A best-selling novel about a woman’s friendship with a giant Pacific octopus has been named the 2024 Read Together Palm Beach County book.
The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County announced the selection of “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, published in 2022, during the group’s annual Mayors’ Literacy Initiative Luncheon on Thursday at the West Palm Beach Marriott.
More than 2 million copies of the novel have been sold, and it spent a total of more than a year on the New York Times Hardcover Bestseller list. In the two years since its debut, “Remarkably Bright Creatures” has had 30 reprintings, and the novel received the 2023 McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize. It also was a “Read with Jenna” pick for the Today Show’s book club.
The novel tells the story of a 70-year-old widow who cleans the aquarium where the octopus, Marcellus, lives. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” earned the nickname of “that octopus book,” so much so that the U.K. edition of the novel features that tagline across the top of its cover.
This marks the coalition’s 14th Read Together campaign, a “one-book, one-community” event that aims to bring together adults throughout Palm Beach County to read the same book at the same time, the Literacy Coalition said. Past books in the biennial campaign include “The Story of Arthur Truluv” by Elizabeth Berg in 2022 and “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead in 2020.
“Read Together brings our community together,” said Kristin Calder, the Literacy Coalition’s chief executive officer. “As we discuss themes and the story of a book, we make connections over shared experiences while also learning different perspectives. The book this year is about love, loss, family, second chances, and there’s even a little mystery to be solved. It’s a heartwarming, easy read that is surprisingly narrated in parts by an octopus.”
As part of the Read Together campaign, the Palm Beach County Library System and the coalition’s community partners will host book discussions and events throughout November.
Van Pelt will attend and speak at the Read Together Finale on Nov. 18 at Palm Beach State College’s Duncan Theatre in Lake Worth Beach.
It was announced in August that the novel is being adapted into a film, with actor Sally Field reported to be on board as the lead.
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” is available in hardcover and audio at local libraries and bookstores. Copies of the hardcover book are available from the Literacy Coalition for a $20 donation.
The Literacy Coalition on Thursday also announced that the 19th annual Read for the Record book this year is “Piper Chen Sings” by Phillipa Soo. The event, scheduled this year for Oct. 24, brings together leaders, businesses and volunteers who distribute hundreds of books to Palm Beach County schools and child care centers and then read to tens of thousands of local students.
Municipalities throughout Palm Beach County also engage in a friendly competition to see which can read to the most students on the day of the Read for the Record. Last year’s winners were Wellington in the large municipality category, Palm Springs as the mid-size municipality and Lantana as the small municipality.
For more information, go to literacypbc.org.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
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