My husband has a strange routine whenever he gets a book or newspaper. He’ll hold it up to his face and inhale deeply to take in the smell of the print. It struck me as odd at first but then I understood that, as somebody who really enjoys reading, he was just appreciating the aroma of the written word. That is, until I introduced him to the wonders of the library. (I have always loved the library; where else can you actually get something for basically nothing? Really, what’s not to love?)
Before we got married my husband never went to the library but I finally persuaded him of its magical freebie powers. So now he’ll get a book from the library, hold it up to his face and take a deep whiff only to grimace, looking like he’s just smelled something foul. He doesn’t seem to get that hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people before him may have borrowed this book and done who-knows-what with it. I mean, seriously, people take books into the bathroom all the time. He can’t seem to help himself though and he continues to smell the books even though it makes him gag.
ok, so it's not a book but you get the idea...
Continuing his obsession with print, whenever we go away my husband insists on buying newspapers from the area. I guess it never occurred to me to wonder about this practice until we went to Berlin and he actually bought 2 local papers every day. Every Single Day. You might be wondering what’s wrong with that…so the man likes to be informed, big deal. Yes, except he doesn’t read German. Not a word of it. So he’d buy these newspapers, sniff them, maybe look at some of the pictures and then just carry them around all day.
ok, so this is an English-language newspaper in Berlin but you get the idea...
The 2 newspapers he'd buy every single day but couldn't understand (and, of course, gotta get pics of the beer...)
I love to smell books, too.
The aroma of inky-fresh new books or musty used books.
You just crack me up! I look forward to your posting every day! Just the little things–things that we overlook or take for granted–turn out to be sooooo true and oh, so very funny! Keep em comin’. You are getting a following. And, give that husband of yours a smooch! He sounds very sweet.
At least sniffing print is better than having a hubby who sniffs his socks when he takes them off!
Okay…Hmmmm. I really have nothing to say to this one, but hey, at least he reads!
I also agree with Ellen
My husband loves the smell of new books too. I always catch him sniffing them and now my daughter is doing it.
Yes, my boyfriend has a similar habit of uncontrollably smelling things that smell VERY bad…and then acting as though I am strange for for not wanting to partake in the smelling…annoying
I have to buy the newspapers and watch the news no matter where we are in the world. Always. I guess it’s kind of an OCD thing.
I have to support your husband on this one lol. I too love the smell of a new book, or the old musty smell of an old book.. but there is something yucky about the smell of a book from the library.
Makes me wonder though. Did he used to smell the papers his teachers would pass out in school? I used to do that too and then it moved on to books.
I love your blog!!!!
at least your hubby reads books. Mine is unfortunately somewhat of a philistine.
Loving books myself i really wish he understood whats so great about getting lost in a book.
He has an attention span which makes a 3 year old child seem attentive!
I’m feeling strangely upset that these pics don’t include the green sweater…
Ok, this was hilarious! Very few people know that I, too, sniff…
He He…. the library is like a non sniffer’s revenge…
When my father-in-law had to have a bone marrow transplant several years ago, we were told that, amongst other things, library books were banned from the isolation rooms.
I had never thought about how germy they are!
So now I actually get pretty grossed out about how my husband will spend “Quality Time” in the toilet with a public library book …ewww
I had to laugh when I read the title of this post, my husband is in the army and he is constantly getting told by his nco’s (and me) “RIF, man Rif… Reading is fundemental!” so I guess you should be thankful your hubby reads (even if he does it a little too much, and sniffs a little too much)