Woman lends cookbook to friend, and she cuts the pages she likes to keep them: ‘She says I never specifically told her not to remove pages’

Author image for Olivia Arocena
Olivia Arocena • Writer and Editor
Sep 13, 2026 2:30 PM EDT

In what universe is cutting pages from a book you borrowed normal behavior?

Food is a universal language. Every culture has their own example of a cookbook, passed down through generations, perpetuating the knowledge and the love mothers have for their children.

People say you shouldn't expect books you lend to even come back, but nobody said anything about them coming back with fewer pages.

If we had to explain the most basic, common-knowledge rules of private property every time we lent something, we'd never do it; so naturally, nobody expects something like this to happen, and everybody assumes we most likely operate from the same system of values. Well, turns out we don't.

Things like this happen; the sad part is that we can't really predict them. We'd suffer more being as paranoid as we should be to avoid these outcomes than by living and accepting a certain degree of misfortune.

By this, I'm not saying this woman should limit herself to accepting her fate and let go of her beloved, passed-down cookbook. I'm simply saying it's unfortunate, and mostly not her fault.

That said, there needs to be something done ASAP, because a cookbook is basically a family relic. Luckily, family relics can be reconstructed, and previously cut pages stuck back in can look quirky and give it more history, but for that to happen, those pages need to come back.

I'm assuming the other woman kept them for her and didn't throw them away. I really don't want any more surprises coming from her at this point. This story is sufficiently ridiculous as it is.

Is this the end of this cookbook's story? Or does it have more pages?

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    The friend about to cut the pages

    Scene shown is a visual representation

     

  • AITA for taking my cookbook back after realizing my friend was cutting pages out of it?

    I have this old cookbook that belonged to my grandma. It's not some rare collectible or anything, but she wrote little notes all over it and added recipes on random pieces of paper between the
    via Late_Knowledge4549
  • pages. A friend of mine has gotten really into cooking lately and asked if she could borrow it for a couple weeks. I said sure because I trusted her.
    via Late_Knowledge4549
  • Went to her place this weekend and saw one of the recipes from the book. literally taped inside her kitchen cabinet. I asked where she got it and she casually told me she cut it out because it was easier
    via Late_Knowledge4549
  • than opening the book every time she cooked. Apparently she'd already cut out 4 pages. I got pretty annoyed and took the cookbook home immediately. She thinks.
    via Late_Knowledge4549
  • I'm massively overreacting because the book is already old and falling apart and offered to buy me another copy. The
    via Late_Knowledge4549
  • thing is I don't care about another copy. The notes are the whole reason I kept it. She says I never specifically told her not to remove pages and that
    via Late_Knowledge4549

  • Generations of love for food

    we4 -roasted root My friend
    via Dan Gold

    The passed down cookbook

    Picture does not depict real parties



     

  • she assumed it was basically a working recipe book since I actually use it. I feel like "don't take scissors to someone else's book" shouldn't need to be said though. AITA?
    via Late_Knowledge4549
  • LavenderSharpie Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aasp. She could have made photocopies instead! What is wrong with her?
    via LavenderSharpie
  • SamuraiHealer ....that's ridiculous. Find someone to repair it and have them pay for it after they return all the pages. A book passed down from family is irreplaceable.
    via SamuraiHealer
  • mzmm123 Don't destroy other people's property should be an unspoken rule. And a working cookbook would be one where you'd want all of the recipes to remain intact. Why didn't she just copy it and paste the copy on her cabinet?
    via mzmm123

  • Shared food equals shared love

    Cheezburger Image 10662936576
    via Sweet life

    Generations of recipes

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friendship relationship advice cooking friends relationships food toxic relationship relationship drama
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