If ever there was a book for book and tech geeks alike, this is probably it. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan follows an out-of-work web designer turned book clerk into a mysterious world filled with cloaked figures and coded texts and ancient artifacts clashing with modern technologies and code-cracking capabilities. It's a laid-back read, if ever there was one, with more caricature characters than fully fleshed out figures, but hey, it's plot driven, and that's okay with me. It's sort of a more modern, nerdier Indiana Jones-esque story.
Read this if:
- You proudly call yourself a book nerd or geek or similar term of choice.
- You don't know what you'd do without google or the internet or the latest gadget.
- Your favorite song is by a band I haven't heard of because I'm over 30. Or you're over 30 too but were born a decade too early or too late.
- You're looking for a fun, fast read.
- You enjoyed both the Indiana Jones movies and Snowcrash.
Don't read this if:
- You're serious and cranky and cantankerous.
- You don't have nor do you want a smartphone or tablet.
- You prefer character-driven novels.
- You think San Francisco and New York breed the roots of all evil.
- You're not into that whole suspension of disbelief thing.
PS: even my kitty wants to read it.
