After doing a recent story on Malaysia’s first KonMari Method consultant, I got into the KonMari Method. The basic idea is simple, but according to those who practice it, the effects are life-changing. With the whole world in a lockdown, there is no better time to try it out than now. 

The second step of the basic KonMari Method is books. This step is divisive. I know people who gave up on the whole thing and wrote off the method because of this step. They just can’t believe that it is asking them to get rid of books. 

However, the intention of this step is the same thought process, only keeping what gives you joy. And a lot of people mistake it with throwing out everything. 

I have shelves of books on writing, some fiction, and non-fiction novels; comics, manga and books I used to review for papers; and magazines I used to subscribe to. Some are displayed neatly on a bookshelf, like a library. Some are piled in chaotic space and time-bending stacks. 

Based on the method, and common sense really, I don’t need all these books on display. There is a difference between a collector and a reader. A true reader appreciates the contents of the book rather than the book itself.

Again, this does not mean getting rid of all the books. I knew I wanted to keep my Discworld books because I grew up on them, books on writing as a reference, some of the novels that I like, the manga that I rate highly, the comics with compelling stories, and evergreen magazine.

It may sound like I am describing my whole collection, but I am not. I ended up with empty shelves which I used to eliminate those chaotic stacks, and bags and bags of books to donate.

With the understanding that books are meant to be read and it’s alright if I don’t keep them all. I grabbed the iPad Air and installed Audible, Kindle and Comixology. These Amazon apps are for Audiobooks, E-books, and Digital Comics respectively. 

You can see where I am going with this right? Yes, they are not the same as physical books. And no, this doesn’t mean that I will never buy physical books again either. 

It is the same way we treat movies and TV shows. We stream most of them and own the ones we like. This is true for both fiction and non-fiction content.

Here’s the plan: Use Audible for pulp novels, use Kindle for the manga, and use Comixology for comics. For the books that I like, get the hardcover version. And I understand that some books do not exist in digital form. If I like them enough, I’ll buy them.

I love podcasts and moving on to audiobooks is just a natural progression. I listen to them on the iPad Air stereo speakers as I go about my day staying at home. The sound is loud and clear, the sound stage can be surprisingly good too. 

Reading on the iPad Air’s 10.9in Liquid Retina display is easy on the eyes. Sure, a Super Retina Display would look better, but I have no complaints reading on the tablet so far. It does feel different from reading a physical book, it is not as light as a paperback.

However, some of the quality of life features of the Kindle app like the ability to look up words, change the size of the fonts, and the ability to switch to night mode is nice. And they have manga.

Comics on the iPad Air look amazing. The 2360×1640 resolution makes every panel look beautiful. And that guided mode on Comixology just takes everything to a whole new level. 

As the name suggests, the mode guides the reader, from bubble to bubble and panel to panel, as intended by the makers of the book. To complete the experience I turn on the ‘show the whole page at the end’ option. It is brilliant.

I give credit to the A14 Bionic chip for making the experience so smooth and seamless. I also love how all three apps can sync between devices, so I can continue reading or listening on my phone if I want to. 

With my bookshelves filled with only the books that spark joy and the iPad Air, staying at home feels a whole lot better now.