The Read Well Podcast
Episode 119: Design the Perfect Reading Space
Host: Eddy Hood
Guest: Thatcher Wine (Author of For the Love of Books and The 12 Monotasks)
Date: November 24, 2025
Overview
This episode explores the art and science of crafting the perfect reading space, with actionable advice on organizing, curating, and enjoying personal libraries. Guest Thatcher Wine—a book curator, founder of Juniper Books, and author of The 12 Monotasks—shares insights from decades of designing libraries and living mindfully through focused, single-task activities. In a candid, engaging conversation, Eddy and Thatcher cover tips on book organization, the emotional side of book collections, minimalist versus maximalist approaches, and practical guidance in reclaiming attention through monotasking.
Key Themes and Discussion Points
1. Thatcher Wine’s Journey and Juniper Books (01:58–04:49)
- Origin Story: Thatcher shares how Juniper Books began 25 years ago from his hobby of reselling thrift store finds and expanded into custom library design.
- Business Evolution: From building personalized collections to creating artistic book jackets, Thatcher’s goal is to make books both meaningful and visually stunning.
- “What if we printed book jackets that kind of transformed your books…and they look like artwork on your shelves?” – Thatcher (03:49)
2. Decluttering and Curating: Starting with a Clean Slate (06:16–09:40)
- First Step: Begin with empty shelves to avoid the paralysis of overpacked spaces.
- Keep What Matters: “Start with the books you really want to keep...don’t feel like you have to keep everything.” (06:16)
- Flexible Display: You can keep books without always having to display them—store sentimental volumes elsewhere or update their appearance with new covers.
- Thatcher’s ‘Two-thirds Rule’: Fill shelves to about two-thirds with books to maintain order and leave space for personal mementos.
- “Leaving a little bit of space for things that aren’t books...everything is telling a story of who you are.” – Thatcher (08:21)
3. Organizing Your Library: No Single Right Way (09:40–11:45)
- Methods: Alphabetical, by color, by subject, or by personal grouping—all are valid.
- Thatcher advocates for organizing by subject with some author grouping.
- Planning Approach: Sketching or temporarily arranging books helps visualize and decide on organization.
- “It’s more how you interface with the books.” – Eddy (11:20)
- Practical Challenge: Making room for new books in an already full category—give yourself permission to rotate, remove, or move books.
4. Letting Go: The Emotional Side of Downsizing (13:07–17:06)
- Periodic Purging: Regularly reassess your collection; interests change, and making space renews the connection to what matters now.
- “It might reattach your connection to that subject or those books, but it also just might make room for something that’s coming to your life.” – Thatcher (13:53)
- Guilt and Ownership: Letting go of unread or unlikely-to-be-read books can relieve guilt and enhance appreciation for what remains.
- Rarity vs. Accessibility: With most books available again if needed, there’s no need to hold onto every common volume.
5. Curation as Art and Identity (19:03–23:35)
- What is Curation? It’s about the intentional selection and arrangement that reflects both the owner’s identity and aspirations.
- “Curation is kind of an art and a science of putting myself in their position.” – Thatcher (21:29)
- Knowing Yourself: Discipline is required to keep only what fits your current identity or interests, even though bibliophiles are often tempted to “keep it all.”
- Avoiding Overwhelm: Overly packed or disorganized spaces can alienate rather than invite engagement.
6. Practical Organizing Tips: Multi-room Libraries and Cleaning (24:40–28:05)
- Room Assignments: Organize by subject across rooms for clarity and manageability.
- “Having multiple rooms, like this is what I do in my house, I have different collections in different rooms.” – Thatcher (25:14)
- Starting Fresh: Entirely clear shelves before reorganizing—though the process feels daunting, it yields better results.
- Front or Back of Shelf: Thatcher prefers pushing books to the front for visual order, even though it leads to dusting behind.
