Sorry but I had to laugh...it amazes me what people do. I wouldn't do this, but it seems to me that this lady and her family think it's the norm. I wonder if I am the strange one in the world sometimes.

A gift is a gift as far as I am concerned - regardless of whether it is second hand or not. My attitude when it has left my hand when I am giving as well is that it is no longer mine and they can do as they wish with it - even pass it on if they want.We often have no control of these sorts of things and so I would not waste my time worrying about it. Hope you enjoyed the book.

i worked in a bookstore for many years and it's amazing how many people will read a book and then return it. like it's a library! the worst case was a book that was returned and the bookseller didn't check it thoroughly. it was inscribed "in memory of" a child who had died. can you imagine even considering returning it? some people!!

Giving a treasured gift i.e heirloom vase etc as a gift with the messaging of why its being passed to you is a wonderful gift. It says the giver thinks a lot of you to pass this onward. To give a book or movie CD and read it and pass around to others to enjoy is tacky. Makes me wonder if she buys things from a store, uses it, and returns it! Amazing the people we cross in our times. Enjoy the book and pass it on to your local VA hospital so others can enjoy it. Merry Christmas!

ok, i haven't tried this on this new site, but hopefully i can post the picture of olivia's quilt.

it tells me the upload has failed. can anyone help me?

Tacky. While I have read a book before giving it my friend knows I do this. We only saw each other a few times a year and the books were used anyway. Otherwise I just buy myself a copy as well.

I was at a Secret Santa and the person who was supposed to buy my gift just bought something for someone else because she didn't want to buy me anything. I have no idea why it's not like we really knew each other. She was new at work.

I find what she did is tacky. I frequently give used books as gifts to family members, but they are still purchased for that particular family member in mind. I am going to give our pastor a used book for Christmas. It is no longer in print and is the best history of the Jewish people that I have ever read. When I give a book it is because I have already read it and know how good it is and think the person getting it will like the subject - not a book I haven't read yet. I search for a copy that is as good as new. I am amazed at how many used books are for sale that have never been read; the spines never opened. That said, I think the value of a book lies in what is on the pages not the book cover. Along this same line of thought of used things as gifts - how many of you buy gifts in an honest to goodness antique shop, not a second hand store?

I have been "burned" too. the ultimate this year was a friend at our table got a used cutting board, you could actually see knife marks. we all laughed and I hope the person who didn't put her name on the gift got the hint...gee whiz. I always try to do something homemade or bought from a craft fair. I hate giving up completely....

Ick! I don't even like library books because I don't know where they have been.

I re-gift alot but I DON'T use the item first. Most times they are Christmas ornaments (no tree) or earrings (no piercing) or sometimes those smelly hand/body lotions that people give.

Wonder why somebody like this get into a Secret Santa.