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

I heard about this book from The Readables YouTube channel. It was the first book I read due to Priscilla’s recommendation and it was an enjoyable read. I loved the modern feel and the inclusion of Google. I got to be on the Google campus and follow a Google employee. The power of Google was put to the test in this book and I just thought it was awesome. This book does a good job of putting old knowledge back on its pedestal where it belongs. There’s this kind of battle between shiny, new, and convenient technology versus the complex and mysterious knowledge of times gone. If you love technology, web-design, and books then you will enjoy reading Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. Also, if you liked the movie The Internship, this book isn’t a comedy, but you still get to visit the Google campus.

Here is the summary from the back:

“The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon away from life as a San Francisco web-design drone and into the aisles of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after a few days on the job, Clay discovers that the store is more curious than either its name or its gnomic owner might suggest. The customers are few, and they never seem to buy anything — instead, they “check out” large, obscure volumes from strange corners of the store. Suspicious, Clay engineers an analysis of the clientele’s behavior, seeking help from his variously talented friends. But when they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, they discover the bookstore’s secrets extend far beyond its walls. Rendered with irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave.”

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