Shopping my shelves is, so far, so good! I have managed to pick another book from the tbr pile to read this month, and this one really has been sitting around for rather some time. However, interestingly, it has appeared on the Bookstagram grid over the last few weeks, so I suspect that may have encouraged me to pick it up.
The thing that I suspect has made so many people pick this book up is the leading role of an octopus. I am pretty sure that piques the interest of a many a reader. I have to admit, I absolutely adored the role of the octopus. It is in no way a gimmick, but the addition of a wonderful character, and a character that is certainly a remarkably bright creature. I also adored the love that Tova had for the octopus, how she kept his secrets and he did all he could for her, in his own octopus way. I have always found the octopus to be a fascinating creature, and I think it is safe to say that this book has made me admire them even more. (Although, I did have the odd moment of imaging our octopus friend to be Hank in ‘Finding Dory’, and I was okay with that, as he is one of Pixar’s most fantastic characters.)
There also has been a theme of me reading books with fantastic female leads, and Tova in ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ is another such character. As a woman who has faced quite some tragedy in her life, she has kept going and made the most of the cards she has been dealt, and be supported by the people of the small town she calls home. However, she never gives up on finding out the truth about her son, Erik. One day, Cameron arrives in town, in search of who he is, and suddenly the jigsaw puzzle pieces fall into place, and we see that events in the past may in fact lead to a brighter future.
I am glad that I have plucked this book from the tbr pile (without it tumbling) and read it. It is a perfectly uplifting and gentle read for this time of year. And if you do not think an octopus is a remarkably bright creature when you start, you certainly will when you finish.