Good Reads 03 // The Circle

You guys, this book. The second I picked it up I could NOT put it down. It so perfectly describes this generation of obsession with technology and social media that you'll squirm and squeal and hide in embarrassment and feel shocked and appalled and terrified with this futuristic view of social media's grasp on our society. It might be that it just hit so close to home since it's based in the Bay Area and about a twenty something woman, but still, I think almost everyone in my generation can relate to it.

Good Reads 02 // Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

When I think of a book I strongly associate the what I was feeling at that time with how I felt about the book. For example, when I think about the Harry Potter series,  I'm reminded of when I was 24 and miserable in my then job and how I used to get home, draw a bath, open a bottle of wine, and spend hours rereading my favorite childhood books, buried deep in a magical world that helped me escape the dreariness of my day. Books transport me to unknown worlds and past places, allowing me to ignite my imagination and create an alternate world with my mind.

As I confessed earlier, I'm obsessed with Mr. Penumbra's 24th-Hour Bookstore. Maybe it's the fact that it's based in San Francisco and makes me realize how cool this city really is, or the fact that it make you thing extremely hard about the relationship between modern day technology and century old written word, but pretty much any person that loves stories and books will enjoy this read. I really can't say any more than I already have because it'll just give it away, but it's a pretty easy read with relatable characters and and intriguing plot, so just do yourself a favor and put the book on hold at your closest library or order it now on amazon. Seriously.

Good Reads 01 // Why do you love books so much?

One thing that not many people know about me is that I love books. When I pick up a good book you can bet that you'll find me with my nose buried deep in that story for days until I finish. I can't tell you how many times Jack has come home expecting dinner and a clean apartment to find me snuggled up with a book with my eyes wide with excitement and the apartment in complete disarray.

However, it's not just the stories that drive my love for books. In college when I moved into my first real apartment the one thing I wanted more than anything was a bookshelf in our living room. Of course, my five other roommates were more concerned about throwing parties than displaying pretty books, so they filled my ideal bookshelf spot with a ficus plant (which we might have stolen from a neighboring apartment complex and which we might have named Ziggy because we thought his leaves looked like dreads) because it create a more "welcoming party atmosphere." The next year when I graduated college and moved back into my childhood room, the first thing I did was buy an extra large bookshelf to proudly and properly display my collection of favorite books. And you can bet that every nook and cranny in our tiny apartment now is filled with books (but really, I might have an issue with collecting books...) I've just always loved the feel of having a real book in my hand- the soft, worn paper between my fingers; the dark, contrasting ink against the faded cream paper- and I love that excited jolt of anticipation every time I pick up a book and realize that I'm that much closer to uncovering the answers that have been building up throughout the entire story. I've tried to use a Kindle and iPad, but I just can't get that into a story as well when I can't feel the weight of the pages and feel of the book in my hands. I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but to be honest I fall in love with stories because of the whole package- from the intricately woven tales created from someones imagination to the details of the binding of the book- be it frayed and broken or brand new and un-cracked- and I feel like these pieces as a whole display the personality of the story and set the expectations for the adventure ahead.

All this to say I think I've found my favorite book yet, which is also the source for the title of this post (it's the name of the chapter I'm currently reading... as if I couldn't be more obsessed with the book, it also has awesome thought provoking chapter titles like this). I've been in a book slump recently and have been feeling a sort of withdrawal from the imaginary world, but Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan has completely filled that void. Based in modern day San Francisco (which makes it even more exciting), the story mixes modern day technology, the love of old books, and the charm and wit of a very relateable, early twenties, nerdy yet very cool guys named Clay. I'm only 100 pages in, but I already have a huge crush Clay and I'm completely intrigued by where the story is going. To give you a little teaser, Clay was recently fired from his job at a start up and desperately gets a job at a slightly creepy bookstore on Broadway. The store is infrequently visited by a few old, erratic bookworms who borrow books filled with code and Clay is currently the brink of discovering what they're doing with those books and...that's it, I'm not revealing any more! The book challenges the reader to think about the role of technology in today's society and the affect it's having on the written word- between having everything at your fingertips and the ability to shortcut tasks, to the required dedication and hard work to decipher and interpret books and the reward and feeling accomplishment when finishing them. For a book lover like me, I can't wait to see where this story goes and you can bet I'll be sharing a full book review once I'm finished (which will most likely be tomorrow since I can't put it down)!

Have you read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore? I'd love to get your input and hear your thoughts! Also, if you have any recommendations for books I should read send them my way.  I'm always looking for a new good story or author to dive into and love recommendations!