Latest news with #RemarkablyBrightCreatures
Axios
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
What to read this summer
Now that you're itching to visit your local library, we're thinking you may need a couple of recommendations for summer reads from your favorite Axios Detroit co-authors. Annalise's recs: If you're flying anywhere this summer, you've got to pick up " Less," a witty read about a depressed failed novelist who travels the world. A quick read for animal lovers that has very summer-like seaside vibes is " Remarkably Bright Creatures." I've never rooted so hard for an octopus. If you're looking for something innovative, try Rivers Solomon's " Sorrowland," a novel that threads together themes of horror, fantasy, religion, government and race. I wouldn't say it's a quick beach read, but you won't be able to put it down, and you'll come away with a lot of thoughts. Joe's recs: For a breezy beach read with an edge, check out Fonda Lee's " Jade City," an action-packed fantasy novel with mafioso family drama (think "The Godfather") and magically powered warriors. Go back to the 1980s for acclaimed writer Alan Moore's " Saga of the Swamp Thing" graphic novel series. Moore's take on the classic antihero is complex, touching on topics like gun control, environmental issues and racism. For a gripping tale at sea, try " The Wager," David Grann's exhaustively researched account of an 18th-century shipwreck and the ensuing fight for survival.
Buzz Feed
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
15 Books That Made People Love Reading Again
Reading slumps are bound to happen to all bookworms, but it only takes one reaaaally good book to get out of one. Recently, I asked BuzzFeed Community members to share the book that got them out of a deep reading rut, and I'm about ready to head to the bookstore ASAP. Here are some book recs that made people fall in love with reading again: "Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. It's a quirky book about an octopus who helps an aquarium employee get through her grief. I know it sounds bizarre, but trust me. I couldn't put it down." —Anonymous, 33Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late. "The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I started reading it after the first movie because I loved the movie so much and didn't want to wait a year to find out what happened, so I decided to read the books. Twenty-five years later, I have bookshelves of books. LOTR instilled a love of fantasy novels, and I still mostly only read fantasy." —flyerboy6Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring "Back to the classics: I recently read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. What a read! It's a template for modern spy thrillers and gothic romance. There's not a wasted word in all of the 1,200 or more pages." —i_before_a_except_after_jHere's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. A huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s, Dumas was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment when writing his epic tale of suffering and retribution. "Anything by Kristin Hannah. I was first introduced to her when I read The Nightingale, and since then, I have been hooked. The characters feel so real, and the storytelling is like no other. Highly recommend." —AnonymousHere's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn't believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others. "Love From A to Z by S.K. Ali. It's a very sweet love story featuring a well-done Muslim representation! I was sad to finish it (and disappointed that the sequel wasn't as great, in my honest opinion), but it made me start reading more often to try to find a book as good as that one!" —AnonymousHere's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:Zayneb's teacher won't stop reminding the class how "bad" Muslims are. But Zayneb, the only Muslim in class, isn't bad. She's angry. When she gets suspended for confronting her teacher, and he begins investigating her activist friends, Zayneb heads to her aunt's house in Doha, Qatar, for an early start to spring by the guilt of getting her friends in trouble, she resolves to try out a newer, "nicer" version of herself in a place where no one knows her. Then her path crosses with Adam' he got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in November, Adam has stopped going to classes, intent instead on perfecting the making of things. Intent on keeping the memory of his mom alive for his little sister. And intent on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his grieving Adam and Zayneb are playing roles for others, keeping their real thoughts locked away in their journals. Until a marvel and an oddity occur. Adam and Zayneb meeting. "I'd recommend The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I needed a break from the serious stuff I've been reading. It's definitely not light and fluffy, but it was great at capturing the audience, making me care about the story and characters, and making me want to seek out the source material." —charmingvolcano268Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor's labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau's patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite. "I listened to the audiobook of They Called Me a Lioness by Ahed Tamimi to better understand the situation in Gaza. I've never been much of a reader, but audiobooks make it easier for me. Since then, I've listened to several other nonfiction books." —Alexander, 27Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:A Palestinian activist jailed at sixteen after a confrontation with Israeli soldiers illuminates the daily struggles of life under occupation in this moving, deeply personal this is not just a story of activism or imprisonment. It is the human-scale story of an occupation that has riveted the world and shaped global politics, from a girl who