Thursday, August 29, 2019

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan


Title: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
Author: Robin Sloan
Pages: 288
Finished: August 20, 2019

First Sentence: Lost in the shadows of the shelves, I almost fall off the ladder.

Summary: A millennial suffering from the Great Recession of '08 finds himself working for an eccentric old man in his eccentric used bookstore. Soon, our protagonist, Clay, discovers that this store is more than it seems. Clay, with the help of his friends and a computer uncovers a seeming cult.

Thoughts: First of all, I liked this. We read it for my family book discussion. It's an easy read. Easier than I usually choose for adult books. The story was simplistic and fairly predictable. Many people said it felt unrealistic, but to me it seemed like a typical adventure story. You have to suspend some of your disbelief for it to work. I was able to do that.

Many people complained that the protagonists friends had all the necessary skills needed to do what needed to be done. Again, that didn't bug me because I happen to know people who seem to "know people" who help them with shit. I figured Clay was one of those people who happens to be good at picking acquaintances with specialized skillsets.

Also, I like reading books about books. I know that's silly. I don't own a lot of books, and I get really annoyed at the reverential treatment of books, but I still really like books. So that was a bonus for me.

I guess the fact that I don't have much to say about this book would turn people off. Like I said before, it was a really nice break from what I've been reading. Easy, pleasant, quick... Fun. I wouldn't call it great reading by any account, but it wasn't bad.

Lastly, one of the biggest complaints I saw was that it's billed as an adult book but people felt like it was more of a YA book. It honestly felt like a weird in between. The main character is about my age. So almost like a "New Adult" or "Post-College" or even "Millennial" book. I don't know. Definitely worked for me.

Regarding the rest of my reading, this month has been largely taken up by the LoTR project and Daniel Deronda. It looks like, if I keep reading at the pace I'm working on, Deronda should be finished by end of September and LoTR by end of November. I'm also working my way through Emma at the moment which I hope to have done by first week of September. I'm excited about the rest of my books for this year. 

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