Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Read by Marin Ireland and Micheal Urie

11 hours 16 minutes

Published May 2022 by HarperCollins

Publisher's Summary: 

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 ago.

Tova 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 Tova.

Ever 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. 

My Thoughts: 

Another in the line of stories featuring older women, this one's been on my TBR since it came out three years ago. I finally got around to requesting it from the library and requested it in print and audio, figuring I'd go with whichever became available first. 

And then Shelby Van Pelt came to town (well, not MY town, but Council Bluffs, which is right across the river) so I bought a copy of the book and had it signed. Three days later, the audiobook became available. I had thought I'd make it a read/listen combination, but I was enjoying the reading so much that I just "read" the whole book that way. You can never go wrong with Marin Ireland and Micheal Urie did a wonderful job. 

If you ever get the chance to hear Shelby Van Pelt speak, I highly recommend it. The story of how she came to be a writer and how she came to write this particular book is so interesting. She is funny, and warm, and signed books and took pictures for easily an hour after she was done with the scheduled speaking. 

As for the book, it was, for me, one of those "right book, right time" reads. I would have been happy if no one else appeared in the book except Tova and Marcellus (who is such a fun character); but, of course, it would be hard to craft a book entirely around only two characters, especially when one of them can't speak. Tova is lonely, despite having a tight circle of friends, since her husband died. Erik was their only child, and as she gets older, it's becoming more and more apparent to her that there is no one who will care for her when her home gets to be too much for her. But Tova is not as alone as she thinks she is and she'll soon find that there is a lot left for her to look forward to in her life. 

I don't want to give too much away, other than to tell you that there are characters who aren't even mentioned in the summary who come to be very important to Tova. And while the story line is sweet and bittersweet, it's the characters in this one that really make this a book worth reading. 

Life: It Goes On - June 1

Happy Sunday! The sun is back this week, which makes me very happy. But also, it's 86 degrees right now; and while I'd much rather it were summer than winter, it's quite a jolt to go from the upper 60's/low 70's to almost 90.  

We've had quite a week. Tuesday and Wednesday my brother and sister-in-law spent the night, Friday Big Guy drummed with his old band at a nearish winery, and yesterday we ran down to Kansas City to spend some time with Miss H before she gets too busy to see us all of June. This week will be much quieter. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Black Woods, Blue Sky and started Great Expectations, which may turn into a read/listen combo. 

Watched: Friday evening I watched Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Coleman; last night I introduced Miss H to Practical Magic. 

Read: Amy Griffin's The Tell. Not sure what's up next. 

Made: Salads, charcuterie, nachos - summery food. This morning I taught Miss H how to blanch food; a very kind food Door Dashed her a lot of food and she was not going to get it all eaten before it spoiled. So we got spinach, carrots, broccoli into the freezer. We also frozen strawberries, grapes, and an entire bag of mandarin oranges. And now I'm thinking I should do the same at my house!

Enjoyed: Time with family - biological and family by choice. Miss H had dinner plans last night so BG and I joined the people we now call our Kansas City family as they celebrated the patriarch's birthday and Joe's of Kansas City. AND BG and I went to Barnes and Noble after dinner for some browsing and coffee, which we haven't done in far too long. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Miss H is going to be moving into a temporary situation in a couple of months so we brought some things home that we'll store for her. That means I need to find a home for them in the basement which will almost certainly lead to some decluttering down there that will bloom into a much larger project than it needs to be. 

Thinking About: The countertops are ordered, the tile is ordered, the work will begin in a few weeks. But I'm still not certain which colors the cabinets and walls will be or whether or not to get new hardware. The idea of remodeling rooms sounds great, but for some reason I didn't really comprehend how stressful it would be and how many decisions would have to be made. 

Feeling: Tired. Miss H gave up her bed so we'd have a better place to sleep (we've previously brought an air mattress or used the hide-a-bed) but I never sleep as well in another bed, even if it is comfortable. 

Looking forward to: That empty calendar. As much as I enjoyed the things we did this past week, I need a quiet week this week because next week I have a new employee starting and I'm going to come home exhausted from that every night. 

Question of the week: Every time I have an evening to myself (and the t.v.!), I spend far too much time trying to figure out what to watch. What's something you've watched recently that you'd recommend, especially something that's more female centric (a.k.a. something that I wouldn't need to save to watch with BG)? 

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

372 pages

Published September 2020 by William Morrow

Publisher's Summary: 

It's never too late to start living.

Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world--all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn't going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion.

Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley--afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties.

While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose's new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood--of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead.

But now that her joy for life has been rekindled, how can she possibly say goodbye?

My Thoughts: 

When I say I'm on a roll reading about older ladies with attitude, this is my latest example (following Three Days In June, The Little Village of Book Lovers, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and The Life Impossible). My sister recommended it to me but when I first picked it up, I was afraid it was too soon after my last book about a cranky old woman. But I needed to get books back to the library so I picked it up again and soon was drawn in to Eudora's story. 

Eudora is the reason the saying "You never know what someone is going through, so be kind." She has very little patience for people any longer and even less time for them. She's getting older and slower and has no family. She's ready for life to be done and she's desperate to go out on her own terms. There's a part of me that never stopped believing she was right to feel that way, especially when she expected to be all alone at the end. 

