Title: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Author: Robin Sloan
Genre: Adult Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5
Thoughts:
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan is an unusual book. It’s about Clay Jannon, a Graphic Designer, who looses his job because of recession and ends up working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s Bookstore. But he soon finds out that this bookstore is different from other bookstores out there. For starters it stocks a lot of books in the wayback section which he has never heard of before. The popular choices are few and far between. He gets curious and with his friends help and some modern technology, decides to unlock the mystery behind this bookstore.
I loved this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that I think might stay in my memory for a long time (considering how bad it is). It’s about uncovering ancient myths and secrets using modern technology like Google. Although at times it did seem like a Google advert, I’m going to overlook that.
I think I might have a literary crush on Robin Slaon. I love his writing, it’s witty, funny and sharp. His metaphors bounce out of nowhere but fit perfectly with the situation and leave you in splits. He is also a Graphic Designer and a Programmer in the book. I think I enjoyed reading about those sections more since I am a Graphic Designer and an ex-software engineer. It made his character more relatable to me and I loved reading those sections. It just adds that extra layer of fondness for me.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exciting, different and a wonderful read. What more do you need in a book?
