There comes
a time in your bookable life when the people around you take notice of your
reading habits and begin to question why they aren’t reading themselves. Then follows the long awaited or
dreaded question of, “Hey, can I borrow one of your books?” It gives me shivers
just writing about this and I know that is completely insane but some of you
out there have to understand how am I feeling. Letting people borrow your books
can be hard, or easy.
I’m
not a big lender myself. I am lenient with some books and with others, I am
not. So start by deciding which books you would lend and to who: Your friends?
Your neighbours? Strangers on the street? Cacti? Pick people you can trust and who really really really want
to read a book you have.
Keep tabs
on the people who are borrowing your books if you’re brave enough to share. There are some people
in this world that completely forget that you lend them one of your books and
decide to keep for the rest of eternity. Don’t worry; they have a special place
in hell. So that’s why it is sooooo important to bother them about it. By
asking questions such as, “What part are you up to?” and saying things like,
“YES! THE BEST PART IS NEXT. KEEP READING,” they’ll most likely finish it soon.
You know what that means. Book goes straight back to mama.
Make
a list, and check it twice. So what I’m saying is to basically become Santa. If
you are a frequent lender and are basically creating a miniature business out
of it, make a list and stick it on your locker door or the back of your bedroom
door. Set them a time limit to get them back to you. For example, two weeks. If
you set them a time limit, they are more likely to get back to you with your
little baby all tucked and tidy.
SLACKER
FRIENDS:
If
they are the type of person that never brings that book back to you, there are
several things you can do. Invent up a story that your long lost Uncle Billy
just walked into town and really wants to read the book that you gave to your
friend and you promised him that you would give it to him tomorrow, as he is
leaving soon. Or even say that you borrowed it from someone else and that it is
not actually yours. If they know what’s good for them, they’ll give it back.
