Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” was an interesting read. It went quickly and was an enjoyable experience. It’s set in modern day San Francisco, where the narrator is a graphic designer who is let go from an internet startup. He’s needing work and happens by a bookstore that announces it’s open 24-hours. He goes inside and meets the enigmatic and mysterious Mr. Penumbra. After getting the job at the bookstore, he notices that besides the hours, this wasn’t a regular bookstore. Needless to say, there’s a mystery to what’s going on in the bookstore.
I don’t usually read books I’d consider a “beach read,” but I would with this one. It was engaging and entertaining, but I wouldn’t consider it thought provoking. It does reflect on the importance of books and the relationship of readers with books and to each other. After finishing the book, I did have a reading high. Was it because of the story or because I just hadn’t read a book before? Maybe. I was going to keep the book because I wanted to reread it. After a few weeks it ended up in my giveaway pile. After discussing the book with my book club and enjoying a good read I’m ready to let it go. I would recommend it as a book club read. There’s several good characters to discuss with a group.
