Five Reasons Why I Don’t Lend My Books

Over the bunch of years that I have been collecting books, I have had a couple friends who have asked to borrow them.

My initial thinking? Sure! I hope you love the book as much as I did.


My thinking afterward? Ugh, you suck at this game.

it's not going to happen
****Unless… You’re pretty amazing. Then you can borrow all the books you want.

Here are my reasons as to why I don’t lend out my books.

Reason #1: The books are not treated the way I would treat them. I have had a friend, whom I lent three books. The next time I see the books, one has many bent pages (at odd angles) and one has a ring of red sticky soda around it. Like the book was used as a coaster and the soda was spilled a little bit. Uhm. No. Just no.

Reason #2: The books are lost or never returned. This one I absolutely hate. If you lend me a book, I’m going to read it and return it to you. Your loaned book goes on the top of my list. However, I have had to replace multiple books because people cannot remember to return them, or they lose them! I’m like ‘How do you lose this book?!’. Or this one: “I lent it to someone else!”

Reason #3: An addition to #2. You lie and tell me you gave the book back. This one has happened to me before. An ex-friend of mine swore that she gave the book back when I know she didn’t. She just wanted to keep it because she loved it as much as I did and didn’t want to go buy it for herself. I was devastated. However, I think I was 10 or 11? So I probably got over it quickly, but the lesson remains the same.

Reason #3.5: Orrrrr. You asked to borrow it, I let you, but then you never plan on reading it. I’ve had a couple of those too. Sucks big time. Cuz they hold onto it for months and you’re like ‘Where’s my book, brah?’

Reason #4: The fact that I don’t know you. I.e. Not a personal close friend or family. Many times, if I don’t you, I won’t lend you a book. Only because I don’t know how you treat books or anything of the like.

Reason #5: There is potential to spill liquids on it, highlight passages, or dog-ear my pages. I mean, there are only a couple of my books that are in absolutely perfect condition. Most of them aren’t, as they are second-hand. However, just because they are second-hand does not mean you shouldn’t take care of them. Spine creases happen, but treat it like you would your own book. And please return it.

Ahhh! Honestly, I do lend books. But… I have to know you really well, and know that you’ll take care of them as much as I do.

How do you guys feel about lending books? What are your pet peeves?

Blackstone – Review

March Wrap Up

7 Comments

  1. mugglebooks says:

    I totally understand your reasons! 😀

  2. Sukanya Ramanujan says:

    I never lend my books and mostly for the same reasons you have stated. I can’ tolerate my books leaving my house.

  3. No one has ever asked to borrow mine to be honest, but these are reasons I’d be hesitant to let someone try… Plus, there are libraries dude, go borrow those lol

  4. blackmutts says:

    One of my coworkers-who I did like- offered up a book I had offered to lend her to a coworker I did not like… In the context of an office, I couldn’t go into the finer points of who I will and won’t lend to… So, long story short, my copy of the hunger games has a gum or phone number sized hole ripped off of the dark page in the beginning. (Although, I suppose the coworker returned it quickly after defacing it, I’ll give her that.)

  5. I agree very much with all of these points, except at the end when you say: “Treat it like you would your own book” (not a perfect quote because I’m in the app, oops). I know people who treat their own books terribly, but are actually decent to books they borrow. Don’t treat the book like you would, treat the book like I would xD

    1. Kendra Kendra says:

      You make an excellent point! I hadn’t thought about that. 🙂

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