Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt

The Parsippany Library’s second annual Community Read program returns with free, themed events during the fall of 2023. The Community Read initiative encourages town discussions and promotes reading across all ages through one story. This year’s book selection is the New York Times bestseller, Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt.

This adventurous and gripping novel takes you on a journey through the Pacific Northwest and follows the intertwining stories of five dynamic characters, but it is through the eyes of Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus, that you discover humor and insight throughout the story. The pages are filled with themes of family, grief, loss, friendship and connection.

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a luminous debut novel about a widow's unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium-and the truths she finally uncovers about her son's disappearance 30 years ago. A gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Please join us for a group discussion with other community members before the author talk the following week.