grew up in the middle of it. Tamimi's father was born in 1967, the year that Israel began its occupation of the West Bank ,and he grew up immersed in the resistance movement. One of Tamimi's earliest memories is visiting him in prison, poking her toddler fingers through the fence to touch his hand. She herself would spend her seventeenth birthday behind bars. Living through this greatest test and heightened attacks on her village, Tamimi felt her resolve only deepen, in tension with her attempts to live the normal life of a daughter, sibling, friend, and student. "The Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter. The show was great, and despite having major differences, the books are astounding. Triptch (the first book) has several twists and even lets you 'solve' them. It also provides insight into poverty, the prison cycle, abuse of power, and more." —nouseforausernameHere's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:In the city of Atlanta, women are dying — at the hands of a killer who signs his work with a single, chilling act of mutilation. Leaving behind enough evidence to fuel a frenzied police hunt, this cunning madman is bringing together dozens of lives, crossing the boundaries of wealth and race. And the people who are chasing him must cross those boundaries too. Among them is Michael Ormewood, a veteran detective whose marriage is hanging by a thread—and whose arrogance and explosive temper are threatening his career. And Angie Polaski, a beautiful vice cop who was once Michael's lover before she became his another player has entered the game: a loser ex-con who has stumbled upon the killer's trail in the most coincidental of ways—someone who may be the key to breaking the case wide open. "Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is the BEST fantasy series ever. The way the series develops book by book is wild. I cried three times while reading the last book because I was so invested in the storyline and characters. I can't recommend it enough. You have to read all eight books, and though they are long, they are so worth it." —pastelmoon72Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass — and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world. "A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is like nothing else. I don't laugh easily, but that book can wake me from a deep sleep and have me guffawing by just remembering a line. It's easy to write it off as just being funny, but the book is also incredibly sad because of what it obviously says about the author's feelings toward himself. It was the first novel I'd read voluntarily as an adult, and now, I'm never not reading. However, no other book has compared to the escapism and magic I felt with this one." —protrout978Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:A monument to sloth, rant, and contempt, a behemoth of fat, flatulence, and furious suspicion of anything modern - this is Ignatius J. Reilly of New Orleans, noble crusader against a world of dunces. The ordinary folk of New Orleans seem to think he is unhinged. Ignatius ignores them, heaving his vast bulk through the city's fleshpots in a noble crusade against vice, modernity, and ignorance. But his momma has a nasty surprise in store for him: Ignatius must get a job. Undaunted, he uses his newfound employment to further his mission - and now he has a pirate costume and a hot-dog cart to do it with. "While I would recommend anything by Hugh Howey, the Silo series is incredible. I enjoyed it so much that I can't bring myself to watch the TV show for fear that it would ruin the experience." —Steve, 55Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside. "One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King duology) by Rachel Gillig! I had been chugging through my never-ending TBR of romantasy and thriller books and felt like I was hitting a rut. I just wanted something a little different. I heard about the duology from Facebook and immediately downloaded it. I FLEW through them both." —Erin, 39, VirginiaHere's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder — she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her nothing comes for free, especially Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King's nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high they must gather twelve Providence Cards — the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him. "As someone who mainly reads non-fiction, I once found myself in a reading slump and couldn't get out. I have a friend who likes to read rom-coms, and she recommended me Beach Read by Emily Henry. I was surprised by how much I loved it! I never looked down at rom-coms, don't get me wrong, but I definitely never thought to give them a shot. Now, I like incorporating them into my reading rotation." —Henry, 25Here's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire polar fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no-one will fall in love. Really. "The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Very BookTok-ish, I know, but I ADORE that book. It's written so beautifully, and it makes me sob uncontrollably every single time I read the ending. It's one of my favorite books, and one I recommend to everyone, whether they're bookworms or not." —AnonymousHere's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice. Lastly: "Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins! I honestly think it's one of the best books I've read so far this year. You can tell that Suzanne isn't in it for the money grab. It's a painful story that speaks so much about the world today." —Emily, New JerseyHere's a quick synopsis from Goodreads:As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena. I'm adding alllll of these to my TBR as we speak! What's a book that has gotten you out of a deep reading slump? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your response using the form below!