But Rose didn't see Eudora as an old woman whose time was about over. She understood that Eudora was old, but it never occurred to her that Eudora wouldn't be around for her as long as she needed her. I felt the same way about my mom so I could certainly understand how a ten-year-old would feel that way. Rose saw in Eudora someone who could be a friend and ally. But Eudora hadn't had a friend in a very long time, nor family or love in almost as long and she certainly wasn't looking for any of those things when Rose first showed up on her door. But Annie Lyons wants readers to understand that friends can be any age and family can be the people we choose to care about. 

Eudora had been hurt a lot in her life and disappointed by so many people. It was hard for her not to expect that from her new friends and even harder to believe that those people would be there for her until the end. So she never gave up on her desire to go to Switzerland and end her life on her own terms. And I came to believe that was exactly how this book would end, that having developed those friendships and that makeshift family, Eudora could do what she wanted to do without regret. 

The night before I finished this book, it had gotten late. I had only about ten pages left to read but I had to get to sleep. So I finished this one while I had my morning coffee. Big mistake. Those of you who have been around for a long time will know that while a lot of books have really impacted me emotionally, few have made me cry. This one did. It's the kind of ending that is both sad and uplifting. And now I have to read something completely different because I want to let this one sit with me for a while. 

Life: It Goes On - May 25

Happy Sunday! Missing my usual sunny Sunday but if this grey day will also produce some more rain, it will be very much appreciated. I've never had to water my new spring plants as much as I've had to this year, so I almost danced when it rained and rained on Friday. Certainly has me thinking about getting more perennials planted. This is just the kind of day where curling up in a chair with a cup of coffee and a good book seems like a great idea. What with an extra day off of work this weekend, I might just do that. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I finished Eowyn Ivey's Black Woods, Blue Sky and now I'm back to Anne Tyler's Vinegar Girl. 

Watched: The finale of The Voice and LOTS of sports. A fair amount of NBA games, but mostly college sports. Our Husker women are playing in the softball Super Regional, the men are heading into the Big 10 Tournament final today, and our Creighton Bluejays won the Big East baseball tournament yesterday. 

Read: I finished The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett in tears. These little old lady books are really gripping my heart lately. Then I started Amy Griffin's The Tell. 

Made: I've been on a blue cheese hyper fixation lately so I've had a lot of salads this week. Last night it was comfort food time so I did a new take on homemade Mac and cheese. 

Enjoyed: My aunt and uncle were here and spent the night on Friday. We enjoyed dinner out with them and an evening (and morning) of conversation with them. Sadly, neither Big Guy or I thought to get any pictures. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: On long days at work as I try to get a bit ahead, prior to having a new employee start next week, so I don't anticipate getting much more done around here than the usual. 

Thinking About: Summer and starting to make plans for some long weekend trips. 

Feeling: It's been chilly here the past week. We've had to put the comforter back on the bed and I'm wearing cardigans almost nonstop. I'm a little salty about that - I'm ready for short-sleeves and warm sunshine on my face. 

Looking forward to: A visit from my brother and sister-in-law this week. 

Question of the week: Have you been to a farmer's market yet this year? I haven't been able to get myself out of bed in time to go yet this year but I love seeing all of the different crops that are available throughout the season. 

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry  by Gabrielle Zevin

288 pages

Published December 2014 by Algonquin Books

Publisher’s Summary: 

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over—and see everything anew.   

My Thoughts: 

How long has this one been on my TBR? I’m going to guess 10 years; I can clearly remember being on Goodreads when this one became the big buzz, so I added it to my TBR, bought it for my Nook, and then forgot about it. Until a book club friend brought it up a month or so ago and then another said there had been a movie adaptation. So, I read it…and then I watched the movie.

A.J. Fikry is a man without friends, a man who owns a bookstore that is gradually failing, a man who is so deep in his grief over the loss of his wife that he has decided to drink himself to death. He is so morose that when a young publishing rep comes to pitch him the winter list, he all but throws her out of the building. 

Sometime later, a young woman comes into the store. His brief moment of kindness to her causes her to make a decision that will change A.J.’s life. The next day A.J. finds a toddler in his store when he returns from a run, with a note to “the bookseller” leaving the child to him. As cantankerous as A.J. can be, he can’t find it in himself to turn the child over to Child Protective Services and the law is, unbelievably, on his side. Maya changes A.J.’s life, as children will do. As the community rallies to help A.J. with Maya, friendships develop. And four years after he first met that publisher’s rep, A.J. finds love. All is well; this will be a happily-ever-after story. Except it’s not. It’s bittersweet.

Is it a little dramatic and sentimental at times? Yes. I didn’t care because it is also humorous and heartwarming and had just the right amount of drama and sentimentality for me. I loved these characters, and I loved the way they grew over the years and found love and friendship. In fewer than 300 pages, Zevin made me feel so many things. 

If you’ve ever read George Eliot’s Silas Marner, much of this book will feel very familiar, from a child that lands on the doorstep of a cranky man to the disappear and reappearance of a prize. Yes, that prized possession reappears – if you know about Chekov’s gun, you won’t be surprised when that happens much later in the book. I thought the story about where it was and how it reappears was wonderful. 

This is a lovely little book which I highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something lovely. 

As a side note, Zevin also wrote the screenplay for the movie so it’s one of the most faithful adaptations of a book I’ve ever watched, giving me exactly what I wanted, especially watching is so closely after finishing the book. 

And as a final side note, I just realized that this Gabrielle Zevin is the same author who wrote Young Jane Young and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Now I really want to read those books!