Thou Shalt Not Deface Library Books

Since making up new commandments is currently in vogue, I would add this one to the list. Last year I lamented over a borrowed library book that was missing 20 pages toward the end of the 900+ page tome. I thought I could figure out what had happened in those missing pages, but I was bothered by the fact that I might not get it right. Needless to say, I did not. I just finished reading the next book in the Outlander series and I was, in fact, wrong in my best guess as to what happened in those pages. Luckily for me, Gabaldon is very good about reminding readers what happened in previous volumes. Still, it bugs me.

I'm also reading an academic book from the 1970s about inequality in communist Russia. The book is filled with someone else's underlines and margin notes. This drives me crazy! It's still defilement even if you do it with pencil!