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Find your next favorite local author at The BookSmiths Shoppe in Connecticut
Find your next favorite local author at The BookSmiths Shoppe in Connecticut Independent bookstores are the heartbeats of their communities. They provide culture and community, generate local jobs and sales tax revenue, promote literacy and education, champion and center diverse and new authors, connect readers to books in a personal and authentic way and actively support the right to read and access to books in their communities. Each week, we profile an independent bookstore, sharing what makes each one special and getting their expert and unique book recommendations. This week we have Michelle Smith, owner of The BookSmiths Shoppe in Danbury, Connecticut. What's your store's story? In February 2023, we opened the first independent bookstore in Danbury, Connecticut. We are a woman-owned enterprise, and the core mission of our bookstore is to cater to local authors. We hear that they are often ignored by larger and more popular bookstores for author events and exposure and we give them a voice. We also won the James Patterson Holiday Bonus in 2023. As a hybrid bookstore, we are proud to sell new and used books in the same space, offering a more curated and elevated book stack. What makes your independent bookstore unique? We are located in a one-million-square-foot corporate park, so we're not your typical brick-and-mortar store. The building is home to corporations, apartments, retail and doctors' offices. We provide a respite for the employees who sit at their desks and need a break. What's your favorite section in your store? The local author section is my favorite and the first thing you see when you enter the bookstore. We are happy to display the books these authors have published for years. What book do you love to recommend to customers and why? "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt is not only wholesome, but creative and well written. It moved me, and appeals to all types of readers. The connection between humans and other life sources is celebrated in this book when humans fail to provide much-needed intimacy. What book do you think deserves more attention and why? "I Wasn't Supposed To Be Here" by Jonathan Conyers. In 2023, I had the pleasure of meeting Conyers at the Bookmarks Festival in North Carolina. His story depicts the epitome of survival when the odds are against you in life. From the moment he was conceived, he wasn't wanted, yet he thrived and survived through the storms, challenges and trials of being Black, the child of drug-addicted parents and living in poverty. I absolutely love his story – it reminds me to appreciate my life, shortcomings and practice immense gratitude. Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important? We support local authors, care about the environment, offer a curated selection of books, assist our local library and donate to non-profits. We also hold book signing events, networking and health seminars and cooking demonstrations, keeping literacy alive. The truth is, we rely on the support of our community to thrive. Every purchase, every visit, every word of mouth recommendation makes a difference. We'll continue to be here, serve our community and share our love of books as long as we have that support. It's a symbiotic relationship, and one that's essential for the vibrancy of our neighborhoods. What are some of your store's events, programs, or partnerships coming up that you would like to share? We co-host the "Hat City to Hollywood" series in collaboration with The Danbury Cultural Commission, the Danbury Library, the Danbury Railway Museum, Rosy Tomorrows and Lesser Evil Snacks. This series explores Danbury's real-life locations that have made it to the silver screen. June 13's event is "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2." We also have author signings in July with Shawniel Chamanlal and Chris Deflorio.