- “The books are participating in the room.” – Thatcher (27:17)
7. Transition: Mindful Living and Monotasking (28:05–31:20)
- Why Monotasking? Thatcher’s personal experiences—overcoming cancer, divorce, and burnout—highlighted the need for single-minded focus as restorative.
- Books & Presence: Immersive reading is a foundational form of monotasking, calming the nervous system and restoring focus.
- “Reading really helps us reclaim our attention.” – Thatcher (29:41)
8. The 12 Monotasks: Reclaiming Attention in a Distracted World (35:57–37:26)
- The 12 Monotasks:
- Reading
- Walking
- Listening
- Sleeping
- Eating
- Getting There (Travel)
- Learning
- Teaching
- Playing
- Seeing
- Creating
- Thinking
- Core Principle: Do one thing at a time, deliberately and with your full attention.
- First Steps: Start small—e.g., put the phone away during a walk and simply notice your surroundings.
- “Monotasking...is about being fully present with your senses.” – Thatcher (32:23)
- Pomodoro Parallels: Sessions of 15–25 minutes foster deeper focus and allow for productive breaks.
9. Notable Quotes & Moments
-
“What if we printed book jackets that kind of transformed your books...and they look like artwork on your shelves?”
— Thatcher (03:49) -
“Leaving a little bit of space for things that aren’t books...everything is telling a story of who you are.”
— Thatcher (08:21) -
“There’s definitely no right answer on that.” (on how to organize books)
— Thatcher (10:13) -
“If you’re around books enough, you know what you’ll see again, you don’t have to keep it...most things you can find again when you need them.”
— Thatcher (15:24) -
“Curation is kind of an art and a science of putting myself in their position.”
— Thatcher (21:29) -
“Monotasking anything, the first step is putting down my phone. It’s the biggest source of distraction these days.”
— Thatcher (32:23) -
“You don’t just learn to do it once...it’s a skill you have to keep developing and refresh.”
— Thatcher (39:27) -
“We all have the ability to reclaim our focus...we just have to commit to it.”
— Eddy (43:22)
10. Practical Monotasking Insights and Applications
- Attention Practice: Instead of lamenting distraction, choose one task and give it full attention for a short burst—reading, walking, listening, or playing.
- Switching Costs: Multitasking is actually “task-switching,” which is draining and inefficient.
- “If you’re doing something that requires deep thought, it takes 23 minutes to switch to another task.” – Thatcher (41:44)
- Be Kind to Yourself: Start with what’s manageable, celebrate progress, and know that monotasking is a lifelong practice.
Memorable Listener Interactions
- John (Listener): “For years, I created a magnificent library...We have since downsized significantly...strangely, it was liberating.” (23:52)
- Edie (Listener): On purging: “Now I check out most of my books from the library. I only buy the keepers now that I know, I’ll reread.” (26:08)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Thatcher’s origin and book curation philosophy: 01:58–04:49
- Organizing and decluttering strategies for reading spaces: 06:16–09:40
- Types of book organization, listener methods, and practical frustrations: 09:40–13:15
- Letting go of books and emotional impact: 13:15–17:06
- Defining curation and the relationship to identity: 19:03–23:35
- Multi-room organizing and logistics: 24:40–28:05
- Transition to monotasking and its origins: 28:05–31:20
- The 12 monotasks explained: 35:57–37:26
- Applying monotasking in daily life, switching cost, and attention: 41:21–42:46
Closing & Resources
Where to Learn More:
- Juniper Books / Juniper Custom: JuniperBooks.com
- Thatcher Wine’s Site: ThatcherWine.com
- Books Available: For the Love of Books, The 12 Monotasks (available signed at Juniper Books, local bookstores, main retailers)
Eddy’s Reminder:
"Read slowly, take notes, and apply the ideas." (48:32)
For practical daily reading tips:
Visit thereadwellpodcast.com
This episode serves as a gentle invitation to reimagine your personal library, curate it with intention, and reclaim your attention—one book and one mindful task at a time.