Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore discussion

[Peebee]

I don't think I've ever enjoyed a book so much that is so different than what I normally read. I don't even really know what genre to put this under: science fiction? technothriller? literary fiction? It was just a great story, and I love how some of the latest technological concepts were implemented without taking over the book or making it incomprehensible.

[Lindsey]

I was very happy with this Group Read. I am a web developer by trade and loved that there were some technical details thrown into this book. I also just loved the idea of a quirky, old, TWENTY-FOUR HOUR bookstore! Bookstores, especially ones with character, are magical places for me, so it was a real win that half this book took place in one.

This was going to be a five star book for me, but it seemed like after they got to NYC, the plot really slowed down, and the mystery wasn't so interesting anymore. I kept my rating at 4 stars though just because I was totally into the first half of the book, and I thought the resolution being hidden in the Dragon Song books was a fun twist.

[Kristina Simon]

I finished Mr. Penumbra's last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved the juxtaposition of ancient and modern technologies. (Ok, I'll admit I had to look up a lot of the more modern ones. But, hey, now I know what Hadoop and Mechanical Turk are!)

I really enjoyed the author's humor, too. His description of the Reading Room as the Batcave had me chuckling and, at the same time, gave me an exact sense of what the place looked like. I'd read more of Robin Sloan's work.

[Kim]

I started out loving the book; it had a unique wit that was really fun. Loved Mr Penumbra and the crazy old secret society members, and I think I would have enjoyed it more were the focus more in that direction.
I'm sure the 'books and current technology' thing is an innovative idea, but I guess it just wasn't my thing. There was too much Google, not enough books for my enjoyment.

[Miranda]

I thought this was a fun read. I almost always enjoy books about books and this was no exception. I liked the use of technology along with the books to solve the mystery.

[Tien]

I have really enjoyed the read -it was so much fun with the combination of centuries old secret society with a code to crack and high-tech stuff.

When the scene opens with Clay walking into the store, I was caught! Loved that bookstore ;)

Was slighty disappointed by the ending -felt slightly cheated and a bit of a let down. It made sense but still felt there should be more!!!!

[Sandy, Moderator Emeritus]

Peebee wrote: " I don't even really know what genre to put this under: science fiction? technothriller? literary ficti..."

I was trying to describe the book at my library book group meeting and I was having a lot of difficulty with this. Some of the people there immediately turn off if you mention "science fiction" - so I was saying, "well, no, not really science fiction." "Well, what is it then?" Ummmm...........

[Deana]

Sue Q wrote: "For Deana:

[spoilers removed]"

Sue -- that's a really interesting thought. It's not how I interpreted it, but could be. (view spoiler)[But even so, then wouldn't it just be like using "dingbats" font or something instead of letters to represent other letters? (hide spoiler)]

[Lorna]

I chose this book for the group read because I thought it sounded fun, different, and interesting. I'm glad I did because it was in fact a very different but fun read. What I liked most was the 1st person point of view. Jannon was a very likable character and spoke with so much wit. I sort of got lost sometimes in all the technical, computer jargon, but the story moved along at a good pace so it kept my interest. I also liked the theme of friendship, and the meeting of modern technology with a medeival mystery. And what could be better than a book about books, bookstores, and old libraries!

[Kate S]

I found this story engaging. I often wish books were longer than they are and this book was no exception. I felt the story was being rushed along and wished I could have had more time to get to know the characters. I agree with many other readers there was an interesting blend of current technology and "old school" throughout the story. I look forward to seeing how Robin Sloane grows as an author.

[RedSycamore]

Chalk me up as another fan of this great little book! I loved it even though I also wondered (view spoiler)[if Google wouldn't have been able to crack that cipher (hide spoiler)]. I'll definitely be passing my copy along to like-minded friends and checking out Annabel Scheme.

[Wendy UK]

I've been following this thread throughout the challenge and seeing everyone's comments made me really want to read the book. I'm glad I managed to squeeze it in before the end because I loved it!

I think what really struck me is that modern technology is not a threat to books or reading, but a continuation of what began with the early printing presses and has been developing ever since. The magic of the written word and how it can spread knowledge and ideas throughout the world. I googled Manutius and found that he invented the first small books that could be carried around easily - the forerunner of modern paperbacks, and beyond that the e reader.

[Christina]

I enjoyed this book and thought it was a fun, easy read. I thought the idea of the Codex Vitae was really interesting. It made me think about what I would write in mine.

[Nikki]

Hi all,

I read this book a week or so ago and since returned it to the library so I can't check but can anyone tell me if the book directly references Harry Potter or was it just in my head that i linked them ?.

Thank you

[Chaitra]

Yes it does. I definitely remember it in the scene where these guys are in New York trying to contact that hacker for the camera/scanner thing? The hero messages the hacker that the book that they're trying to copy is a big deal, and the hacker messages back asking if it's bigger than potter. I mean, it probably varies a bit, but that's the gist.

I'm assuming this is for the 15.1 task? It also references JK Rowling by name I think, but I can't remember if it names a specific book. Hope that helps!

[Nikki]

Chaitra wrote: "Yes it does. I definitely remember it in the scene where these guys are in New York trying to contact that hacker for the camera/scanner thing? The hero messages the hacker that the book that they'..."

Yes - thats right, he messages Grumble that its bigger than Potter and yes it is for the 15.1 task.

Thanks so much.

[Chaitra]

No problem Nikki! Happy to help. :)