Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

You had me at octopus

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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After watching My Octopus Teacher on Netflix and reading Montgomery Sy’s The Soul of an Octopus, (which was interesting, even though I had some problems with it), I’ve grown very fond of octopuses. They are smart, curious, have brains in their legs, can change colors, and can squeeze through almost any tiny hole. They recognize and remember people and will treat the ones they like differently. So, when I saw that Remarkably Bright Creatures (2022) by Shelby Van Pelt had an octopus as a narrator, I was immediately intrigued. However, […]

“Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.”

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelvy Van Pelt

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CBR Bingo – Bodies, Bodies Have you ever read a book that included a POV of an intelligent, and even a bit condescending, octopus? Van Pelt grips your attention right out of the gate with that device as we jump POV from Marcellus (the octopus) to Tova (the widow) and see the beginnings of their unlikely friendship, despite the fact that they aren’t even the same species. Marcellus’ body itself is a character as you see him squeeze through an improbably small space out of […]

They do not see it.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

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CBR14 Bingo: New square (BINGO! Minds to New) (New book: published 2022. New author: debut novel) When my son was young, we visited friends in Seattle and went to the aquarium when we were there. It was the first and only time that I have seen a Giant Pacific Octopus. Swimming around in its own little glass tank, I remember thinking how strange it was that such a small space could encompass such a strange creature. The movement of its tentacles was like an alien dance. Shortly […]



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