Borrowed books not returned to me
By micha5088
@micha5088 (554)
Malaysia
October 6, 2012 12:33am CST
I like reading books. Frequently, I discover that people who like to read books are more knowledgeable than those who don't. So, it's fascinating to meet these intelligent people who have read all kinds of books and applied the knowledge that they get through reading to their life.
I've never thought of myself as a book worm. I don't feel I have read enough books to qualify myself to be called a book worm. But whenever I tidy up my house and arrange all the things lying around on my floor, sofa and just about anywhere in my house, I saw all kinds of books; big, small, tiny, thick and thin books and printed e-books that I got from the internet. So, am I a confirmed book worm?
Sometimes some of my friends ask me if I have books of 'this' and 'that' title. So, I will, of course, tell them and if I have the title, they want to borrow it. I've experienced many times that borrowed books always end up becoming 'their' (borrowers) books. Now, some books are expensive and not easy to find. So, I am sad, hurt whenever my books end up becoming some else's. What do you think mylotters?
1 person likes this
10 responses
@Raine38 (12391)
• United States
6 Oct 12
I also have friends who never returned my books. Once or twice I will ask for them back, but if it still remains unreturned, I just stopped and let them have it but they can never borrow from me again after that. Whenever they try, I will remind them that they still have an unreturned book. That usually stops them, and sometimes I do get it back. Often times though, they just let it go and never return it to me. It sucks because not only where my books expensive, but they also have sentimental value to me.
1 person likes this
@micha5088 (554)
• Malaysia
6 Oct 12
I have a friend who've never borrowed any books from me until recently. She's a new friend to me. She asked if I have any gardening books, so I told her I have. She is actually one of my neighbours and one of the closest friend I have at the moment. So, I borrowed her my expensive hard cover gardening book not so long ago. We are into herbal gardening, so we are helping each other.
Later, she borrowed me one of her recipe books, a paperback quality with the content not so good. She 'borrowed' me this book which I DID NOT ask to borrow. One day, She just brought it to me when she visited me at my house. Although she did not say anything, I felt like she was 'exchanging' book with me. But I just brushed off this thinking at that time...so, I am wondering when is the right time for me to ask her to return my book?
1 person likes this
@tessa9 (1085)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
I experienced this a lot when I was younger. I belonged to a book group and some people intentionally or unintentionally not returned some of my books. I did find some of my books in out group cabinet in the end of our year so maybe some people just forget who they borrowed the book to. This occur to me at times when I borrow a few books at once.
1 person likes this
@micha5088 (554)
• Malaysia
6 Oct 12
ahh book worms are forgetful people...they read so many books and forgot where they got the books from.
Happy mylotting tessa!
@shaggin (72183)
• United States
6 Oct 12
People are terrible who do things like that. If they borrow books from you they should return them when they are done. I have had this happen to me and it makes me mad I wont allow people to borrow them from me anymore because of it. Like you I love to read books. I have a huge collection that I need to read. When I am done I either sell them in my yard sale for 10ยข or I donate them.
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
20 Oct 12
Make a list of borrowed book like what we did when we borrow books from the library.
My daughter did that whenever her friends borrowed her books.
She keeps a list of borrowed books and check when it is already returned.
She also put numbers so she can easily check what book is still missing or unreturned yet.
@airasheila (5454)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
hello there micha5088,
i do understand how you feel since that book has some importance with you. aside from that, it is part of your investment. thus nourishing your knowledge from that book is an investment that nobody can take away. due to the situations that happens, why don't you try to keep a digital copies of the books you kept. as there are many e-book that arise from the market nowadays. so as not to keep printed books in your shelves.
@watchamacallitz (1171)
• Philippines
20 Oct 12
Yes, you are a bookworm but there isn't wrong with that. I also love reading books and I keep all my books, though I let my friends borrow it. But I make it clear to them that I am only allowing them to borrow it and they should return it. you could ask your friends to return your books, in the first place, those are yours.
@kiran8 (15348)
• Mangalore, India
6 Oct 12
Hi micha, 3 years ago when I had started a discussion on the same subject and almost all members who responded had the same grouse that when people borrow books they fail to either return because they forget it and don't give it enough importance.They probably think that since you have already read , they could keep it with them, also let others borrow it in some cases as I have experienced.I love books and hate it when people take books for granted...
@kokomo (1867)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
You must be genius my friend. Yes, that was very common. Borrowing books and then possessing it after by the borrowers, that's too disgusting most especially when that books were taking care off by you for so long.It should be a lesson for you this time my friend.
@ajlasent (536)
• Philippines
6 Oct 12
oh dear, i experience the same thing too. when i was in high school i lent my books to friends. both books i lent were dear to me and they still haven't given it back and i've already graduated college.
from then on i just have this aura about me that whenever people try to borrow books, they already know my response... that i can't because i care for my books too much.
i also had an experience where the spine of my book was badly damaged and i was like "how do you hold the book?!" .
