What to know:
- It's like being in a giant book club in Palm Beach County
- The biennial event starts Thursday with the announcement of this year's book
- There are meetups and community activities leading up to the culmination event on Nov. 18
Thursday morning was really cool. We got to announce to everyone on WPTV the title of this year's Read Together book, "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt.
"The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is working to involve thousands of adults throughout Palm Beach County in reading the same book at the same time. This community reading campaign will entice adults who can read, but often don't, to get involved in the habit of reading again. It will also promote community dialogue and engagement as citizens gather together to discuss key themes," said the Literary Coalition said in a statement.
You can purchase the book from the Literacy Coalition for a donation of $20 and there will be a finale on Nov. 18 featuring Van Pelt. The free event requires registration which opens Oct. 1.
In addition, there are several planned meetups and activities to discuss the book's themes. Click here for an event listing that will be active starting the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 19.
About "Remarkably Bright Creatures" (from the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County):
For fans of "A Man Called Ove," a luminous debut novel about a widow's unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium—and the truths she finally uncovers about her son's disappearance 30 years ago.
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 the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.
As she works, 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 tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened thenight Tova's son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.
Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope – a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.
