Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore A Novel by Robin Sloan---
Not exactly my kind of book, even though “Bookstore” in the title was a draw.
Yet, fantasy spine label was my first hesitation. But, intrigue was my 2nd draw. I was intrigued by the great reviews and the awareness that area book clubs have chosen to read it, thus group guides are available. Draw #3 was availability of "free" eAudio book for trip to Texas--and main driver, hubby, does love fantasy. The reader was excellent, actually adding a little understanding for this gal who was so out of her league in a "fantasy" genre.
The story seemed somewhat YA-ish to me, with their "crazy" wild language, even though all characters are adult and some adult situations are alluded to. It probably
would appeal to those 40-some folks who grew up in the era of Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, & the Dragonriders science fiction series of Anne McCaffrey.
Plot deals with arcane
fellowship of book-lovers (aka bibliophiles of the Unbroken Spine) seeking the key to immortality through the imprints of A. Manutius (1449-1515) with internet-savvy characters coming on board to join in the pursuit. Did I say very savvy.
Google must love it.
"Googler" terms fly and at times it seemed like a tech book as the googlers "play in the Big Box" plugging into power and fiber optics, flexing their fingers as "they" (think thousands worldwide) log on---as if "practicing an algorithmically generated waltz." (p. 222)
If you do
decide to read it---be sure to read it at night and watch what happens to the
cover when you place it on your bedside table and then turn off the light.
