Aghh Ranting Post. To lend a book or not to lend a book?

Ok so this is pretty much going to be a ranting post. A couple of months ago a friend of mine asked me if she could borrow my The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare and in return she said I could borrow whatever I wanted. So I figure she only lives literally 3 doors down from me, I know where she lives why not?

Yea well that didn't exactly go the way I thought it would. In the time it took her to read 3 books I read 15 of hers. Every time I went over to her house to ask if she was done because I really wanted my books back she told me she wasn't even finished the first book. Seriously? She had my books for 4 months. Tell me you cannot read 3 books in 4 months? And when I went back and finally had to lie to get my books back by telling her my sister wanted to borrow them, she couldn't find them. One of my books was stuck under her couch. Ohh I almost had a heart attack.

 Now I know not everyone cares what condition their books are in but I do. I have an OCD problem with my books being in like new condition. And its just plain disrespectful not to take care of something that you  borrowed from someone, even if that is not how you would take care of it if you owned it. Now I would totally understand if there was some tragedy or some unavoidable issue but there wasn't.

Because of this unfortunate one time experience I will most likely never lend out a book again which is horrible but they are way to expensive and I just enjoy them too much to loose them or have something happen to them or for them to get damaged.

So my question to you is am I feeling overly sensitive about this? or was it really disrespectful and ridiculous for her to have 3 books for 4 months and to not even had finished reading the 1st?

Do you lend out your books? or are you now like me and refuse to?

12 comments:

  1. I almost never let my friends borrow books. I am way to paranoid about it. I have had some bad experiences in the past. People have spilled stuff on them and acted like it was no big deal. I take EXTREMELY good care of my books and would hope people would do the same.

    I will only lend them to people that love books as much as me and that I KNOW will take good care of them!

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  2. I would lend my books to a very select group of people, but no one outside of the "book obsession" group. LOL I need my books to say in mint condition also! And no, you didn't overreact a bit!

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  3. There are only a few people I trust enough to lend my books to, and quite frankly, I know they're all as obsessed (if not more obsessed) as I am so they will keep them nice. That's actually my main criteria for loaning a book - if you're the type of person I talk to about books often, and I often see you carrying around books and how you treat them, then I might consider letting you borrow a book. If not, then I'm sorry, but you'll have to go to the library. But I agree, if it's someone who won't give it back for forever and won't treat them well, then you have the right to not lend to that person ever again.

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  4. No, I'm not one for lending a books for the same reason. I have a friend that mangled every book I let her read.

    Right now there is only one friend I trust with books I want back.

    I hate when people abuse books. All of mine are very gently read.

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  5. Hey,

    Well I lent a book to a friend who spilled coffee on my favourite Druid book, then promised to buy another copy for me and give it to me. That was two years ago, nothing yet. I lent out two other books to my babysitters who I see all the time, but they haven't returned them yet, so I dunno, and after those two experiences, I have NOT lent out books to ANYONE other than my niece who lives downstairs and actually returns books.

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  6. I don't always lend out my books but to a select few people that I know treat their books with the same care. The only books of mine that are not in like-new condition are those I've bought from used/recycled bookstores and my original copy of "Watership Down". It's just been read too much, so it looks rather worn out. ^_^;

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  7. Oh my goodness, I have had a few problems with lending out books. First when I lend a book out I expect the person to try to read in a timely manner. I mean I hate when they just have it sitting there for months and not even try to read it.

    My most horrible book lending experience was with my sister, she borrowed a SIGNED copy of Succubus on Top and she was on the bus with it in her purse and she got sick and well my book died. :( It was Signed by Richelle Mead! I was so sad and she has never replaced it.

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  8. I have that OCD too, and for good reason. I take care great care of my books and they're in near perfect condition from when I bought them.

    A couple years ago my cousin borrowed one of my Harry Potter books and when I finally got it back the dust jacket was missing. Well, I was pissed!! Course I was young so didn't make a big stink but did complain to my mom.

    When my neighbour asked to borrow my Twilight book I removed the dust jacket and my dad casually mentioned that I kept my books pristine. That one came back in the same shape thank goodness.

    My best friends know how crazy I am about books and they're the only ones I trust wholly to take care of any books I willingly lend them. I think it's so disrespectful if you don't return something in the same condition it was given!
    If I'm a little wary I'll just say I don't have whatever it is they're asking for or I've already lent it someone else. Better safe than sorry.

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  9. It depends on what book and who is wanting to borrow. I have banned my mother from lending my books without my knowledge. Yep, she used to do that when I was a kid. I would lose books that way. :P

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  10. Totally feel your pain. I lent four books (including an awesome Sarah Dessen!) to a new teacher at our school at the beginning of this school year because she raved about how she and her friend at her old school used to share books and she missed it, blah, blah blah. She's never returned them. Nice. See if I lend you anything ever again, new girl! *growl*

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  11. I don't blame you I have only lent out a couple books and both times I never got the book back. So I am very leary in lending to anyone again.

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  12. I am the same way. I almost never lend a book. I never get them back. Haha I was sharing the same award. I'm leaving your name lol. If you want to still accept both YAY.

    Happy Tuesday.

    BK

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