a list, in no particular order, of books i pressed into someone's hands and would now like back:
- a small french novel about a postwoman, lent to a friend who moved cities. she said she'd return it. that was 2019.
- a cookbook from my grandmother. given to a cousin "for the holidays." the holidays were six holidays ago.
- a paperback of dune i wrote in for two years. given to a date who never wrote me back. fair enough actually but also: that book had my marginalia.
you don't really lose books. they are out there. somebody is reading them. but you do lose your past selves and the books you wrote in were the cheapest way to keep them.
i am buying a new copy of dune today.