If You Like Remarkably Bright Creatures
I recently listened to Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022) by Shelby Van Pelt as an audiobook (narrated wonderfully by Marin Ireland and Michael Urie). This book was a recommendation from Laura B. Thanks, Laura, for another great pick. The novel has three points of view: Tova, a 60-year-old who lives in a small town in Washington state and cleans the local aquarium at night; Cameron, a 30-year-old who lives in Modesto, CA, and is still finding his path; and Marcellus, a 4-year-old Great Pacific Octopus who lives at the aquarium Tova cleans. All three are searching — for family, for relief from grief, for freedom. Van Pelt does a fantastic job developing the characters as she weaves their stories together. I loved this satisfying and feel-good story.
Below are a few others books that give a similar feel of searching, family, and connection.
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (2011)
Fans of Remarkably Bright Creatures will enjoy the mystery and search of Patchett’s novel. Dr. Marina Singh nervously goes to the Amazon to find her missing mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson. The scientists are there to discover a miracle drug, but even after Marina finds Dr. Swenson, it is not clear whether returning with the research is a straightforward task.
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (2014)
Fikry owns and runs a bookstore on Alice Island. He is a widower and, increasingly, a loner, pushing away those who reach out. When a baby is abandoned in his store, with a note saying that the biological parent wants her to grow up surrounded by books, Fikry must think about someone other than himself for a change. Delightful and heartwarming — keep the tissues at the ready for this one.
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly (2019)
Though this is written for 8- to 12-year-olds, I think fans of Van Pelt will enjoy the appreciation for ocean life and the family bonds in this story. Iris’s grandparents are deaf, but her immediate family is hearing and sign at varied levels. She’s the only deaf kid in her school and has an interpreter there. Being isolated in these ways, it’s not surprising that she is struck by the story of a whale who sings at a different frequency than other whales and therefore can’t join a pod. She is determined to write a song for the whale to let him know he is not alone.
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin (2021)
Lenni and Margot meet as patients at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. Lenni is 17 and Margot is 83, together they are 100, and both of them are dying. They bond together over art and create a project to show 100 pictures that represent their lives. A highlight of the book is Lenni’s relationship with hospital chaplain Father Arthur, with whom she debates religious (and drives him a little batty).
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (2022)
Elizabeth Zott is an uncompromising and whip-smart scientist. After losing her job as a chemist, she is recruited to host a local afternoon cooking show for housewives. To her, cooking is chemistry, and she spend more time discussing chemical bonds and reactions than recipes. In refusing to talk down to her audience, Elizabeth inspires the women around her and exemplifies a generation who fought for the rights and acceptance that many of us enjoy now.
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (2023)
McBride’s novel is both the story of a neighborhood — Chicken Hill — and a murder mystery. In Chicken Hill, Jewish and Black neighbors live side by side. Chona runs the titular grocery store; her husband Moshe is a theater owner. Together with Nate, they protect a deaf boy whom the authorities want to put in an institution. A complex and rewarding read.
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr (2024)
Clayton was abandoned as a baby and raised by a group of adults joined by their love of puzzles, mazes, and other cryptic matters. His primary caregiver, Pippa, has died, and she leaves a path of clues to find his biological family. Told from both the past and the present, and full of puzzles to solve, this book was a satisfying and fun read.