I get SO EXCITED when I meet people in the "real world" who read, a women I now work with reads and is open to suggestions, so I'm in love. She really enjoyed The Elegance of the Hedgehog that I lent her, and I can't wait to figure out what else she might like. My friend Sylvia is a comedy nerd like me, so far she's borrowed my Tina Fey autobiography and once I'm done with Amy Poehler's I'm lending her that (I also told her to check out the audiobook for Gilda Radner's, as Gilda did the audio herself shortly before she died and it. is. stunning.) I work with another woman who kinda forced me into letting her borrow an ARC I was reading, thankfully I hated the book because she took months bringing it back and it was in terrible shape. No more for her!

Anyway! Do you have real life book buddies? What are some books you've recommended/lent out that had the most success? Any horror stories of lending your beloved books out?

I very seldom loan books. I have had bad experiences losing books I loan and never see again. What I do is give books away. That way I get stuff out of my house and make room for something else. I know a woman whose husband died suddenly and unexpectedly. About a year later I gave her The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. I think she liked it. Another woman I know told me once she was reading a Stephen King book and it scared her so badly she closed the book and didn't read any more of it and she never reads horror now. I gave her Dancing on the Edge by Han Nolan and she liked it. Some other books I have given away that were hits are Mrs Caliban by Rachel Ingalls, An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison and The Sea of Grass by Conrad Richter. As far as I know I have never given a book to somebody who did not like the book. It might be that since I give the book away nobody will tell me they didn't like the book.

I kind of keep a "lending library" at my house, I love to share books that I have enjoyed.  I have a neighborhood book club that is more a trading club than a discussion club.  We never have a set book to read, we just gather to discuss what we have each recently read, and loan out copies if we want to, there is also wine involved.

There are certain books that I enjoy recommending, and I will pick up extra copies used when I see them so that I can give them away.  Off the top of my head there is “Year of Wonders” ,“Outlander”, and “The Red Tent” .

As to funny stories, I have  a good friend that I loan to but she rarely returned books and often never mentioned them again, (love her anyway) but my daughter baby sits for her and I have had my daughter look around for my books while she is there.

I have found that Margaret and I often like the same books.  It is no surprise to me then that we both have the three books she mentioned in our 'lending" library's stacks.   I keep copies of some books, as does Margaret, just to have lending copies, and a good copy on my keeper shelf.  I got tired of recommending books with nothing to hand the person and get them started.  I would add that one of my most recommended and favorite books is The Physician by Noah Gordon.  I have three copies to lend of this one.  Another is the four books of the Ariana Franklin series that starts with Mistress in the Art of Death.  EVERYONE loves them and wants the others after reading the first one.

@Pamela - I love all of Ariana Franklins books!  Have you read "City of Shadows" too?  We do have similar taste - I will have to get The Physician!

I'm going to take your word for the Ariana Franklin books. Never heard of her but I requested two of them tonight. I requested bk 1 and bk 3. somebody had both of them on their shelf here so I asked for both of them.

Oh, Charles!  Be sure to read them in order.  They will make so much more sense that way. Great characters.  She really gets how to write the place scenes, too.   I would love to be reading those books for the first time.  I bought them all in Large Print for my keeper shelf and have reread them.  Then I ordered all the audio CDs and have been listening to them in the car.  

Margaret!  I can't believe you haven't read the Physician!  one of the best novels in the world.  the second book is titled Shaman, but is not quite as good, but still a 4.5 star novel. And, last week my preordered copy of Winter Siege, the last book ever written by Franklin, and finished for publication by her daughter, arrived and I devoured it.  Written about the time period right before the MIAOD series.   Her books make me look up all kinds of  English history about Henry II.  Fascinating man.

I think the only thing I know about Henry 2 is the fact that he was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine who might have been more interesting than he was. Is this the Henry who had the archbishop murdered?

Well!.......When you read these books you will gain another insight into this interesting King.  Franklin certainly felt that he had gotten a bad and incorrect rap from historians.  And frankly, I find myself agreeing with her analysis.  It is like American historians claiming that Columbus 'discovered' the Americas and brought civilization to the savages.  

It's sad, but the only person I know who reads consistently is my daughter who lives in Lubbock.  The last time she came in June, I loaded her up with a BIG box of mystery hardbacks.  She quipped, "Can't go home without a box of books."  She has a Junior League charity that she can donate them to, if she doesn't like some or if she's read them.  Just the month before, I sent her home with a big box of paperbacks.

You all are my reading family.  If I were to ask anyone living near me if they read, they would look at me like I had asked if they had toe fungus.  I am ashamed to say that it's been my general impression that most Texans don't read.  If they do, they must keep it secret. Every family has its own thing - one is into motorcycles and rides for children's charities, one is into big boat racing, another is elderly and unwell,   I do nursing home donations of books, flowers, and bookmarks.  I also put flowers out at abandoned graveyards.  The people next door are into fostering dogs until they can be adopted/both work.  

It's not that Texans are illerate - all of these people can read quite well, and most have college degrees.  They are mostly doing some community good deeds.  They just don't have time.  Or so they say.

Judye / maysied

I don't lend books out either because I've had bad experiences also but I do give some away.  I have a neighbor I swap books with though.  My family doesn't read that much either.  My husband complains that I have too many of them around the house.  I have a tendency to buy faster than I read.

I have a tendency to buy faster than I read.

Been there, done that.

@Stephanie C - I just realized that I loaned my Tina Fey book out and never got it back, loved that book!  But I didn't like "Hedgehog", don't think I even finished it.

Do y'all ever hesitate to loan books out in case the person doesn't like it?  (Or am I just insecure?)  I do like when you know someone and their 'style' and you feel good about suggesting a book to them.  I also really like it when people are honest, even if they didn't enjoy the book, this goes for my friends here at PBS too!

I don't lend books either, just because after I read them I'm done with them. I'm not a re-reader. My niece has similar reading taste as me - she likes the thriller/mystery type books so if I read one I really like I save them for her. Sometimes I just can't do it though, because there's too much sex or raunchy language. Silly because she's in her late 20's but I just can't bring myself to do it even though I am absolutely sure it wouldn't offend her at all. I might still mention to her that I liked it but I don't give it to her.

I no longer lend, although I might give the book away.

But I have almost the opposite problem---a friend who also loves to read, and recommends and wants me to take her book(s), but her tastes and preferences are TOTAL opposites of mine. I've tried saying I don't really care for whatever, but she's so enthusiastic, and so generous, she keeps saying "oh you've GOT to try this!!"  I never like it. (sigh) I know she means well.

Do y'all ever hesitate to loan books out in case the person doesn't like it?

I had that experience with Running With Scissors. I enjoyed the book, but the graphic homosexual stuff kept me from ever mentioning the book to anybody else. I didn't have any friends I felt comfortable recommending the book to.