My aunt told me she keeps her old books 'because they smell like stories' and it made me look at my own work differently.

Your aunt is onto something. My old paperbacks have that same dusty smell, and it just feels different than reading on a screen. Makes the whole thing more real somehow.

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terry_butler6mo ago

Guess my Kindle just smells like plastic.

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angelac636mo ago

Try putting a drop of vanilla extract on a cotton ball and tucking it in your Kindle case, @terry_butler. It sounds silly but it works for me. That old book smell is tied to memory, so adding a familiar scent can trick your brain into the same focused zone. Your aunt is right about the feeling being part of the story. It's why I keep a few favorite paperbacks on my desk even when I'm writing on a computer.

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