Bibliosmia
Bibliosmia by Carrie Berkel, West Virginia
Mary Jane's Farm Magazine
Bibliosmia. My heart skips a beat when confronted with this. It is the term to describe the smell of an old book. A musty smell that has the tiniest hint of vanilla tickles my nose as I sit, curled up, in my corner booth near the back of the ancient bookstore.
Dust motes dance lazily in the afternoon light as I look out the window to the cobbled street in front of the shop. A vining plant languidly crawls up the side of the wall, stretching its body toward the life-giving warmth of the sun. This is my favorite place, my peaceful place, and I come here every Saturday afternoon to unwind from the whirlwind of the week.
I feel a little tap on my shin and look down to see the resident cat, Mork, wrap her fluffy body around my leg. “Meow,” she demands, as if to say, “Hello, I'm here!” I reach down and stroke her calico-colored fur absentmindedly as she begins to purr. The sound is a comfort; it stirs memories from my childhood of the menagerie of pets we always had in our farmhouse out in the country.
The book I have picked out today is a classic story about small-town life on an idealistic lake in the south. I have been gravitating toward stories like this for a while. I enjoy losing myself in the plot of a magical town with enchanted characters who speak to me.
The slow pace of the country life speaks to me, in books as well as in my day-to-day life.
There is a small coffee house in the back of the store, and I always order the same item from the menu: a classic medium-roast coffee with hazelnut cream and a buttery croissant. The delicious aroma of the coffee is a perfect combination with the scattering of old books on the shelves near me.
I choose to sit in this part of the shop because this is where the older books are kept. Most of the other patrons sit at the front of the shop with their laptops on tabletops, but I prefer the nostalgia that this part of the shop offers. It is in this place that I can unwind and be surrounded by the characters of my past.
Friends such as Alice in Wonderland and Nancy Drew beckon to me from the shelves.
Books have been constant companions of mine from an early age. They have been with me through the good times in my life and the not-so-good times. I am always able to fall into the familiar arms of an old book and feel soothed.
Mork jumps up onto my chair, gracefully curls up on my lap, and indolently closes her emerald eyes. My heart is rich with gratitude, and I am reminded of how thankful I am for the life that God has blessed me with, lazy weekend days, the tenderness and loyalty of animals, the delightful taste of coffee, the love of family, and the smell of old books.
