MR. PENUMBRA'S 24-HOUR BOOKSTORE

In this well-told tale, the lowly book is pitted against the Goliath of technology. Clay Jannon, an out-of-work graphic designer, secures a job in Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore. This is no ordinary bookstore, as Clay and his merry band of friends soon discover. Its patrons are on a quest to crack the code of immortality by reading the books hidden in plain sight in Mr. Penumbra’s library. Robin Sloan has written this novel with rhythmic precision, and Ari Fliakos endows each of the characters with his or her own color and flavor. He makes believers of us all as Clay and his friends forge ahead on this fanciful journey—part mystery, part quest. We listen with delight and hope we can glimpse the future. E.E.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2012]