Musings about lending books

Do you lend books to anyone? Just friends? Only big readers? How long are they allowed to have them?

I have lost too many books by lending. A few of those I never wanted to part with. Like The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath or Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, to name just two. I can't remember who took them. And Why did I not get those back.

Now I don't give out my books to just about anyone who asks me. I only lend to very close friends and familiy. Then also, I tell them to return those as soon as possible. For a while, I started jotting down who took what but I gave it up. Now I just follow my instincts. For those books, I really wish to keep, I say a firm NO!

Thats about it!