Dozens of PDF files disappeared from Books in iPad Mini 4

I think my ipad updated recently and today when I opened it, I watched all of the PDF files I had in there just disappear. They were all ones that I had used the markup tool on-just so you know Apple.

That's the only reason I have the ipad is to mark up PDFs. And they're GONE.

I do not use the Cloud. I don't want my info saved there.

I have not backed them up in two months, because I have never in the 10+ years I've been using an ipad had any sort of problem. And these were PDFs I had written a lot of information on, so they can't just be downloaded again from the original source.

I see a LOT of people in Reddit saying they've had the same problem. For years. It's a bug that, what? Apple just doesn't care to fix?

How do I get these files back?

And yes I've restarted, checked empty folders, the trash, recently deleted and all the other things.

And I've checked here as well, reading all the now locked posts where people suggest they just be redownloaded.

But you know what still works? The ads for books to buy.

I have a Kindle app for that.

I want my PDF's back.

Seriously if this is what Apple has come to I will not be purchasing any more iPad products.