On Lending Books

I am a book hoarder – although, with myself being a book blogger, what else do you expect? I found it hard to part with my children  collection, because not only have I spent a hell of a lot of money on it, but I also do not (DO NOT) want a dog-eared collection of withered pages in return for my previously pristine edition. But I have undergone a revelation!

It’s almost a revelation, anyway. I haven’t seen visions of Baby Jesus, or had my alarm clock replaced by serenading angels, but it’s close – I think I have overcome my phobia of lending books.

Almost, anyway. I’ve convinced myself that it will be fine (sweats) if someone has spilt water over a book I’ve lent them (although coffee and tea are certainly a no-go zone), or if they’ve underlined a passage, because it shows that they have thought about the text, and it’s resonated with them. Spillage stories can be entertaining (although detrimental to the actual text; RE: Frankenstein, who was subject to an entire bottle of water even before I’d written my controlled assessment), and the fact that the borrower has been eating/drinking whilst reading means that they are a person after my own heart.

The fact that I no longer have the money (or desire) to buy all my books pristine helps. I prefer the feeling that someone out there looked at this exact page, perhaps interpreting the words differently, crying, laughing, whatever – my mind is blown already. It’s just so incredible knowing that someone has made their mark (and the text has, hopefully, also made its mark on the person), as I am about to. Mind! Blown!

I’ve already lent out two books in three days (albeit one was to my dad), and my only condition was that I got them back. Well, to my dad I added the clauses that he would not dog-ear pages (he is notorious for this, and it annoys the hell out of me), eat/drink and read at the same time (he’s such a messy eater, it’s a nightmare), or squirrel it away in his bookcase. Picky? Me?

Anyhow,what do you think about lending books? Are you happy to pass them round? Or are you more of a Gollum? Drop me a line!