Meet Shelby

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Shelby Van Pelt now misses the mountains in the Chicago area with her husband and children. REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, her debut novel, was an Instant New York Times bestseller. More

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Remarkably Bright Creatures

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“Shelby Van Pelt has done the impossible. She’s created a perfect story with imperfect characters, that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing, you won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book you’ll be hugging it.”
— Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Remarkably Bright Creatures is the rarest of feats: a book that manages to be wry and wise, charming and surprising, and features one of the most intriguing and satisfying characters I’ve encountered in fiction in a very long time—Marcellus the Octopus. I don’t know how Shelby Van Pelt managed to make this uncommon tale sing so beautifully, but sing it does, and I defy you to put it down once you’ve started.”
— Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of Good Company and The Nest
“Truly original and touching, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story of family, community, and optimism in spite of darkness. Prepare to fall in love with a most exceptional octopus.”
— Helen Hoang, author of The Heart Principle
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a beautiful examination of how loneliness can be transformed, cracked open, with the slightest touch from another living thing. Shelby Van Pelt makes good on this wild conceit, somehow making me love a misanthropic octopus, but her writing is so finely tuned that it’s a natural element of a larger story about family, about loss, and the electricity of something found.”
— Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here
An Instant New York Times Bestseller!

Upcoming Events

Nov 1

LAKE FOREST, IL
Lake Forest Reads: A Evening With Shelby Van Pelt
Gorton Center
7PM CT
Register Here

Nov 7

BROOMFIELD, CO
One Book, One Broomfield
Broomfield Library Auditorium
7PM MT
More Info

Nov 9

KANSAS CITY, MO
Mid-Continent Public Library
1PM CT
Workshop and conversation at The Story Center Historic Home
Register / Waitlist

Nov 18

LAKE WORTH, FL
Read Together Palm Beach County
Duncan Theatre at Palm Beach State College
6PM ET
Free – Registration Required

Nov 20

ELMHURST, IL
One Book, One Elmhurst with Elmhurst Public Library and The Bookstore of Glen Ellyn
The Frick Center at Elmhurst University
7PM CT
Registration and More Info