*One of Amazon’s 20 Best Books of 2017* Named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, Barnes & Noble, and Southern Living In his much-anticipated new novel, Robin Sloan does for the world of food what he did for the world of books in Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with … at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers close up shop, and fast. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her–feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it.
Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves daily to the General Dexterity cafeteria. The company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market, and a whole new world opens up.
When Lois comes before the jury that decides who sells what at Bay Area markets, she encounters a close-knit club with no appetite for new members. But then, an alternative emerges: a secret market that aims to fuse food and technology. But who are these people, exactly?
Leavened by the same infectious intelligence that made Robin Sloan’s Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore such a sensation, while taking on even more satisfying challenges, Sourdough marks the triumphant return of a unique and beloved young writer.
more
I LOVED Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, one of the most entertaining books I had read in a long time. However, this one did not hold me long enough to finish it. Maybe it was just me at the time, but disappointed is all I can say.
It was completely unexpected!
A very fun read!
Quirky
Who knew there was a whole world of sourdough aficianados? This book was so much fun–and written by someone who clearly loves San Francisco. Maybe not quite as magical as his first book, but really good.
Really enjoyed
Kind of different; outSide of the realm of reality
Sourdough with a smile! It’s my favorite bread, so no way could I resist a book about sourdough, nurturing it, baking it and eating it! The San Francisco setting made it all the more flavorful. I loved many things about this book. The beginning of the story and how the protagonist came to procure the mysterious sourdough starter. The description of bread making and the building of her outdoor oven. The discussion about bacteria, its ancient nature, and its dynamics. And, of course, the fantastical Mazg brothers really added to the dialogue and mysticism. Clever, unique, a little out there, and entertaining.
It was different. Not at all predictable.
a wonderful trip of a book
I am sorry but I thought this book moved slowly; could hardly keep reading. I
Loved this book. My husband thought it was a cookbook. It’s like a modern fairy-tale. About connections we make and what makes us human.
As an older person, I am selective of my use of time and this book did not deserve any of it.
Loved it. Way better than Penumbra.
Fun read.
This was a very unusual book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t think of a book to compare it to. The main character is gifted a sourdough started and starts making bread. The starter takes on a life of its own and ends up taking over her life, changing it totally. It’s a fun read, even though a little strange. I would definitely read another book by this author.
You gotta love a novel when one of the main characters is a sourdough starter of mysterious origins that has anthropomorphic characteristics. I really enjoyed Robin Sloan’s Mr Penumbra’s 24 Hour Book Store so this story intrigued me and I wasn’t disappointed. This one takes place in the high tech center of San Francisco too and the author weaves in lots of details about working for a hot high tech firm that appears quite realistic ( similar to Penumbra’s take on Google). However the characters are all new and original. There is one that I believe is an homage to Alice Waters. Although I am an enthusiastic baker, you don’t have to be a kitchen whiz to appreciate this story.
Unusual subject. Lots of twists in the plot. Fun read.
Enjoyable read!
Magical realism braids together high tech robotics and bread making in a witty, complex recipe for fun, laughter, obsession, and invention. The protagonist’s journey from IT drone to innovative bread baker in San Francisco’s foodie culture is full of delights and surprises, and will send you to the store for a loaf. Robin Sloan, write faster!