For as long as I can remember, people have always talked about how pleasant that “new car smell” is, which has always peaked my curiosity—how can “new” have a smell? What I just learned, however, is that apparently books can have a “new book smell,” a smell that my best friend finds absolutely irresistible.
As a lover of books (we have about 10 full bookcases in our house), the fact that there is a difference between how a new book and old book smells is quite fascinating to me. Of course I’ve asked my friend to describe this, but she hasn’t been able to come up with an adequate description as of yet (keeps comparing it to other smells…as many of you olfies so often do!).
So, if any of you are up to the challenge, I’d love an entry for “New Book Smell” for my dictionary of smells. Feel free to add your description in the comments below, or on my husband’s smell dictionary.
- Jun 23, 02:13 PM
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1 · Michelle Pendergrass · Jun 23, 02:32 PM
This just challenges the hell out of me, but I love being forced to think of new ways to say things.
“New” can have a smell because “old” takes on the scent of it’s owners. (more or less)
So, a new car smells like untouched fabric and plastic. I don’t think people like the new car smell, they like what it represents. Because frankly, plastic and carpet aren’t all that appealing.
So, new books have a unique smell, as well. Paper and ink. I am a smeller of books. New books smell like spring feels. New, full of opportunity and potential. A little scary sometimes because you don’t know if they’ll be a storm.
Old books sometimes smell like cigarette smoke, if the owner is a smoker. Those are the ones I don’t want. But regular old books smell like your favorite pillow feels. Relaxing, comforting, dependable.
In the end, cars and books both take on certain scents their owners have. Every person has a unique odor. Not necessarily bad, just unique. If you blindfolded me and lined up 25 kids and only allowed me to smell their hair, I’d know which one was Zane and wouldn’t ever second guess myself. Same thing with Phil. I’d know them by scent alone. It’d take me awhile to try to describe those two scents.
What I’m saying, though, is since people have unique scents, they blend in a home and their cars and things like furniture, pillows, and books start to smell like the people they’re around.
2 · Janet · Jun 25, 09:07 AM
Huzzah for the new book smell! It really depends on where you purchased your new book from. When I get books from a new age store, they send up a bouquet of incense, of exotic spices and zinging energy. When I get them from a discount book store, sometimes they smell old, tired, and musty, like they had been sitting in a dark basement for years only to be drug back out into the light. Books from a bookstore like Borders or directly from the publisher have a scent that tells the story of their origin. At first it smells woody, as though you can sense the tree from which the paper came. But the wood is not left alone; you can smell how it was ground down into dust. You can faintly smell the chemicals of the ink, and you can practically smell what it was like to be in the factory where the book was made. The result is an orderly and manufactured smell, void of personality or whimsy. However, despite the musty flatness of the new book smell, the effect is invigorating and inviting. Who can resist embarking on an undiscovered adventure through a new book? In the end, despite the origin of the new book, the smell is nothing short of exciting.
3 · Rebecca · Aug 9, 01:35 PM
New book smell is warm and crisp and oddly sweet and dusty. Paperbacks smell different then hard bound books but the smell of a fresh paperback is very subtle and to me, very calming.
4 · Craymel · Aug 19, 11:36 AM
I bought a new book yesterday! It was the 60th anniversary addition of The Little Prince hard cover. It was sealed in plastic and I could not wait to rip it open. Oh my god new book smell is horrible. Musty and mouldy, it just was not pleasant. When I got home I covered the thing in fabric softener sheets and after that indirectly sprayed it with fabreez, the I held it up to a fan for about a minute. It smelt better at least I wont be able to smell it when reading.