Remarkably Bright Creature

Remarkably Bright CreatureTitle: Remarkably Bright Creatures
Author: Shelby Van Pelt
Genre: Literary Fiction
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 360
Rating:

My Thoughts

I’m so glad my book club chose to read REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES. Otherwise, I might never have read it and I absolutely adored this book. As soon as I started reading it, I could tell it was going to suck me right in. I laughed, I cried, and I mostly smiled as I read this heart-warming story of love, loss, grief, and resilience.

I loved that it’s mostly told in a third-person limited POV and a charming first-person POV from Marcellus, the octopus–the star of the book. Marcellus is smart, snarky, a little bit cranky, and a delightful narrator. I especially loved his friendship with Tova, the main human character. Their friendship reminds us, not in a preachy way, that animals know more than they let on and they each have feelings and deserve our kindness and respect.

I also loved Tova. She was such a likable person despite being a bit closed off because of her grief. She reminded me a bit of my own grandmother whose family, like Tova’s, immigrated to the US while she was very young.

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The Christmas Murder Game

The Christmas Murder GameTitle: The Christmas Murder Game
Author: Alexandra Benedict
Genre: Holiday, Mystery, Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 345
Length: 9h 5m
Narrator: Ana Clements
Rating:

My Thoughts

I thought the concept of THE CHRISTMAS MURDER GAME sounded fun and suspenseful. While I was never bored, I just didn’t think the execution was done very well and the writing was awkward. I feel like Benedict tried way too hard. The “sonnets” were very clunky and the anagrams were weird. Fortunately, listening to the audiobook helped hide the weird spellings. I also thought the use of “obvs” and “pud” (pudding) in the narrative, not dialogue, was really strange.

As far as the story goes, I knew who the main antagonist was pretty early on. It was fairly obvious, or obvs *rolls eyes*. I didn’t mind Lily but I thought some of her choices were a little suspect. Every other character was either annoying, selfish, or not developed very well. The circumstances that had to happen so the story could take place weren’t very realistic either.

This is a nit-picky thing that took me out of the story. It could be because I’m from the US and speak American English. Anyway, one of the characters is pregnant and this character and their cousins said that the cousins would be the baby’s aunt or uncle. Aunts and uncles are parents’ siblings not cousins. They’d be a cousin too–first cousin once removed, actually.

Meet Me At The Lake

Meet Me At The LakeTitle: Meet Me at the Lake
Author: Carley Fortune
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 322
Length: 10h 2m
Narrator: A.J. Bridel
Rating:

My Thoughts

I adored Carley Fortune’s debut, EVERY SUMMER AFTER, so I was super excited to read MEET ME AT THE LAKE, and I wasn’t disappointed. I loved Fern and Will’s story. I loved the premise of them getting a second chance at love. Even though MEET ME AT THE LAKE is mostly fluff, there’s some meat to the story too thanks to the inclusion of how mental illness and the loss of a loved one can mess with our plans and intentions. It made the characters and story feel more real.

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The Only Girl In Town

The Only Girl In TownTitle: The Only Girl in Town
Author: Ally Condie
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: Audio
Pages: 322
Length: 6h 36m
Narrator: Elena Rey
Rating:

My Thoughts

As always, Ally’s writing is a joy to read. She has such a poetic and lyrical way of expressing what she wants to write. I was very surprised by the actual story. I had trouble choosing a genre because of that. THE ONLY GIRL IN TOWN wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Despite my surprise, I soon found myself all in as I experienced July’s story and her effort to figure out what was going on around her. I found the story to be immersive and a beautiful take on how depression, loneliness, disappointment, and the inevitable changes in our relationships can affect our thinking and choices.

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Radical Love

Radical LoveTitle: Radical Love
Author: Zachary Levi
Genre: Memoir, Non-Fiction
Format: Audio
Pages: 202
Length: 6h 21m
Narrator: Zachary Levi
Rating:

My Thoughts

I’ve wanted to read Zachary Levi’s memoir, RADICAL LOVE, for a long time now. I’m so glad I decided to read it because it was amazing! I listened to the audiobook because Levi narrates and talks about his struggles with depression, suicidal ideation, and his feelings of worthlessness. The memoir was raw, emotional, uplifting, and hopeful. It helped remind me that none of us are alone and there’s always help when we need it. I’m glad he sought help during his darkest moments, started the healing process of managing his mental health and forgiving the abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents.