Tuesday 10 May 2011

Why do old books smell so good...

Apartment therapy
Wishful thinking

Things that Make Me Happy

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Pink and Blue

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"Lignin, the stuff that prevents all trees from adopting the weeping habit, is a polymer made up of units that are closely related to vanillin. When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good. Which is how divine providence has arranged for second hand bookstores to smell like good quality vanilla absolute, subliminally stoking a hunger for knowledge in all of us."
Perfumes: The Guide


I am currently reading A million little pieces by James Frey, how about you guys? xx

27 comments:

Ashlee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ashlee said...

A Million Little Pieces was a good book. Currently, I'm in between books.

stephanie claire said...

[the autograph man] by zadie smith!

and books, especially old ones, the best smell.

>----> stephanie claire

The Cat Hag said...

Old books smell the best because of how many people have read and loved them. ♥


xoxo,
Addie
The Cat Hag

The Foolish Aesthete said...

Aside from art, I love a book-lined wall. Nice to see others still love old books.

The Wild Fairy said...

Books make my heart sing! What terrific photos! I agree with The Cat Hag - that old book scent is decades of love-worn page-turning! ~Siobhan

sam brightwell said...

Oh my god, this is truly the stuff my dreams have always been made of. Loving the first one, especially, and the seventh!

I'm reading The Crimson Petal and the White, Michel Faber, at the moment, as there's just been a TV adaptation made in the UK, but I don't want to see it until I've read the book!

Zoe said...

Gorgeous as usual! there is somthing so comforting about the smell of old books.

Zoe x

http://blessedbeeapothecary.blogspot.com/

Vix said...

I love these rooms sets, so homely and inviting but with an air of grandeur.
I'm currently reading Wolf Hall, it's a gripping read. xxx

vmichelle said...

I love this post. Did you know your second photo is Shakespeare and Company, a bookstore in Paris where writers can actually go and live and sleep in the bookstore at night?

My Grama's Soul said...

I love a house with tons of books.....currently I'm reading the Paris Wife.

Jo

Notes From ABroad said...

I don't know why they smell so good, I think all books smell good... maybe it is the scent of the enjoyment to come ? A familiar scent, known since early childhood .. bringing a promise of all those worlds opened up to visit.
I would like to be in that last photo .. thank you.
besitos ~

Crystal said...

I'm not reading anything at all right now. I keep picking up books and putting them down again. (sigh) I just can't figure out what kind of mood I'm in.

These photos are beautiful, I love books so much, and zoom to people's bookshelves as soon as I walk into their houses.

I don't know if you have any interest in herbalism, but I'm doing a giveaway you might like.

Take Care,
Claire

enjoythesilence said...

This puts my little collection to shame... I am about to lay in the sun and flick through a Led Zep photo book 'Good times, bad times'

Another amazing post from yourself! xo

Brianne said...

I wish I lived somewhere that books smelled good when they sat on bookshelves for years and years. In the humid south, they get so moldy and dusty and make me sneeze. The paper actually falls apart. I can, though, savor your post. Thank you. I am reading, " The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. And, I hope it makes it through my vacation with me. If not I have watercolors... Peace. Brianne

(not necessarily your) Uncle Skip said...

Here by nature of some link magic. Wish my bookshelves were as organized as those in the photos. I read A Million Little Pieces before the controversy, found it entirely believable, and thought, so what. It has a strong message.

The English Teacher said...

Ack! I need more bookshelves!

Ms. Moon said...

The Doctor And The Diva. I don't know if it's good or just...sorta sexy.

Thanks for the bookcases, mama.

liana said...

i want to get lost in a library now.

Bohemian said...

I didn't know this, what a fascinating fact... and yes, I adore that aroma!

Loving the images...

Dawn... The Bohemian

Kellie Collis said...

These are lovely spaces! That bedroom with all those books looks amazing! Have a wonderful day, Kellie xx

Gayle said...

When I walk into someones home for the first time I always notice if they have books.

I love a floor to ceiling bookcase overflowing with good, well read books!!

marinushtest said...

oh my... I'm sooo happy I found your blog!! the photos and places are so beautiful, they are the perfect match with my dream house :)
feel free to stop by and check my blog ;)

xoxo Marinush
http://marinushjewelry.blogspot.com/

La Boheme said...

Nothing can be better than having your own library full of books. OK I would like a piano in that library too....OK make a whole room just for some "me" time :)...one day one day...big hugs

Carol Saha said...

I agree with Uncle Skip. Read the book before the drama, loved it and his unique writing style, and didn't care which was "real" or not.
Don't we all make up stories about ourselves and our lives?
I love your pictures.
Thanks

Carol Saha said...

I forgot to say I'm reading You Already Know How To Be Great and Linchpin besides this and that on my ereader. Rarely read one book at a time.

Scribe of Salmacis said...

Just incredible walls and milieus for books; in particular the first four and the last two. The heart of this bibliophile melts, brain too. Excuse the dichotomy but I think that these pictures have the aesthetics of Sense and Sensibility about them.