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

I'd like to introduce you all to a book that blew me away earlier this month, it was a chance meeting for me, as many such fantastic books go, and I am unbelievably thankful that I spotted this book sitting on a table at my work. Picture yourself wandering a misty street in San Francisco when a tinkle of a bell and the shutting of a door catches your attention. It being late you may wonder what on earth could be open and that's when you spot the lettering engraved on the door "Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore". Being naturally curious, you of course cannot resist going in and finding out about this little shop and as you open the door you see the most extraordinary sight, a seemingly endless number of shelves full of book going not only into the store, but up as far as you can see. After jumping into this book and consequently finishing it in a night, I can only dream of one day finding a bookstore even remotely like Penumbras; the mystery, the intrigue, and the fascinating adventures that can unfold from a place like that are infinite. The story, characters, and plot were so remarkable that I just could not put it down and it was one of the most fun I've had reading in a long, long time. 

First off let me say this is a book for book lovers. Secondly this is a book for tech lovers, and unless you have a solid balance of the two, it may be hard to truly enjoy both aspects. Instead of the standard gloom and doom and death to books scenarios that are popping up in more tech oriented books, Sloan manages to paint an almost optimistic picture of what is to come. A combination that throws open the doors of possibility and a future that I would readily live in. Another thing I should mention is that this is not science fiction nor is it even set in the future, it just has a quality about it that makes you look at the world around you in a completely different light. From how we use our phones to the latest tablets coming out, my perspective has shifted entirely. 

Since this is still somewhat a mystery based novel, going into too much detail is dangerous, but suffice to say if you are a bookworm who can't put down their smartphone this is the book for you. There's a splash of romance, a dash of intrigue, a heavy dose of mystery, and top it all off with some wry humor and a fascinating set of characters which all combine to make Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore one of my top picks for the year thus far.