The Best Smell

Faber sniffed the book. "Do you know that books smell like nutmeg or some spice from a foreign land? I loved to smell them when I was a boy. Lord, there were a lot of lovely books once, before we let them go."
-Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury

Confession. I love the smell of books. It is the best smell to me. Old books. New books. I do not discriminate, though, I do have an affectionate spot for old books because I wonder where it has been and who read it, and who left some ink marks in it. Old books have such a pleasing smell that hinges on a spice mixed with paper. Somehow, as the book ages, the scent gets better, just don't let moisture in.

I have always loved the smell, even when I was younger and didn't fully realize my passion for books. I would eagerly accompany Mom to Wal-Mart (the old school version) with hopes that I could pick out a new Baby Sitters Club or Nancy Drew book from their shelves of choices. Approaching the book aisle, I would automatically locate my favourite authors and read the spines of each to find one that was new or that I hadn't read yet. Then I would flip through the pages, letting the scent of fresh paper, binding, and ink drift to me. And I would carry it around like a prized treasure worth a fortune. To me, books were always worth a fortune. Not because they were expensive, but because they held a world of imagination and wonder. Of stories. Of new words to learn. Or new places to read about. Of characters to get to know.

I could go on and on about this topic. But suffice it to say, books have the best smell to me.

So, what is the best smell to you? Everyone has something, I think, that provokes utter happiness. Is it books? Is it a certain food? A certain scent in nature? Or something else entirely? I know people who have some quirky favourite smells, so it can be anything.