folding down the corners of a borrowed book

[Thatsnotmypiglet]

I lent a recipe book to a friend and she had it for about two weeks. When I got it back I put it in the cupboard and thought no more about it. I just got it out to bake muffins for ds and several pages have their corners turned down. I don't turn the corners on any of my books and I wouldn't think to do it on a borrowed book. I know it's really not important but AIBU to be a tiny bit peed off?

I wouldn't do that. But I would expect a cookery book to come back with flour/whatever on as a sing of it's use

But also I wouldn't have lent a book if it meant that much to me.

Nobody would blame you for killing the book defacer, nobody.

I would be very upset. If it is my book i want it returned in the same condition. There are bookmarks and post-its now adays.

YANBU. I've never done that to any books, but even if I did do it to my own, I certainly wouldn't do it to anyone elses's. I think if you borrow anything you should return it in exactly the same condition.

a friends child was reading a book in our house, and turned down the corner.
I instantly gave him a post it note for a bookmark and told him off.

so kill your friend.

YANBU. It is only acceptable to fold corners on the trashiest of trashy novels. Nothing else. And then only when you have paid for them yourself.

What Saucy said.

I don't lend books because I am a bit precious about them don't like the spines to be creased either! I know, it's daft.

Bad form. I do it with my own but would never consider doing it to someone else's books.

My SIL is a bit OCD about her books and doesn't open them wide enough to (even slightly) bend the spine when reading them. She offers to lend them to me and I politely refuse as I can't cope with the responsibility.

With my own books I'm happy to bend the corners, read them in the bath etc. but that's because they are mine and I think books are for reading not looking nice on the shelf. I appreciate that others treat them with a reverence usually reserved for religious relics so would never borrow treat them like I do my own.

Said lendee would be getting a whole set of Encyclopaedia Britannica inserted up their arse.

I lent a friend a book once (paperback). Saw her reading it and she had the book folded completely back on itself
I told her off and she gave me a look and said "it's only a book"

Meh, the book still works.

I once creased the spine on a paperback a friend lent me, as in I opened it fully so I could read right to the end of the lines. He was annoyed with me for ruining the look of it on his shelf.

I always think it might be sad for an author to see a copy of their book, pristine on a shelf. Surely the greatest compliment to see it loved, bashed, re-read?

Ah I see I am in the minority also with "it's only a book".

Still I wouldn't to anyone else's.

Cut your friend off. She should be an ex-friend.

Dexters I'm afraid I relate to your friend. And I LOVE books. Paperbacks are like magazines. They're almost disposable...and HOW can you enjoy a book if you feel you must hold it half open!?

But I'd never fold someone else's book so OP YANBU to be shocked.

< realises there are a lot of book Nazis lovers on the thread and decides to back out quietly before I get lynched >

To me a well-loved book (complete with tatty cover and bent back pages) is better than one in pristine condition that people are scared to read.

On the plus side, being afraid to borrow a book is a major plus for the author as they get to sell another copy

I don't lend my books for this very reason.

Especially not my cookery books. Touch my Michel Roux Jr or Raymond Blanc books at your own risk.

Never ever fold corners ever.

Ever.

That's why we have BOOKMARKS

Nooo mrs it's just wrong. Apart from anything else it's wasteful and disrespectful to someone else's property.

I read a library book recently where someone had ticked the top corner of certain pages. Small tick, but a tick.

I was trying to work out if there was something very important on that page or it was their terrible 'bookmark'. Lazy feckers.

For my own books I will happily fold down corners, crease the spine etc. Whatever is needed to make it easiest and most enjoyable for me to actually read the book rather than look at it on a shelf.

For borrowed books, I take my cue from the condition it's lent in. Bit bashed up = ok to fold corners, crease spine etc. Pristine = I must take great care probably won't dare to read it at all.

Question for the pristine-bookers: I read on my commute so books tend to get a bit bashed up just from being in my handbag. Is that acceptable treatment of a borrowed book or not?

I wouldn't if I'd borrowed a book (even though if I got a charity shop book in bad condition I do) but if I lend a book I make sure to either have a book mark in it if say would you mind not as some people don't think about it (esp non regular readers)

When I loan a book to someone, I put a bookmark in it for them to use. Subtle. The only person that didn't work with was a sibling, who I then refused to loan books to until they learned how to use a bookmark.

It all comes under that whole "taking care of someone's property" when you borrow something, always return it in the same condition you borrowed it.