s/o kindle v. physical book

[Night Elf]

I've seen this mentioned more than once and I have a question. Some of you say you love the smell of physical books. I don't get that. The only smells I've had from books were nasty smells, like I could tell when a used book came from a smoker's house or a musty old book. What are good book smells? None of my books have any kind of smell. Am I olfactory challenged and just missing out on something terribly important?

[Kalmia]

As the books age the paper oxidizes, it is like a kind of slow burn. I imagine everyone's sense of smell processes it differently. It must be popular as one perfume company makes a scent called "paperback."

 

http://www.demeterfragrance.com/704154/products/paperback.html

 

Look, some folks have studied the old book smell. I didn't look up the chemicals (they are VOCs), but they don't sound all that healthy for us book sniffers!

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/31235/what-causes-old-book-smell

[marbel]

New books have a scent about them to me.  I can't describe it.  It's like "new car smell" - how do you describe it?  I guess it's the ink.

 

Old books are different.  They pick up odors like smoke and mildew as you've said.  Also, old books with acid paper have an odor which I also can't describe. Those book make my eyes sting when I try to read them. 

 

I do like the scent of a new book.  But I also like reading on my Kindle and I don't miss the smell of the book when I use it.  Maybe the next generation of kindles will have a little scent dispenser so people can get their new book smell fix. 

[Lizzie in Ma]

As the books age the paper oxidizes, it is like a kind of slow burn. I imagine everyone's sense of smell processes it differently. It must be popular as one perfume company makes a scent called "paperback."

 

http://www.demeterfragrance.com/704154/products/paperback.html

 

Look, some folks have studied the old book smell. I didn't look up the chemicals (they are VOCs), but they don't sound all that healthy for us book sniffers!

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/31235/what-causes-old-book-smell

 

I love that perfume and I often spray it on my Kindle cover. ;)

[LostSurprise]

I'm not a huge fan of new paperback smell. It's a bit acidic to me with a tang of glue. 

 

I do like old hardback thick-cut paper smell though. I'm not sure if it's the way a certain time period (1920s-'70s) was processed that I prefer or just aging paper itself. The experience is hard to pin down. You usually have to be among many, well-cared-for books to notice it for the first time (libraries can be great for this). Standing in the shadows between giant shelves seems to help. The darkness seems to heighten the other senses. 

 

In some ways it's like being in a room with older wood paneling. The kind where the top coat has worn down in places and it exudes a faint woody odor. I think it goes without saying that old wooden shelves filled old hardbacks is a holy grail for some. 

 

It's not the odor of dust.

It's not mildew or rot.

It's like a pile of new pine boards but mellowed in an oaken cask like wine. Then there's the faint other smell of the boards, binding, glue.