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Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Sloan, Robin, 1979- Book - 2012 Adult Book / Fiction / General / Sloan, Robin, Fiction, Fiction / Sloan, Robin 1 On Shelf No requests on this item Community Rating: 4.1 out of 5

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Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Fiction / General / Sloan, Robin, Fiction, Fiction / Sloan, Robin
On Shelf At: Pittsfield Branch

Location & Checkout Length Call Number Checkout Length Item Status
Pittsfield Adult Books
4-week checkout
Adult Book / Fiction / General / Sloan, Robin 4-week checkout On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout
Fiction 4-week checkout Due 04-16-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout
Fiction / Sloan, Robin 4-week checkout Due 04-16-2024
Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout
Fiction / Sloan, Robin 4-week checkout Due 04-16-2024
Westgate Adult Books
4-week checkout
Adult Book / Fiction / General / Sloan, Robin 4-week checkout Due 04-23-2024

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Good read submitted by SBrandt on June 21, 2013, 9:51pm A good read and interesting mystery of sorts. I found it hard to put down.

Not-YA YA-ish :) submitted by brielle on June 23, 2013, 1:59pm This is the best book I've read in a long time. Think "The Mysterious Benedict Society" with a twentysomething protagonist on a mission.

FUN :) submitted by DownesS on July 3, 2013, 9:43am This book is such a nerdy librarian book :p I loved the originality of it all. It's very 21st century with its constant references to new technologies like the MacBook, the iPhone and Google products. That was very fun to read....and so relatable. The book took me on a journey. It was mysterious and it drew me in. The ways of solving this puzzle was accomplished in a way that no other author has produced before. Fun read. :)

Fun nerdy mystery submitted by ark on July 9, 2013, 8:49am Sloan tells a great 21st century story of Google, the Internet, book scanning, secret societies, and a highly relatable nerd who finally finds his calling in life. The characters are all extremely lovable; the mystery is a fun one (though perhaps with a slightly contrived resolution). Unputdownable!

Wonderful! submitted by cherylo on July 25, 2013, 9:19pm Several years ago, I read a short story entitled "Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore" that was a sample piece posted by Robin Sloan as the come-on for a Kickstarter called "Robin writes a book, and you get a copy..." The book produced from that Kickstarter, Anabel Scheme, was okay, but I felt it did not entirely live up to the quality of the teaser short story. When Robin emailed to his Kickstarter followers and fans that he was expanding Mr. Penumbra to novel length, I literally squeed. I have not been disappointed at all. For design and data geeks, and, I suspect, every 20- or 30-something freelancer as well, there is a lot to be excited about and recognize in this book. The humor is dry and nerdy, just how I prefer it. It does not stop me from enjoying books from either of them, but it should be noted that, like Neal Stephenson, endings are not Robin Sloan's strong suit.

Also, I'm very glad I checked out a physical book to read, even though I purchased the novel for Kindle immediately on release, because the cover is subtly glow-in-the-dark, for extra cool factor. I may have to buy a physical book now too.

And It Glows in the Dark! submitted by sdunav on August 7, 2013, 5:34pm Much-hyped book that at first I thought didn't live up to expectations, but the story did improve. Lots about codes, bookstores (doh!), Google, fonts, and friends from childhood.

Freaked me out when I turned the light off one night and realized the book cover glows in the dark.

Enjoyable submitted by apknapp on August 11, 2013, 11:40am I liked the characters, liked the mystery, but hated the resolution--there's no way the 'code' (a simple character substitution) wouldn't have been cracked by the super-hacker team. The print vs. digital debate and tension between the old guard (bookstores) and new (Google) was fun, and gratifying that there was so much respect for the printed word--digitization isn't about getting rid of books, but preserving them and making them available to a wider audience.

Fun submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 21, 2014, 9:13pm Well, this was a fun book club pick! It crosses the lines between those who love books, those who are geeks, and those who love mysteries, with subtle and wonderful humor woven in throughout. (One line said something like, "I was bored one night, so I decided to learn graphical interfacing. I modeled the bookstore, complete with its front window, sharp light in the front, and dusty shadows in the back. If you think this is impressive, you must be over 30.")

There is a great cast of characters, a quest complete with a wizard, a rogue, and a warrior, and the Batcave.

What's not to love?

Okay submitted by emjane on July 1, 2015, 5:57pm Fun idea, but somewhat disappointing. No conflict lasts long enough in the book to leave a feeling of real stakes.

Very unique submitted by nickalee on July 14, 2016, 5:12pm Not at all what I expected when I started reading this book. Although I normally am not drawn to fantasy, this book was a very fun read. And don't forget to enjoy the cover (no spoilers)!

lots of fun submitted by 21621031390949 on August 24, 2016, 1:37pm This fun book is a mystery of sorts and a fantasy. It reminded me of Miss Peregrin's School for Peculiar Children.

Just Fun submitted by emroon on July 17, 2022, 3:23pm I wanted this book to be a bit more fun than I found it. The mystery of the mysterious secret society felt a bit underdeveloped so the stakes of the final climax didn't hit me as had as I wanted it to. It felt a bit like this book was trying a bit too hard to be the Silicon Valley version of the DaVinci code, but it didn't quite click for me. Nevertheless, it was a fun and easy read. If you're looking for something that doesn't make you think too hard, this would be a great choice.

Super unique! submitted by Thisbe on June 12, 2023, 8:20pm If you are a book lover, this is the book for you!

Cover image for Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour bookstore


PUBLISHED
New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012.
Year Published: 2012
Description: 288 p.
Language: English
Format: Book

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
9780374214913
0374214913

SUBJECTS
Bookstores -- Employees -- Fiction.
Bookstores -- San Francisco -- Fiction.
Fantasy fiction.
Adventure fiction.
Suspense fiction.