Shannon Turlington

This is a series of reviews of my favorite books published between 2010 and 2019.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (2012)

Is there a genre for nerdy guy chick-lit? Because that’s what this is, basically. And it’s well done for what it is: light-hearted, optimistic, fun. In tone and in its obvious reverence for anything techy, geeky, or of pop culture, it reminds me of The Martian and Ready Player One. All the characters are nice, smart, talented, quirky, adorable, and happy just to be doing what they do. Yes, it’s a fantasy, an agreeable one. Not my usual thing, but I can’t find fault with it. (Also, I love the way the little books on the back of the cover glow in the dark.)