A superb book that is a little quirky but well worth reading and putting on your Reading List this year!
If you want a book that is a bit unusual and quirky then this is the book for you. It’s a fantastic read from beginning to end and is thoroughly enjoyable throughout!
A little piece of normal baking mixed up with technology to give the best bread ever made, though its manufacturing is a little unusual. Lois plays a wonderful role in the story that when times get hard and her local bakery faced closure she saw a niche in the bakery market and went for it, combining her skills of computer programming and the brothers baking skills and they open the doors into a world of a secretive society.
Is the venture a success? That would be telling but it’s a must-read book to find the answer and you won’t be disappointed!!
This book is fresh, fun, quirky, bizarre, pure fantasy, and very different to my usual reads Sit back and enjoy - but don't forget the sourdough and butter!
Enter the world of Lois Clary, overworked but highly paid. See how she becomes obsessed with a very special version of sourdough which takes over her life. Fantasy, quirky, bizarre but refreshing
Lois Clary daughter of a programmer and raised in an environment with computers unsurprisingly embarks on a career in programming. She is head hunted by a company based in San Francisco and is lured by big money and other rewards. She soon discovers the cost of accepting the job and finds herself living in a small flat and working all the hours’ god sends, often sleeping at work. She finds a delivery service that provides her with the best sourdough she has ever tasted and a tasty spicy soup which she orders most nights. The delivery service closes down and leaves Lois with something that will change her life forever.
I would recommend that you have some nice slices of warm sourdough bread with a good splattering of butter to hand when you read this book because, for sure, you will be craving it as you read. This book is fresh, fun, quirky, bizarre, pure fantasy, and very different to my usual reads. It was an easy and enjoyable read although some of the techy content went well over my head but it did not spoil the pleasure of the book. It reminded me at times of ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ but in even more of a bizarre way.
A quirky well written novel that leads you on a weird and wonderful Sourdough journey. Thoroughly recommend to bakers and non-bakers alike!
A really unusual read but one that grips you straight away. Every character is quirky but believable, from the once-seen Beo and his emails, to the main protagonist, Lois.
The chapters is well paced, of varying length and, for a novel, surprisingly informative as well as funny and slightly strange.
Sloan's style of writing has a natural flow and I thoroughly enjoyed Sourdough, to the extent that I will definitely look out for his other novels.
Quirky and amusing – a mix of food and technology.
This is a story of technology meeting old-school food. Lois is a disillusioned software engineer in San Francisco. One evening she orders takeaway and she becomes involved with two brothers who make amazing food. They give her a sourdough starter and she becomes obsessed with the beautiful bread she can make with it, and another pace of life which it reveals to her. So far, so new-age convert. However, she receives a strange offer to become part in a new market, and a mix of food and technology starts to open up in her life.
This is a bit quirky and funny in places. A nice light read.
I haven’t read any of Robin’s previous books, but he is the author of Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore.
A nice, interesting journey of discovery that combines the magical process of bread making with Lois' advanced world of technology and coding resulting in an enjoyable and light-hearted read.
Lois Clary reveals the strange world of coding and technology development to us to set the scene of her busy life and lack of opportunity to cook. Gradually Lois discovers more and more about two strange cultures: The Mazg people and their Sourdough starter. We are shown cooking and baking in a new and almost magical light with the microcosm of the starter tied to the traditions of a people. Lois' unveiling of this strange practice of bread making is introduced as a brave new world, away from the sci-fi sounding nutrition gel 'Slurry' in a humorous switch of perspective. Sourdough is a journey of discovery that looks to knead together modern robotics and developing technology with the discovery of a simpler way of life with the traditional, rural and rustic feel of Farmers Markets and baking. Overall, it is a light and easy read about learning and trying new things.
‘Sourdough’ is one of the oddest yet catchiest books I have read for many years. Guaranteed to make you feel happy and reflective. A tale of love lost and friendship built all around…Dough! Read it now!
Sourdough? Hardly the title of a book I would usually choose to read but as the old saying goes don’t judge a book by its cover!
Having read the first chapter I was gripped and read the book cover to cover in a few days.
The story relates around two main characters, Lois and her sourdough culture! Yes the sourdough is a character who is as engaging and mystifying as Lois.
I won’t ruin the book but giving too much away but if you like feel good tales that lead you away from the daily grind this is it.
How someone can craft such an excellent narrative using a sourdough culture as its main focus is beyond me but worthy of applause.
Throughout the book it made me want to bake and the weekend has come and that’s what I am off to do....pass me my sourdough starter please.
Loved ‘Mr Penumbra’s 24-hour Bookstore’ by the same author. I find myself only liking this second as the surprise element which made the first so memorable was lost.
Lois falls on her young (she’s in her early 20s) feet when she lands an IT job in the heart of San Francisco Silicon Valley She is initially wooed by the offer of accommodation, free food, all kinds of care packages and the chance to apply her technical skills to pioneering work in the area of robotics. The downside is that her life becomes the job as the employer expects 24 hour – 7 days week working commitments.
She gives her all even to the point of eating health juices rather than solids to save time and sleeping at her desk. When she manages to prise herself away she calls on a food delivery service that opens up a whole near world, life and friendship for the quiet gal from mid- America.
The story flows not least because Sloan has a tremendous way of making the written word create tangible images, smells and sounds. It was at times uplifting and magical. A book I looked forward to returning to when I had to put it down for whatever reason.
