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A book has got smell. A new book smells great. An old book smells even better. An old book smells like ancient Egypt.

I only keep books that I like very much. Otherwise I'd throw them out.

I can't throw books away. My wife is always telling me to get rid of some.

I am very grateful to the electronic world for making my life easier, but there is something about holding a book - the smell and the world of association. Even when e-books are perfected, as they surely will be, it will be like being in bed with a very well-made robot rather than a warm, soft, human being whom you love.

I can never leave a bookstore without buying a book. I read four or five at a time.

I love old books. They tell you stories about their use. You can see where the fingerprints touched the pages as they held the book open. You can see how long they lingered on each page by the finger stains.

Some books I've kept because the binding is beautiful - I'm unlikely ever to read my grandmother's copy of 'The Life of Lord Nelson.' I'm addicted to secondhand bookshops.

I've never really been satisfied with a book. I always want it to be better.