Again, What a Snatch!

Again, I'm stealing my friend Stephanie's favorite word, 'snatch.' It perfectly fits a recent experience.

I've been using the Paperback Swap website. It's fabulous for bookaholics like me! You list all the books you no longer want to keep. If anyone else on the site wants one of your books, they request it and you mail it to then. For each book you send, you get a credit that you can then use to request a book from someone else.

I've received 10 new-to-me books from the site and have really enjoyed it. Up until now.

Last week, someone requested one of my trashy romance novels and I dutifully sent it to her. I found the book a few years ago at a used book store. A small piece of the upper right corner of the cover was torn off. Since I don't read the cover and wasn't intending to display the book, I bought it. The torn cover didn't bother me in the slightest. Only about a quarter of an inch was missing.

Apparently, it bothered the lady. She sent me this delightful email:

The cover had a chunk tore out of it. Looked like it has been chewed or something!!

Bad grammar aside, WTF? Yes, I sit around chewing my books all the time. Seriously, the tear was so small, I didn't think twice about it. The book eligibility guidelines say you can have a tear up to an inch.

As long as all the pages are there, who cares what the cover looks like? I could understand if my cats had peed on it or if I had spilled coffee on it or dropped it in my bathtub. It's a FREE book, lady. Read it or send it back...no skin off my back. (Well, obviously a little skin or I wouldn't be writing about it.)

I wrote her back:

I bought the book at a used book store and a small piece of the upper right corner was torn when I purchased it. The missing corner didn't stop me from reading and enjoying the book, but if it bothers you, feel free to send it back.

We'll see what happens. If she sends it back, I'll return her credit. If not, I'm keeping it. I know there's a teen vampire book out there just waiting to be read by me!