The thread of lost, missing, broken, but not forgotten books.

[Overread]

So I've been sorting through my shelving a bit; dusting off books and finding what I do and don't own. Mostly what is there is what I know to be there, even if its not always in the right place or in the place where it should possibly have been.

But, like most I'm sure here, what I knew to have was there on the shelf. However there are casualties. Things that are missing that I know are not in the house, or which have run away to hide where I can't find them and in all honesty are things I knew were missing for a while but I've not chased them up.


So I thought I'd start this thread for us to remember the books that we once had which are no more and which we really should replace; or those books which are so rare or unique that we can never replace them.
Maybe it will spur us to get a few of those missing books back; or act as warning to others as to things which are unwise actions to those wishing to keep a healthy happy library of personal books.



So from my own shelves I've a couple of hardbacks with torn/damaged dustjackets, mostly as result of the shelving being on the stairs up to my room (only space left) and thus getting a bit of wear every so often as people go up and down. Sadly they are a couple of Robin Hobb books (her Dragon quartet); what annoys me more if I've yet to really get down and read them!

What's missing though annoys me - Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett in one of the more original cartoon covers. A simple mass-market paperback edition, but mine and with the good covers not those ugly black ones that became all the standard for a mad while. And why is it missing - why isn't it there - because I lent it to someone! They moved away and I've not seen them in a long while and honestly chances are they've forgotten that they ever had it or that they never gave it back. .A stark lesson to be frugal with loaning and always eager to insist upon the prompt return of loaned books least they go a wandering forever.


So thankfully that's mostly my all; not much and I'm thankful for that. But what are your stories? Have you any at all or is your library as safe as houses*?



* A strange term when one considers that they are blown, knocked, flooded, legally taken away all the time.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

My signed Practchett's, sold to fund Christmas one year.

 

[TheDustyZebra]

My signed Practchett's, sold to fund Christmas one year.

Arrgh. My signed Apollo astronauts series, sold to fund my move back to take care of my mom.

And I'm missing Bellwether (Connie Willis) and Time Enough for Love (Heinlein), apparently loaned and never returned.

On the other side of the equation, I still have the Chronicles of Amber series that I borrowed from someone at work about 25 years ago, not returned because he quit his job and apparently moved away.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I had to leave / give away maybe around 600 books once. February/March 1990 I think. We got some sent to us later, maybe 80. Others gradually bought later. We are up to over 1,200 again, physical books.

Been collecting eBooks for about 2 years. No idea how many. But all backed up.

 

[JunkMonkey]

My hardback, 1st UK edition of Ubik by PKD, which I gave to a friend because I knew he liked PKD. I had my very much loved paperback copy so why did I need another? (and I didn't realise how much I could have got for it on eBay).

 

[K. Riehl]

Gave a box of books to the Library. I didn't realize the box contained my 1st edition copy of 1984 ......aauuuggh!

 

[JunkMonkey]

Gave a box of books to the Library. I didn't realize the box contained my 1st edition copy of 1984 ......aauuuggh!

Oh NO! Ow! I feel your pain.

 

[Vince W]

It's happened to me twice. First when I went to uni my mum packed up all my books and such and gave them to a charity shop.

Second time a flood ruined a good part of my collection including many old Asimov's and Heinlein's.

Fortunately there was nothing of any real value except to me.

 

[Randy M.]

Lost: William Spencer Browning's Resume with Monsters. I know it's there, somewhere. I had it in my hand a couple of years ago and set it in a safe place because I meant to read it soon. But is it anywhere I normally set such books? Noooooooo!

I suspect it slipped between ... something and I'll eventually find it. Or the next owners of the house will.

Maybe lost: Ballantine reissues of William Sloane's To Walk the Night and The Edge of Running Water. I did read the former, was disappointed, but thought I had kept them. Looking recently, I'm not so sure. I may have made the oops of trading them away, but I'm not sure of that. Very annoying.


Randy M.

 

[tinkerdan]

I lost my complete Edgar Allan Poe and Complete Sherlock Holmes volumes [most likely to my ex-spouse before the books were shipped to me].

But that brings to mind: how much would you be willing to spend to ship your whole library across country if it was impractical to haul them along with you? If I remember, at the time, I spent close to 200.00 US dollars to go from west coast to east coast. I know that the entire library would never have been replaced with that small an amount.

I also found I should never loan my younger brother any books as he doesn't drive and reads on the bus and has a habit of leaving a finished book an the bus; for the next person.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

should never loan my younger brother any books

My son will not have his name written on his books. He cheerfully lends me any book he has read and often forgets which books he leant loaned. Sometimes I forget too. I've got a rubber stamp now with my name, wife's, email and phone number and I'm gradually stamping them. Some people (inc my son) think this is evil.

I'd pay to have my books shipped, except I didn't think I'd be able to ever afford it(back in 1990) so I gave 1000s away. Later some were shipped that we had kept, but by the time we had more money no-one knew where the remaining boxes were (one book was our wedding album and another an early HB edition of the Flower Fairies Mysteriously six quite ordinary ordinary photo albums were sent to us a couple of years after we returned to Ireland.)

 

[TheDustyZebra]

My son will not have his name written on his books. He cheerfully lends me any book he has read and often forgets which books he leant loaned. Sometimes I forget too. I've got a rubber stamp now with my name, wife's, email and phone number and I'm gradually stamping them. Some people (inc my son) think this is evil.

I'd pay to have my books shipped, except I didn't think I'd be able to ever afford it(back in 1990) so I gave 1000s away. Later some were shipped that we had kept, but by the time we had more money no-one knew where the remaining boxes were (one book was our wedding album and another an early HB edition of the Flower Fairies Mysteriously six quite ordinary ordinary photo albums were sent to us a couple of years after we returned to Ireland.)

I think it's fascinating to see the old nameplates, stickers, and written addresses in books, showing where we or someone else used to live. . I also found a thing in a childhood book recently where I had set up a lending library and checked it out to a friend. All good memories.