Mr. Penumbra strikes again

Walking the stacks in a library, dragging your fingers across the spines — it’s hard not to feel the presence of sleeping spirits.

I suspect that a large chunk of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore‘s popularity is the title. There is just something about the idea of a 24 hour bookstore, and the name, ‘Mr. Penumbra,’ has a certain gravity to it that would pull in any bibliophile. However, make no mistake about it, this is not a book about literature. For a story with a title that would attract anyone who enjoys perusing dusty used bookstores, this book is not about literature; it is about data, and technology, and a little bit about the narration we give our own adventures. Despite the fact that the book was so different from what I’d expected, I still really enjoyed it.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan is a strange shop. It gets a very small amount of traffic from walk-ins, and it’s true purpose seems to be serving a mysterious clientele of odd-balls who require all hours access to the strange library in the back of the shop. Clay Jannon knows none of this when he takes a job at the shop. Recently laid off from his web-design job during the 2008 recession, he is strangely drawn to the shop and it’s owner, a strange grey-haired man named Mr. Penumbra. Clay works the night shift, and his job is to sit and wait until someone comes in, at which point he is to take detailed notes on every aspect of the book borrower’s demeanor and appearance. Eventually, Clay starts to dig into the purpose of the bookshop and to determine what exactly the strange book borrowers are coming in for. This, of course, leads Clay to solve an ancient mystery by drawing upon his modern skills. More…