Beautiful piece of writing, Clive, you really are a wordsmith par excellence (assume French accent). To bring it somewhat down to earth and show what a Phillistine I really am, I get more worked up nowadays by a nice new iPad or kindle. Though one encased in faded green leather would be fine by me ;)

Though, to add to that, got absorbed by Carlos Ruis Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind initially due to the fascination of the thousands of stored books.