Yes. I know this from my years of experience as a professional organizer, but this quote puts it so accurately:

“One’s abode is ultimately and inevitably an exercise in autobiography.”

- Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest writer

A month ago I posted two sentences author Suketu Mehta wrote at the end of his book on Bombay “Maximum City,” anticipating his return to the US:

“Surviving in a modern country involves dealing with an immense amount of paper. He who can stay on top of the paper wins.”

Tomorrow I’ll return to Portland, OR for work - one of my favorite American cities. Being one of America’s best food towns, I’m already thinking about where I want to eat. Luckily, I’ve recorded every single restaurant I’ve eaten at starting with my 3 trips to Portland last year.

Gretchen Rubin, author of Outer Order, Inner calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness, was recently interviewed on Good Morning America. It’s a short interview that barely scratches the surface of her new book (of which I’ve only started), but there is a very helpful self-interview question in the accompanying article. On wether or not to keep a piece of clothing Rubin says:

I really enjoy reading author/blogger Joshua Becker’s insightful Becoming Minimalist newsletters. He recently shared a post, A new planner won’t change your life. The first line stuck with me:

“One reason, I am convinced, we overspend and overbuy is because we expect too much from our purchases.”

I’m a little late to the party with putting out a summer reading list, but I’ve heard that people read year-round...

Here are my favorite books of the year with my two sentence reviews. Enjoy.