Lending books

           So I was on Pinterest today and saw pins about “If you damage my book, you’d better run!” I guess I’m not like that…at all. I buy most of my books used and borrow a lot from the library. I’m used to them having marks, stains, and sometimes crumbs. And I kind of like it that way. I mean, you should take care of library books and not mark them up. But That’s a sign of a book I love, a book that made me think, a book that I was comfortable (Just a note: I have never written in, stained, or gotten crumbs in library books. Books I have bought…maybe). If a book’s spine is falling apart and the cover is bent, it means it’s been well used and well loved. I’m not attached to the book; I’m attached to the story.

That being said, about a year and a half ago I gave a guy friend of mine a book that I didn’t think I’d ever get around to reading. It was from a class so I had written in it some and bent the front cover a tiny bit. I’m borrowing the book now. It looks completely new other than where I’d made my marks. It feels like I somehow ruined it before even giving it to my friend! I love opening a book and seeing marks in it. I want to know what the previous owner thought about it or thought was important. Part of me wants to return the book before I damage it some other way. Part of me wants to be a total rebel and write/draw on more pages (just ridiculous things would be even better). But most of me just wants to finish the book with as little possibility of marking it.

And a nothing thing I’ve learned from this experience, lending a book to somebody is kind of intimate. I’ve leant or given other books, but mostly to female friends. Plus, this book has two naked guys on the cover (because it’s a Greek Mythology book, not because—well, yeah, there is a lot of sleeping around I guess… But that’s because the gods can’t seem to keep it in their pants. And I’m including goddesses in that “gods”). Leaving it cover up is weird, and thinking about those two naked guys have seen me in various stages of being dressed… it’s just weird. Plus, is there any sort of etiquette about reading barrowed books in bed? So weird…