Need to declutter your home? Are you moving soon? Do you have an overwhelming need to find more space or peace in the rooms of your home? You Can't Take it With You is the very short, helpful and effective push you need to start the process. Messie Condo lays out ideas on how to start the decluttering process, a plan on how to stick with it, and how not to overwhelm yourself in the process. In addition to the physical items in our home, Messie brings our attention to the digital clutter as well and this had me cleaning up pictures and files on my phone and laptop! Her book gives you a plethora of ideas on rooms and areas of your home to work on. In addition, she also provides a helpful list of places to check with in order to recycle and donate the stuff you are ready to part with. This is a very helpful guide for people in all stages of life.
I listened to the audiobook version and easily followed along with Messie's lists and tips. I suspect the book version would be even better as you could make notes in the margins and highlight her ideas for projects in your own home. That being said, Hillary Huber brings Messie's voice and humor to life beautifully.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
A fascinating short book! I am already a minimalist… or am I? I seem to be constantly decluttering, yet there’s always more and I have thought about what my kids will do with all my stuff when I’m no ok longer here, which I hope is still a long time away, but I’m 51 and recently found the new baby cards my parents were given when I was born 😂They are now gone, but do I need everything I have?
My favourite statement in the book is “decluttering is self-care”, that is so true and it’s a great way to look at it.
The book gives endless ideas of what to do with items you no longer need or want, with the view of keeping as much out of landfill as possible and trying to break the consumerist world we live in.
A fantastic book and Hillary Huber’s narration is excellent.
5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Messie Condo and Dreamscape for an ARC of this book.
This book really got me thinking. I want to be a minimalist, but if I’m being honest, I’m a maximalist and constantly decluttering when I get overwhelmed. Listening to this made me laugh at myself a little but also hit me with that gentle reality check about what I’m actually holding onto and why.
What I loved is how easy and real this book felt. It’s not preachy or overwhelming; it’s more like a calm conversation with a friend who gets it. The author breaks down decluttering in small, manageable steps and even talks about things like digital clutter. This book reminded me that it’s not about being perfect, but instead, it’s about making room to breathe. The audiobook narration by Hillary Huber was great as always.
I have found myself wondering who will be responsible for getting rid of all my stuff? If you’ve ever looked around your space and thought, “How did I end up with so much stuff?”, this is your sign to grab this book. It’s short, funny, motivating, and exactly the push I needed to truly and finally let go of a few things (well..a lot of things!) and feel lighter because of it.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest reviews.
The audiobook was enjoyable. I needed it right now. I have too much of my own clutter, but my mom has never paid for trash pick up ... for over 50 years ... and I'm trying to purge so much stuff. I really never want to leave anyone with a similar task.
So much to do. Very good, practical advice. Get to work and start getting to it! (Unfortunately easier said than done.)
When it comes down to it, if you don't enjoy or love something, let it go. What are the benchmark objects in your home that you wouldn't want to part with? as each object passes through your life ... does it stay, does it go, can it be recycled to someone who will love it more than you?
The audio was well narrated by Hillary Huber. Authored by Messie Condo. (Seems like a made up name that I don't think is very funny.)
Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review the advance read of the audio in exchange for an honest review. Rather short around 3 hours. Publication date is Oct 21, 2025.
I thought this was totally fine. I don’t think the tips were necessarily super original or groundbreaking, but I do think it is a very quick and easy read/listen if someone is not really familiar with decluttering or isn’t already pretty good at maintaining a Decluttered space.
To be frank, I think the voice, especially with the narrator was a little bit judgmental and sassy, and I don’t know if it’s just because of how it was read or if the physical book would feel the same way. But I think if I were to give this book to say my parents that have a ton of stuff, I think they would be insulted a little bit by how it’s written? It didn’t feel as warm and friendly as some other decluttering methods do.
Overall, I think there are good tips, but if you are already someone who has practice minimalism or make sure everything in your home at value, I don’t know that this book will be for you.
I'm a big a fan of Marie Condo’s work and the wider conversations around intentional living (from Swedish death cleaning to hygge and decluttering) so this book caught my eye. I was excited to see how Can’t Take It With You might add something new to that space.
While it’s a quick, approachable read, I ultimately didn’t find much here that expanded on or deepened those existing ideas. It was just fine. The advice felt familiar and sometimes repetitive, without offering the kind of fresh perspective I was hoping for. That said, readers who are brand new to minimalism or who want a simple, encouraging reminder of the “less is more” mindset may find it enjoyable.
Overall, it’s a light and pleasant read, just not one that stood out to me in an already crowded genre.
This new organizing book from the author of Tidy the F*ck Up and Nobody Wants Your Sh*t isn’t introducing any ground-shaking organizing techniques, but it does offer a light and approachable overview of existing tips and techniques from a variety of sources. Based on the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning, this book covers why you need to declutter both for yourself and your descendants. It offers overall tips and those area by area with a lower barrier to entry than “take every garment you own and put it on your bed.”
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced review copy.
This is a Non-Fiction book about Tidying Up. I read this book by listening to the audiobook for this book, and I did enjoy the audiobook. I found there are some things that are repeated several times in this book, and that kind of drove me crazy. I found several things in this book interesting. I really enjoyed reading this book. I found this book to be a quick read. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
I love her snark and humane so much. I read her previous book as well. Thanks NetGalley for the audio version of this to review. I enjoyed the narrator a lot. It was a quick, easy and fun listen. Appreciate her ideas. Would recommend.