Lending Books

 

I've never liked lending books.  Occasionally I would be talked, or shamed, or coerced into doing so and other than other book people, in spite of all the pious promises, most often they were never returned.

I used to shudder when a guest even glanced toward one of my bookcases.  I wished I had a large enough place that I could have a locked room for a library where no one was ever allowed to enter.  Or better still a secret second apartment that no one but me knew about - unfortunately that was never financially realistic.  Actually, not because of books, but I still love the idea of having a second place that no one but me knows about.

As I became more of a minimalist I gradually dramatically downsized the number of books, and bookcases, that I own.  Now I have less than 100 physical books that take up the two bottom shelves of my one bookcase.  I keep that bookcase in the bedroom and pray that no one ever makes the effort to bend down and look at the titles.  And no, I would not want to lend any of those really special books to anyone, not even a fellow book person.

That I guess is one advantage of ebooks.  No one needs to even know what titles you own.