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

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, Robin Sloan (4.0)

This book is a delightful mix of mystery, whimsy and modern technology. It is set in a peculiar San Francisco bookstore that has unusual books and very few patrons. The narrator is the new clerk, a millennial who has recently lost his Silicon Valley job due to the economic crash of 2008. There lies my one worry about this book – the main theme is timeless, but much of the clever technology is dated to the last few years. The clerk tries to understand the mystery around the bookstore by using modern day tactics and tools, such as the resources and computing power of Google, where his girlfriend works. I don’t want to say too much about the plot, as it is fun to unravel the clues oneself. I will say that it had some of the elements of ‘Shadow of the Wind’, though in a modern setting and a lighter tone. Also I tried not to go deep on the technical elements of the story – they may have not held out under tough scrutiny- it was sufficient to suspend the rules for a bit. It may not survive the times, with its modern references, but it is a fun book to enjoy now.