What disappointed me was that it followed so close to the same formula as ‘Mr Penumbera’ (only real difference was to replace books with bread) that at times I felt I had already read it. And as a result it lost the uniqueness that made the first book so memorable. It was also a little too easy – even the very first bread Lois ever makes in her life is perfect.
Likeable not loveable.
A different read in my opinion, sometimes fantasy, sometimes down to earth but combining robotics and bread making makes it an interesting read and I could almost smell that bread cooking!
‘Sourdough’ by Robin Sloan is the first book I have read of his. The story is essentially about making bread using a starter mix which has to be nurtured and a spicy soup that Lois lived on until the makers moved away. The starter mix I could relate to as I have heard of this before, but the world of robotics was not familiar at all to me, using computer programmes to control robotic arms seemed to make sense. However the novel took a strange turn with the introduction of the Lois club (why?) and then a farmers market which seemed to be in a secret location underground (again - why?).
The characters all seemed very odd and I couldn't quite work out whether this was set in the future, it was definitely a fantasy world, with some people seeming to be more futuristic than others, eating a food replacement called 'slurry' which contained everything you would need to survive, but doesn't sound very appetising!
The tale weaves its magic between mixes that sing, people that do strange things and a takeover bid that goes wrong, with Lois wandering between the different scenarios trying to make a living and stay focussed.
I did find the book rather strange and I'm not sure I would read it again but as I received it as a review copy for Lovereading I was more than happy to give it a go! I did enjoy reading it as a light hearted look into a future computerised world that is trying to retain some of its traditions such as the starter.
For me this was a wonderful read, it tells the reader that there is always something new for us, not to give up hope or life. It was fun, tender, refreshing and left me wanting to taste sourdough.
I have to admit, I was a little unsure about this book, well I mean, how interesting can a book about baking bread be? I will tell you now, VERY! This book is so much fun. Lois is a software engineer, and feels like a robot herself her only enjoyment is the dinners she orders more than twice a week from a little bakers, becoming their ""Number one eater"". All is going well until they have to shut up shop and move. What is Lois to do? But not all is lost as they decide to leave her with a present.
They give her their sourdough starter, and tell her she must keep it alive.
So this is what she does and a whole new life begins to emerge for her.
An enjoyable book with some magical moments.
The whole plot is pretty predictable- from the way the story pans out right to the end. None of the characters were particularly developed, not even the protagonist, Lois.
However, this does not mean it was not enjoyable. There were certain moments when I found myself really rooting for Lois and willed her to succeed.
There was also a certain amount of magical incidents that led me to continue with reading: From the need for the starter to be nurtured by music to a battle between cultures.
The book also seriously made me want to eat sourdough bread there and then!
Quirky, original and endearing, ‘Sourdough’ was an absolute joy to read. You’ll never look at your bread dough in the same way again!
Trudging through life as a corporate minion, her work sucking her dry, Lois is merely existing from one day to the next. But her life turns a corner when she discovers Beoreg, Chaiman and the food of the Mazg. No more nutritionally complete meals of Slurry, her very first taste of the brothers Secret Spicy converts Lois to The Number One Eater. However Lois is destined to become more than just a mere consumer, the Clement Street starter becomes her responsibility and along with this somewhat magical entity comes the opportunity for Lois to change her life forever.
I know it’s not entirely normal but I currently find myself staring hard at my bread dough and listening keenly for any hint of singing from the bowl. Such has been the effect that Sourdough has had on me. 20 pages in and I was already Googling how to set up my own sourdough starter (an activity I had previously dismissed as ‘far too much faff’). This book single-handedly re-ignited my love of baking and instilled a burning desire to start my own culture. Can I take on the responsibility of regular feeds and nurturing care in exchange for fantastic, open textured, crusty loaves? You bet! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! But you have been warned – do not attempt to read this on an empty stomach or you will find yourself heading out to the nearest shop in search of something close to the amazing bread it describes. The fortification provided by thick wedges slathered in butter is essential!
Quirky, original and endearing, ‘Sourdough’ was an absolute joy to read and the only thing it lacked was the recipes for Secret Spicy and that amazing sourdough bread.
The book did more than happily engage me, it made me bake some sourdough bread, and I predict I won't be the only one!
This was an enjoyable way to while away a few hours - Robin Sloan's protagonist, Lois, inherits a temperamental sourdough starter from two brothers when they are forced to leave San Francisco. As the book develops, the reader gets to accompany Lois on her journey of discovery as she gets into baking bread, while filling in the history of the mysterious starter, and the culture of the ""Mazg"" people it originates from. I wasn't expecting the surrealist bend of the book, so it took me be surprise, but the surprise was not an unpleasant one. At times, I wondered whether the starter had to be mystical, simply to enable Lois to learn how to bake virtually overnight - there isn't a dud bread amongst her early efforts, which made me smile. This book is part about food culture, part about a journey of self-discovery. The characters are well drawn, with all their quirks and foibles.
The book did more than happily engage me, it made me bake some sourdough bread, and I predict I won't be the only one!
Made me laugh, and made my smile. Great characters and all in all a tremendously enjoyable read.
First book I’ve read by this author, and as expected a little weird and quirky.
Made me laugh, and made my smile. Not a book I could whizz through as strange wording and unknown names made me concentrate a little – perhaps my only criticism of it. Great characters and all in all a tremendously enjoyable read.