Why I have (almost) stopped lending my books?

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Image source- Electric Literature

I know you would see similar blogposts in many sites. But here's my experience with having to lend my books and not getting it back in same condition (or not at all). Being a hardcore book lover, books are one of the reason of my heartbeats and with our books away, we feel empty inside our soul. Even if that book wasn't so close to us.

There are many reasons and personal experiences that I have (almost) stopped lending books to people. Books are mostly lent only to those who buy books of their own and share the same passion for books, keeping them safely like a treasure.

So here are some experiences-

  1. Not getting book back at all or really really late- I had lent a book to someone I used to know and I hadn't had gotten the book for months. If you borrow someone's book, read the book asap and give them the book back in same condition. And if you happen to carelessly lost the book (it dare not be a signed copy!), purchase another unused copy of the book and give it back to the person. And exit the person's life. You possibly wouldn't be forgiven if that book was close to that person. Tell us when you gonna return us the book and give it by that time (or best, even before). Not doing so will lead to breech of trust.
  2. Scribble in the books- It's a book, not a canvas. Don't even use pen or permanent inks on the books. If you happen to come across a mind-blowing line which isn't underlined/highlighted, use a pencil at max. Nothing more. Had lent one of my favourite books (This Is Not Your Story by Savi Sharma) and when I got back, I happened to see scribbles on that book with a pen. I never lent that book ever again to anyone. And keep the books away from the reach of children and pets.
  3. Food stains- Keep your food and food stained fingers away from a borrowed book. Unless you are a experienced great multi-tasker who wouldn't stain your book pages, do not bring your food stained hands near the borrowed books of anyone.
  4. Book folds and cracked spine- As it's said, dog ear looks best on dogs only (don't know who is the author of this statement). Do not experiment with our voiceless books. Use any bookmark, a rough clean page, ATM cards, or so. And if it is a paperback, do not break the book's spine. We can lose our pages and don't force the book flat open. Also turn the pages carefully from the corners without saliva on your fingers.
Ah, if school and college libraries would have taught students proper book etiquettes, we wouldn't have had to post such blogs. 

I came across another bibliophile whose additional condition for lending books is that the family has no pets and all kids are 13+ (so probably more sensible to not ruin anyone's book). And I clearly liked that and follow the same.

Source- Pinterest


Buy your own book or follow proper book etiquettes and maintain the book lover's trust in you.

Made by Maryssa


Hello, I am Ritika Jakhotiya, the blogger behind Ritika Ruminates. I am an English graduate and currently pursuing an M.A. in English. I love reading and writing. Ritika Ruminates (formerly 'Blogging With Ritz') is my personal blog site, where I write about things close to my heart (and mind) and dish out my thoughts on topics that concern me or inspire my creativity. These topics include books, cinema, feminism, social themes/taboos, and travel. Before you leave, please hit the follow button and subscribe to get notified about new blog posts and share the post with others. I also create content (as a reader) on my Instagram @thisisritika_j, where I share book reviews, relatable memes and reels.

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