The Smell of Books

One of the things that I adore about books is the way they soak up scents. Smoke a pipe while reading a good book and it will have the rich sweet scent of pipe tobacco in its pages for years. Not happy with the mildew smell of an old book? Put it next to an incense burner for a few hours. There is an olfactory aspect of reading. Certain scents remind you of books you once read. Reading is not only a visual activity. It has its tactile dimension, its smells- it's an entire experience. And it's one of my favorite experiences.