Mini-Review: “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” by Robin Sloan (Atlantic Books)

An endearing novel about bibliophilia and the advance of technology

Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a Web-design drone and serendipity coupled with sheer curiosity has landed him a new job working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. And it doesn’t take long for Clay to realize that the quiet, dusty book emporium is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few fanatically committed customers, but they never seem to actually buy anything, instead they simply borrow impossibly obscure volumes perched on dangerously high shelves, all according to some elaborate arrangement with the eccentric proprietor.

The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he has plugged in his laptop, roped in his friends (and a cute girl who works for Google) and embarked on a high-tech analysis of the customers’ behaviour. What they discover is an ancient secret that can only be solved by modern means, and a global-conspiracy guarded by Mr. Penumbra himself... who has mysteriously disappeared.

This is a very quick, endearing read. The synopsis really tells you all you need to know. This novel is, in many ways, a love-letter to both bookstores and books, and also modern technology and all it allows us to do. Clay’s background in the tech industry collides with his new job, after discovering the strange goings-on at Mr. Penumbra’s store. With the help of some friends, and eventually the strange, fanatical repeat-customers/borrowers, he uncovers a peculiar society with a peculiar belief.

Written with obvious love for both the new and old, Sloan weaves and engrossing, endearing and gripping story. The novel is filled with the author’s observations about the slowly disappearing (though still highly important) book and publishing industries, and the near-hyperactive growth of the tech and internet sectors. The protagonist’s geekiness is well-done, if ever-so-slightly cliché (a couple of things raised a disappointed eyebrow, but these are minor elements to the story, and easily dismissed).

If you enjoy gentle tales surrounding a love for books, reading, and technology, then Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is a must-read. If you are after just a fun, quick read, then this is a must-read. Highly recommended.

“Libriomancer” by Jim C. Hines (Del Rey UK/DAW Books)

An action-packed, bibliocentric adventure

Isaac Vainio is a Libriomancer, a member of a secret society founded five centuries ago by Johannes Gutenberg. As such, he is gifted with the magical ability to reach into books and draw forth objects.

But when Gutenberg vanishes without a trace, Isaac finds himself pitted against everything from vampires to a sinister, nameless foe who is bent on revealing magic to the world at large… and at any cost.

This novel is an urban fantasy with a difference, and one that should really appeal to a broad swathe of SFF bibliophiles. Indeed, it has a little something for everyone. It’s fast-paced, amusing, cleverly devised, and above all enjoyable.

Recent Arrivals (January 2013)

I’ve recently got back to Britain for a short spell. Jet-lag has finally struck, so I’m afraid there won’t be a particularly involved post for a couple of days. I hope to get some more reviews up this week, but please bear with me…

In the meantime, here are some books that were waiting for me upon my return (you can count of at least a few of them featuring more on the blog in the future):

It’s a nice little haul, actually – four of the five are really interesting, two are must-reads (no prize if you can guess which two), and only one hasn’t completely fired my interest.

BEA Days the Second & Third

So BEA is now DONE! Three days of insane book-related madness, hustle and bustle. Overall, as my first con/expo, I would say it was an interesting and “fun” experience, but also one that I think is a very acquired taste… Will I go again? If I’m in New York next year at the same time (please-oh-please let me be here), then certainly – the chances to meet authors, publicists and editors who I know only via email or Twitter has been great, and it’s always nice to prove you are a real person.

So, without further ado, here’s the haul from the second and third day, with synopses, artwork, and some comments… [Day One Here]

BEA Day the First

This is a big event. Rather bigger than I could reasonably cope with on my own (I’m delicate in massive crowds…), but what a blast! Also, perhaps the most insanely generous place I’ve ever been to. I was there from just after 9am until 2:30pm, and people forced on me 14 books! Ok, “forced” is probably pushing it, but still – they were more than happy to give them to me, and in seven instances, also sign them! So, below is just a quick run-down of the day, and some info on the books I picked up – all of which should feature on the blog at some point in the near future, and obviously some sooner than others. It was also nice to bump into some friendly faces – Myke Cole, Joshua Bilmes, Michael “Mad Hatter” and Jennie from Fantasy Faction, and a handful of other drive-by hello-enjoy-goodbye moments.

Anyway, here’s the pile of awesome:

Book Tourism: Toronto, Canada (+Book Haul)

So, last week I was in Toronto for Alyssa’s Spring Break. It was my first time in Canada, and I must say I really liked Toronto. It was very easy to see why film companies love to film there – it really can double for Anywhere, North America really easily. It was also because of this fact, I think, that I felt comfortable and relaxed there – it was oddly familiar. Not only that, but the atmosphere and temperament of the Canadians seems to be much closer to my own. All except the passport control official, who was surprisingly aggressive with his questions [my trip was bookended by aggressive, suspicious border agents, sadly].

Anyway, let’s bring things back to what this post is really about:

Publishing Industry Needs Longer School Holidays…?

According to the title of a Bookseller article:

“Printed books fall £2.8m as kids go back to school.”

Sales dropped 11%, apparently with children returning to school and adults getting back to work after the spring break (we get spring breaks?). Sadly, I can’t read any more of the article than that, because I’m not a Bookseller subscriber, but I would like to think this is a good sign – if people are reading more during their holidays, this must be a good thing for the publishing industry, with the Easter and Summer holidays coming up.

Guest Post: “The Lure of the Stacks”

by Mieneke van der Salm

As some of you may know, I'm an academic librarian. This actually doesn't mean I spend my day surrounded by books, even though the building I work at is assuredly filled with books, since the focus of my work is mainly on Information Services and Information Literacy instruction. However, it does mean that whenever I read an interesting historical fiction or non-fiction book, it's very easy for me to find further information on the subject of said books. And this is a terrible, terrible trap I can tell you.