Why I don't lend books? I was happy lending books to friends in the hope of having fun analyzing, appreciating, criticizing about the general awesomeness of reading books. How wrong I was. I don't have many friends who love reading, may be one or two. As I've mentioned in my earlier posts, I've an impressive collection of books. When friends visit us, they want to borrow. Those are gone never to return. Even if they return, not without dog ears, oil/food/coffee stains, drenched it water, highlighted paragraphs. It takes me a herculean effort not to smash their head. Which part of the word "lend" you fail to understand? The word borrow means 'you promise to return it in the same condition within said time." One friend flatly refused borrowing books from me. I reminded her name of the books, date, time, and the situation. She then blabbered something about misplacing or losing on house shifting. It left a bad taste in my mouth. And now we don't see eye to eye. Most of them wouldn't even read those books. Then why pretend? My firm believe is reading is a hobby. It is nurtured from childhood. You either have it or you don't. I don't know a single person who picked this habit in later part of life. Now I lend books only to my baby sister who promptly returns in the same condition. I'm even contemplating the idea of displaying a sign board in front of book shelf saying 'You don't ask, I'l not say no. Books are my priced possession. You can lend money and get away with it, not books. This compulsion and obsession only a book lover can understand.
PS-I used to maintain XL sheet with book names, author's name, genre, lender's name, date, and time. Hey, I can't trust my impeccable memory for everything. Right?
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