Straits Times
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
‘Grateful for my anxiety': Actor Lewis Pullman related to Thunderbolts* character's struggles
NEW YORK – Lewis Pullman is still not sure if he is playing a hero or a villain in the latest Marvel movie Thunderbolts*. 'He's very malleable and easily influenced because he hasn't had a real, strong, reliable source of love in his life,' the American actor said of his character, a dark Superman-like figure known as Sentry/The Void – although his civilian name, Bob, is how you might remember him best. Think what would happen if Superman were super-depressed. Also, Bob appears capable of vapourising people with a flick of his hand. 'There's a contrast between being this all-powerful being and then having your greatest weakness and your main Achilles' heel be your own self,' Pullman, 32, said in video call from his apartment in Los Angeles. He had just returned to the city, where he was born and raised, after a shoot in Vancouver, British Columbia, for the Netflix movie Remarkably Bright Creatures, based on American author Shelby Van Pelt's enormously popular 2022 novel. That was followed by a whirlwind press tour that had taken him from London and New York to Los Angeles and Miami to back to Los Angeles, just in time for his brother's wedding. Pullman – the son of 71-year-old American actor Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping, 1995; Independence Day, 1996) – is the breakout star of Thunderbolts*, which has attracted praise for its candid depiction of mental health. 'What I love about this film is that it is so adamantly trying to rid our society' of the stigma around mental health, Lewis Pullman said. Like his character, he has an introspective bent, turning over every question in his mind before answering. Although he had never read the comics featuring Sentry – also known as Robert Reynolds , shortened to Bob in Thunderbolts* – he was drawn to the profound sadness and isolation of the character, whose Mr Hyde-like alter ego is the Void, the darkness that lives inside Bob. Struck by bouts of melancholy, Bob forges an unlikely friendship with Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who was trained as a child to be a Black Widow assassin. 'She sees something of herself in him,' Pullman said. 'She sees that they are both at the end of their lines.' The role is a breakout turn for Pullman, who earned a supporting actor Emmy nomination in 2024 for his portrayal of a brilliant scientist in the Apple TV+ period series Lessons In Chemistry (2023). Before that, he played a pilot – also named Bob – in the 2022 hit Top Gun: Maverick. 'I should probably take a breather from playing Bobs,' he said with a laugh. Lewis Pullman at the Thunderbolts* screening on April 30 in New York. PHOTO: AFP How did you first get involved in Thunderbolts*? I got a phone call that was very vague and cryptic, and I was like: 'I should meet Jake (Schreier, the director) and see what this is all about.' He couldn't give me the script, so he told me the story old-fashioned style, word by word. It was great to have that experience. You don't get it very often. I had only three days to prepare for the screen test and audition, which wasn't as much time as I'd like. So, I tried to go as broad as possible, and then shrink it down and go as specific as possible in finding and discovering where it was that I, as Lewis, could relate to this character. What did you pull from for the role? What was so exciting and terrifying was how much I related to this character. In terms of the mental health parts of it, the anxiety and the depression, I have a dose of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) , self-doubt and the negative self-talk that can paralyse you. I'm lucky to have come from a great family that was very proactive and resourceful about helping me figure it all out. So, to try to inhabit somebody who didn't have that – I was close enough to those alleyways to be able to see what it would have looked like had I not had those. Have you had candid conversations with people in your own life about mental health? I was a social work major in college in North Carolina, so I have had many conversations about these topics. Coming into this project, it was obvious that it was a major theme. But it was never our goal to make this a PSA (public service announcement). This is still an incredibly fun, large-scale blockbuster film. But by shining a flashlight on it, it becomes more real. In many ways, my anxiety is something I'm grateful for. It's there as a protective mechanism. You don't just make a movie about it and then the conversation's over. I'll be talking about it until I circle the drain. And that's something I've come to be okay with and embrace. Do you have personal experience with depression? That's something that's less of a consistent force in my life. It comes in waves. But it's something that's deep in my marrow because, when you feel that, it's very hard to forget. I was able to tap into that in a way that was safe, with therapy, and then friends and support. I go about therapy in the same way that I go about acting. I assume that I never know anything, that there's always something to learn. I did a lot of cognitive behavioural therapy in high school and now I'm in talk therapy. I've realised that the times when you should stick with therapy the most is when you think you're doing the best without it. That's a mind game that I've fallen for a couple of times. What would you say to people who feel like Bob? It's okay to not smile, it's okay to cry, it's okay to let all those feelings out, and to not bottle them up. You'll find that, more often than not, there will be somebody there to catch you, if you're vulnerable enough to let them. NYTIMES Thunderbolts* is showing in Singapore cinemas. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Newsweek
