4-Star Author Talk: Robin Sloan

The 2013 United We Read: Boone County selection, "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan, has been consistently checked-out since we put copies of it on display at the end of August. Whether you have finished reading the story or are still working on it, or even if you haven't yet read it, we invite you to join us for a special event on Tuesday, October 8th, at 7pm, when we talk with the author, Robin Sloan. Mr. Sloan is excited and honored that Boone County selected his book for our community read, and he will answer questions and talk with us from San Francisco via Skype.

"Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" is getting a lot of great buzz, with a 4-star rating on Goodreads, Novelist and Amazon. A lighthearted adventure driven by books and the future of books, at its core the tale is about friendships both new and old and discovering what is truly important in life. We'll ask Mr. Sloan his thoughts on Clay and the rest of the characters, the future of books, and Google's ubiquitous presence in his entertaining story. Be here at 7pm on Tuesday to support this new author and show him a big crowd in Zionsville who enjoyed his book for our 2013 United We Read.

2013 United We Read: "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore"

Zionsville and Boone County, let's read together. The 2013 United We Read selection is "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore," by Robin Sloan. When the tale begins, we find Web designer Clay Jannon unemployed after the recession. He finally lands a job working the graveyard shift at Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and discovers that the store’s plucky owner and sparse customers are involved in a secret, worldwide mission that he can’t resist unraveling. It's a fast-paced adventure with books and technology at its core, paired with lifelong friendships and a bit of romance --all of which will have you turning the pages for more. I read this book over two nights, staying awake long past bedtime, and when I finally switched off the light on the first night, the book cover glowed in the dark!

Starting on Monday, August 19th, borrow a copy of "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" from the Library and see it glow for yourself. This year, we're releasing the United We Read selection earlier because we heard you say that you wanted more time to finish the book before attending its corresponding programs in the fall. On Monday, August 19th, we'll have a display at the second floor reference desk full of print and audio copies of "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" ready for you to borrow.

Read the book, talk about it with us at our Book Talk on Monday, September 30th from 6:30-8PM, and come back on Tuesday, October 8th for a special visit from San Francisco via Skype with author Robin Sloan from 7-8PM. The week after that, join us as we welcome Georgetown Market for Juicing 101 on Tuesday, October 15th from 7-8PM (there's a lot of healthy eating done in this book). The final program is a 2-part Introductory Calligraphy class on Tuesday, October 22nd from 6-8PM and Tuesday, October 29th from 6-8PM, taught by Zionsville artist Julia Fish Thompson.

So on Monday, come and help us empty the United We Read book display...borrow the book that rated 4 stars on Goodreads, Novelist and Amazon, read it, talk about it, and sign yourself up for the programs.