Borrowing books to others
By maezee
@maezee (41988)
United States
February 13, 2012 8:36pm CST
A few weeks ago a friend of mine, who I have been friends with since elementary school, was apparently going through her boxes and boxes full of books and return 2 books to me ("Lolita" and "Catch 22") from LITERALLY SIX (6!!!) years ago. I borrowed these to her in 10th grade of high school. I am now 21. I was 15 then. I am in shock, but I had totally forgotten about these books. She could have kept them for all I knew, it's been so long without them..
It got me thinking who else I borrowed books to. I know I probably have about ~5 other books wandering out there from high school friends and maybe even Junior High friends! Who never returned my books!
I feel like when I borrow books from people, I keep very good track of them. I generally don't hang on to books I buy from thrift stores and other places unless I feel like they are good re-reading material. So my bookshelves don't have a lot on them, they're quiet organized. Right now I have only ONE borrowed book from my aunt, a mystery novel I'm currently working on finishing.
I'm just in awe that someone could hang onto a borrowed book for SIX YEARS! I should start charging LATE FEES like the library does!!!
What kind of insane world do we live on where people hold onto your books for this long, or even FOREVER?
Do you notice this at all with books YOU borrow out, too?
14 responses
@samar54 (2454)
• Egypt
18 Feb 12
It is bad thing to borrow book to some one and he don't return it to you
I lost many of my good books by this way , I feel what you feel
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
16 Feb 12
I must admit that I have failed to return borrowed books on time. I know I even paid late fees on some library books. But I have never forgotten a borrowed book for over a year!
That's why I refrain from borrowing anymore.
Specially now that books are easily downloaded cheaply on tablets.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
14 Feb 12
You confused me, the word borrowed means you were the one receiving the books, the word you needed to use was lending. English is a very difficult language to learn and you do very well with it. To answer your questions, I do lose tract of who has what book of mine, but I am also guilty of not always returning another's book.
It's a sloppy habit on my part.
@shibham (16977)
• India
15 Feb 12
Hi maezee...
If i get back my borrowed books then it will full a bookshelf. Once i asked a book which was borrowed from me to return me back. The friend told me that he gave that book to another one and totally forgot. How disgusting way to express his odd behavior? So, that mannerless guy never asks a book from me and now i am quiet serious on lending books. I note down the names of books, readers and dates... so that i can get back.
have a nice time.
@universe2o6 (356)
• Brazil
15 Feb 12
I do not own too many books. Usually I am the one borrowing them! Lateley I only download eBooks since it's easier to store hundreds of books on my tablet but I do beleive there are some books I have yet not received. Maybe from school days. I guess I will never know right?
@girl_thinking (1959)
• Philippines
14 Feb 12
Hi maezee! It happens the other way for me. Friends borrowed books from me and I don't know where they are right now. Some of the books that I lent them were pretty memorable to me but since it never occurred to me that the books could get lost somewhere, I still lent them around. Sometimes, I regret lending books because every book that I have holds valuable memory of either my childhood or some significant part of my life. I do have some books on my bookshelves that are not mine and I know from whom I borrowed them. I just don't have the time to return them just yet. Haha. What comes around goes around 
@peavey (16936)
• United States
14 Feb 12
Yep... even my own grown kids seem to borrow books from me and never return them. There are quite a few of my books out there that have disappeared. I loaned one to my sister several years ago, then remembered and asked her about it and she didn't remember ever reading it. Most of the time I just give up in getting them back, but to have someone return them after that long is pretty cool.
@cotruelove (1016)
• Denver, Colorado
14 Feb 12
I have lent books out and had some never returned over the years, and I've many times forgotten what happened to them. When I lend out a book, I always put my name in it so ownership is obvious. I, like many of my friends, tend to forget who lent me the book. If the name is inside, it is never a problem. I usually give paperbacks away. However, now days, I get my books on Kindle or Nook and that eliminates the shelves. If I don't use these devices more, I will be lining walls with books as insulation...
. Lately, I've donated some of my books to small town libraries in the area. At least I know where they went and I can always go and borrow them back if I ever want to read them again. Thanks for the discussion!
. Lately, I've donated some of my books to small town libraries in the area. At least I know where they went and I can always go and borrow them back if I ever want to read them again. Thanks for the discussion!
@mensab (4200)
• Philippines
14 Feb 12
this is great! she must have forgotten to return those books to you. after six years, that is amazing. she has no intention to keep those books. she really intended to return what she had borrowed. i remember that i have few books that i could not recall from whom i had borrowed them. and i am sure that i have also books out there which are waiting to be returned.
@yanzalong (18988)
• Indonesia
14 Feb 12
You mean you lent books to others? I can't remember who I lent my books to when I was in school, either. I don't remember if I have borrowed books from friends, which I haven't retuned yet.
@jricky1 (6800)
• China
14 Feb 12
It is insane that many people who keep the books in their hands and do not return and even keep track of that.Sometimes i do feel angry.But in fact that my friends are great and sometimes you may made your own decision depending on who borrows from you.Good luck.
@lovejca78 (53)
• Philippines
14 Feb 12
I'm sure if I kept track on the books borrowed from me, I would probably have a whole library of them now. A lot of my friends borrowed books from me (especially my romance novels), And could not remember who borrowed what, it was just too numerous of them. hehe. Good for you, yours were returned.
@dorothy172 (984)
• Malaysia
14 Feb 12
sometimes i also will meet with this situation, borrow book from others or borrow to others. i have borrow a book from my friend around 2 years. but until now i still havent return back to him. not i dont want to return, just after i borrow his book, until today i never back to the place anymore since some incident occur to me, i hope that i can go back to the place and can return to him one day in the future.
@katykin (1)
•
14 Feb 12
Hi Maezee,
This happened to me too, only the person I loaned the books too totally denied that I had ever loaned them! I was upset by this as the books were the complete set of The Chronicles of Narnia which I had bought for my kids. I vowed then to NEVER loan a book out again, which I have stuck to. Maybe you should too.
