. Weatherbee

Finally came the moment we all came for — the screening of the first episode of Riverdale!

The story revolves around the death of Jason Blossom, a Riverdale resident who according to his twin sister Cheryl, fell out of a boat and drowned. This show’s Betty Cooper is feeling the pressure to be perfect, and is working up the courage to tell Archie Andrews that she loves him. Archie has discovered a love for music, and wonders how to balance writing songs with playing football and working for his dad. Veronica Lodge has just moved into town, Reggie Mantle is a sleaze, Josie and the Pussycats are the town’s top band, and Jughead Jones is the thoughtful and observant narrator who captures the events in the town in his novel-in-progress.

I loved the episode, and can’t wait to see how things unfold throughout the series. Every character seems to have a secret, and while I have my theories on the truth behind Jason’s death, I’m also excited to see how these theories change as we get to know the characters better.

The main highlight for me is Camila Mendes’ Veronica Lodge, who is just capital-A Attitude and capital-A Awesome. She moves to Riverdale from New York with her mother Hermione, and just oozes style, sass and sophistication. A scene where she takes down Riverdale Queen Bee Cheryl Blossom with a mic drop-worthy speech just stole the show. Kudos as well to her stylist, because her outfits are amazing.

Casey Cott as Kevin Keller is another highlight. He’s hilarious, delivering zingers in practically every line of dialogue. He, Betty and Veronica make a good team, and I love seeing him and Veronica working together to draw Betty out of her shell.

One of the subplots, involving a new love interest for Archie, made me cringe, but otherwise, I really enjoyed the adaptation and thought it was a fun twist on the classic characters. Check it out for yourself — Thursday nights at CW in the US and Fridays on Netflix in Canada.

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Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for organizing such a fantastic event!

Juliet’s Answer is an entertaining, light-hearted travel memoir that may make you want to do at least one of three things:

1. Visit Verona and see Casa di Guilietta for yourself.
2. Volunteer as one of Juliet’s secretaries and answer some of the thousands of heartfelt letters sent to Juliet every year.
3. Send your own letter to Juliet and possibly take that one big leap of faith in whatever romantic wish you may have.

I don’t usually consider myself a romantic, but it’s difficult not to get swept away by Glenn Dixon’s account of his time in Verona. I can almost imagine the house he describes, with the balcony added on for Shakespeare fans and with the dozens of letters stuffed in a red mailbox and stuck to the walls with Band-aids or gum. There’s a hope inherent in the very act of writing to Juliet, and a rather innocent belief in the kind of love Juliet represents. Dixon’s story reminds me of how beautiful that hope can be, and how much it reflects the hopefulness as well in Shakespeare’s tragedy, that a romance between two teens can be so powerful that it can end generations of hatred between families.

The letters Dixon writes about are lovely glimpses into the heartfelt longings of people around the world. There are young girls who worry about getting a cute guy to notice them, older women who wonder if they’ll have another chance at love, and in one of my personal favourites, a father and a daughter who wrote separate letters about dealing with the aftermath of a mother who walked away from her family.

Juliet’s Answer is similar to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love in that, like Gilbert, Dixon also travels to Verona to get some distance from an experience of heartbreak, though in his case it’s the unrequited love he feels for a close friend. Verona seems like a great place to lose oneself in, and while I’m not quite sure answering love letters is the best way to get over someone who doesn’t love you back, I think volunteering at the Juliet Club sounds like a lot of fun. The book includes images of Verona and an illustrated map one can use for a walking tour of the city.

Along with Verona, another major highlight for me are the sections about the students in Dixon’s Shakespeare class, who are studying Romeo and Juliet. It’s fun to read their unguarded reactions to the text, as teens around Romeo and Juliet’s age who are encountering the story for the first time. I also particularly enjoyed reading about the crush a student named Andy had for his classmate Allison, and loved Andy’s reaction when they had to perform a scene together. Another strong subplot was that of another student, Sadia, for whom Juliet’s story resonated on a personal level. I realize that the book is about Verona and the author’s own love story, but I couldn’t help wishing we knew how these students’ stories turned out (there’s a part at the end where he speculates about their futures, but I figure we’ll never know for sure). Did Andy and Allison ever end up dating? Who does troublemaker Devin eventually date? Does Sadia eventually find her own Romeo? Within their few scenes discussing a Shakespeare play, these students have come to life on the page, and I blame the author’s Verona for my desire to know they’ve all had their romantic happily ever afters.

Overall, Juliet’s Answer is a lovely tribute to Verona and to the numerous people around the world who believe in the kind of love Juliet personifies.There’s a part in the story where the author drafts his own letter to Juliet, admitting his doubt that he’ll find love himself. This book seems the perfect response to this letter. Juliet’s Answer is a love letter of sorts, a resounding yes to the existence of love, and to the belief that some version of a happily ever after is possible.

Glenn Dixon’s Photo Gallery

All images and captions courtesy of the author.

The beautiful and ancient city of Verona in northern Italy

Author Glenn Dixon, answering the famous letters to Juliet, in Verona, Italy.

This house in Verona actually belonged to a family called Cappelli – which Shakespeare called Capulet – for more than seven hundred years.

This fortified house belonged to another rich family in Verona, though we know now that it was not truly the Montague house – or Montecchi, as their real name was spelled. That family lived outside of the medieval walls of the city.

The red letterbox in the courtyard of Juliet’s house is jammed with letters day after day.

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Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.