So, I'm curious about all the books and notes in my inventory and the quests they relate to. A lot of them started the quest and I am wondering if I can now dump them on the ground? It's just so annoying to have to scroll down to my food items all the time.. there's not really a great way to sort the inventory either..

So can I dump that junk and not affect the quests that they started?

Yes, if you've read them & the quest has updated, you can dump them.