Coffee, mushrooms and moss — those are the smells we think of when recalling a second-hand bookshop. We are talking about times before the term “pre-loved” was in vogue. These shops housed secrets. Sometimes, an old  membership card, a receipt, a book mark or an inscription would peer out at us. Often forewords that were new to later editions of the title, would fondly greet the reader. And those were the add-ons; over and above the joy of finding quaint books from the past.

If Cats could Talk - The Meaning of Meow