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Netflix Reveals New Details About its 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' Film
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Netflix has completed production on its adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures, the bestselling debut novel by Shelby Van Pelt that has captivated more than a million readers since its 2022 release. Directed by Olivia Newman, known for Where the Crawdads Sing, the film stars two-time Academy Award winner Sally Field alongside Lewis Pullman and a distinguished supporting cast. With production now wrapped, the project is poised to become one of Netflix's major literary adaptations. Why It Matters The film adaptation marks Netflix's continued investment in literary properties with established fanbases. As of December 2023, Remarkably Bright Creatures had sold 1.4 million copies and had enjoyed a prolonged run on the New York Times bestseller list. The story, centered around an elderly widow and a curmudgeonly octopus, has been lauded for its unusual charm and emotional depth. As described in 2023 by the New York Times, the debut novel is "one of those increasingly rare success stories: a quiet, quirky literary debut that has been buoyed by bookseller love and word-of-mouth recommendations." The film also reunites Sally Field with a leading dramatic role, which could further elevate the adaptation's profile ahead of its release. Netflix confirmed production wrapped in May. An octopus floats in the water. An octopus floats in the water. wrangel/Getty Images What to Know Remarkably Bright Creatures follows Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old widow working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, where she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. The octopus, whose inner monologue appears throughout the novel, becomes key in unraveling the decades-old mystery of Tova's son's disappearance. According to Netflix's official synopsis, "Marcellus is on a mission to solve a mystery that will heal her heart and lead her to a life-changing discovery." The book's origin story is as unconventional as its plot. Van Pelt, a former financial consultant, created the character of Marcellus in a fiction writing workshop assignment and later expanded it into vignettes, according to The New York Times. "I wasn't thinking too hard about, is this salable?" she told The New York Times. "Because I never thought anybody would read it." The novel was eventually acquired by Ecco, which delayed the paperback edition due to sustained demand for the hardcover. In February, nearly three years after the book's original release, Van Pelt announced a tour to promote the forthcoming paperback. Her tour extends through the end of May where she plans to visit Wisconsin, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and California. The novel picked up traction when Jenna Busch selected it for her "Read with Jenna" book club, and, according to The New York Times, this lead to Van Pelt's appearance on The Today Show. As for the Netflix adaptation, a release date for the movie has not yet been announced. Who Is in the Cast of Netflix's 'Remarkably Bright Creatures'? Netflix has assembled a high-profile ensemble for the adaptation. Sally Field, whose credits include Lincoln and Forrest Gump, plays Tova. Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick, Lessons in Chemistry) co-stars, with Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Joan Chen (The Wedding Banquet), Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands), Beth Grant (No Country for Old Men), and Sofia Black-D'Elia (Single Drunk Female) rounding out the cast. The screenplay is co-written by Olivia Newman and John Whittington (Sonic the Hedgehog 3). Bryan Unkeless and Peter Craig are producing for Night Owl Pictures, with executive producers including Anonymous Content's David Levine, Tony Lipp, Erika Hampson, and Alisa Tager, along with Van Pelt herself. What People Are Saying Shelby Van Pelt, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures, posted on Instagram on March 28: "I will never in my life be this cool again. It's been an amazing week on set and I cannot wait for this movie to come out." Beth Seufer Buss, sales associate at Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, told The New York Times in 2023: "I don't think it's going to drop off, because everybody who reads it wants other people to read it. This is a universal recommendation. No matter what you're in the mood for or what you're going through, I can put this book in your hands." Jenna Bush Hager told in May 2022: "This novel is filled with love, humor, joy and healing. It demonstrates the power and beauty of unexpected friendships. I can't wait for this creative, feel-good story to surprise and delight the Read With Jenna book club this May." What's Next For now, readers and viewers alike await a visual interpretation of one of the most beloved literary debuts of recent years.
