Thursday, June 12, 2014

Cocktail and Conversation


Every other Thursday here at the Broke & The Bookish is  A Cocktail & Conversation time. One of the TB&TB members will pose a question to 2-3 of the other members of TB&TB crew about books, life, music, etc and then they'll answer and we can converse about it. So grab a cocktail & cozy up for some conversation. It's 5 o'clock somewhere, friends.

What is your policy on book lending?  Are certain books off-limits?  Do you only lend to certain people?  Or do you not lend at all?  Why?


Bridget says:  I love lending books, especially my favorites, but that's left me in a tough spot a few times (I've had to buy new copies of Ender's Gameand The Stand). In most cases, the books I've lent out to people that I've had returned have been in the same condition, with one notable exception: my husband! If he's reading a book, there's a good chance it's getting jostled around in his backpack with a variety of other non-book-shaped things, which means rips and tears happen a bit more often :( So, only paperbacks I don't have any sentimental attachment to for him (as much as I love him).

Daisy says:  I only lend out books that I've actually already read myself, I just want to be the first one to experience that particular book. And I only lend them out to people who I know will be careful with them. The only ones that are off limit are my beautiful shiny copies of the Hunger Games series, my original set has been read by so many people and it's cracked and bent (and well-loved), so I bought myself a new set and that's not leaving the house. 

Julia says:  I don't own too many books, so lending them doesn't come up often. I have been bitten in the past when lending books, meaning I never see them again. Since I usually only buy things I really am in love with, I don't lend things often. My sister and I do end up trading books often though, but that is because I know where she lives and can just come snatch it back, and she can do the same.

Kimberly says:  One of my favorite things is introducing someone to a book I loved. Usually that happens when I slap my copy of the book into their hands and say "Read it. Now." It's always heartbreaking when I get a book back and it's been too well loved. However, those that I lend books to know how I feel about my books and they take good care of them. Signed books, however, are a different story. I have let someone borrow a signed book maybe... twice. And that came with a promise of a long painful death to the borrower if that book came to harm.

Lori says:  I've totally been burned in the past by lending out books!  As a result of losing two books (despite contacting the people borrowing them numerous times about returning them), I am extremely selective of who gets to read my books.  My dad has free reign to grab anything out of my bookshelves that are at my parents' house because I totally trust him and I know he's not going to destroy my books.  I'll also occasionally shove a book under his nose and demand he reads it.  I would also loan books to Zach and my grandparents if they asked or if it was something the just had to read.  But that's about it.  Maybe a couple of trusted online book friends...if it's not one of my special books.

Tahleen says:  I only lend books if I have already read them, or if I don't care if I won't get it back. I am terrible at returning books people lend to me, so I try not to give out books I want back. Mostly my book-lending policy is to not borrow books from other people, aside from the library, because they probably will never go back to their owners. I have too many books in my house and can never get to the ones I'm lent in a timely manner; I know I've had at least two books people have lent to me for a few years. If they ask for them back, I'll gladly give them, but they're people I no longer see on a regular basis!

What about you?  What are your personal policies on lending?  Any horror stories?

6 comments:

  1. I lend out books once I've read them, if the book is signed... it stays with me! I think it's hard for those we lend the books to... I know myself and I know I have to be in the mood to read a book so more often than not, if I borrow a book... it takes awhile for it to get back to the owner. I usually lend the books out I have only if i won't be upset if it doesn't come home (it's also a great way to spring clean the bookshelves).

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  2. I love lending books. Me and my mum swap books all the time. Only thing is, she's a super slow reader so I either give her the book way before I need it or after I'm done.
    I have had books go missing and in one instance, I never got my copy of In Cold Blood back before I moved interstate. I tried and tried but just gave up.

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  3. I don't like to lend out my books because I'm crazy about them staying in good condition. I will sometimes let my boyfriend borrow a book but that comes with the knowledge that if he ruins my beautiful book then he has to buy me a beautiful new copy. He is pretty careful with my books though cause he knows I love them

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  4. I'm stingy. I've lost too many books by letting someone borrow them. I will however, on occasions, give my books away.

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  5. I like lending books to the people I trust, what I hate is when someone won't give it back because she didn't have time to read or she read something else, my copy of Divergent has been read by one of my classmates and it's freaking me out!
    I have a horrible memory about lending books. Once I gave The House of Night to my friend, (you wouldn't believe how much I adored that series) but before doing so told her not to bend the pages or the cover or I would kill her. After like two weeks she brought it back to school. Now, when someone starts a sentences with don't get angry but... that is "slightly" alarming, and you can imagine that I was angry as soon as she said this. She said she was eating her breakfast while reading when the hot chocolatte happened to spill and cover the whole book. What I felt was pure horror, I mean books aren't really cheap and this was like at 6th grade when I didn't have a lot of pocket money so my mom was the one who bought me books and I was more than sure she won't buy a new because this was ruined and I was freaking out big time. Then she said she was just messing with me so I wouldn't get angry about her bending the cover... I was speechless and that was the moment when she realized she shouldn't have said anything like that so she shut up and gave me back my book. The next moment I hit her with it right in the face and oh my god I still have no idea what made me do this besides the complete rage because I am not a violent person and my teacher was freaking out because I shouldn't hit others with books or with anything else and I was just standing there, my friend was standing there and we started to laugh at the same time because the whole situation was so ridiculous. I never gave another book to her, ever.
    Sorry for writing a lot.

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  6. I don't generally like to loan books out. My mom can borrow anything, of course, but that's about it. I don't see my friends often enough to loan books out. If I've read a book and know I won't re-read it, I'm happy to pass it on, but that's rare.

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