Loaning books?

How do you guys feel about loaning out books? If it's a book I'll never read again, I consider it as giving it away. But, I honestly don't like loaning out books I want to keep because I very rarely ever get them back. When I borrow a book from someone, I make a huge effort to give it back. I don't understand why other people don't have the same courtesy. So basically, very seldom don't loan books. I love my books!

I have a habit (for which I have alternately been praised and critcised) of annotating my books as I read them. And I've noticed a trend: none of the annotated ones I've lent out have ever returned.

A teacher friend I lent one to had all manner of excuses as to why this particular book could not be returned to me on any number of separate occasions. Eventually, she confessed to using it as the "teacher's edition" in one of her classes. I'm still waiting for my royalty check(s)...

only ones i dont care if i get back or not.

It's not just books though. People tend not to return any item that is borrowed.

With me it's not a problem because I have to qualms in speaking my mind. If a person asks to borrow something, I say "no, you ask to borrow, but you mean to have because you won't return it. Go buy it yourself"


People don't ask me to borrow things any longer .. because they know that I will be frank and tell them exactly what I'm thinking or feeling.


That's all you have to do. Tell them - no, because you won't give it back, so go buy your own if you want it

when it comes to books especially... loaning = gifting. 😛

as soon as i hand it over, it's as good as gone anyways.

and in general i dont loan anything out... aside from pens. probably a weird quirk of mine, but i actually keep a couple cheap pens on me at all times just for people who want to borrow mine.

always a mistake with a book you love, you almost never get them back. I only do it with books I don't want to see again, saves doing a charity shop drop 🙂