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

Apr 24

WESTVILLE, IN
La Porte County Public Library
6PM CT
The Great Hall and Conference Center at Purdue University Northwest
Register and More Info

Apr 29

Paperback Tour
PARAMUS, NJ
Barnes & Noble
with Lynda Cohen Loigman
6PM ET
Register and More Info

Apr 30

Paperback Tour
BOSTON, MA
Brookline Booksmith
with Emily Habeck
6PM ET
Tickets and More Info

May 1

Paperback Tour
WINSTON-SALEM, NC
Bookmarks at First Baptist on Fifth
with Etaf Rum
Tickets and More Info

May 2

Paperback Tour
NASHVILLE, TN
Parnassus Books
with Kevin Wilson
6PM CT
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May 4

Paperback Tour
DALLAS, TX
Dallas Museum of Art – Arts & Letters Live
with Amanda Churchill
7:30 PM CT
Ticketed Event – Virtual Option Available
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May 5

Paperback Tour
BOULDER, CO
Boulder Bookstore at First Congregational Church
with Laura Pritchett
6:30 PM MT
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May 6

Paperback Tour
DENVER, CO
Tattered Cover Bookstore
with Kristin Nelson
7PM MT
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May 7

Paperback Tour
NAPERVILLE, IL
Anderson’s Bookshop
Meiley-Swallow Hall at North Central College
with Rebecca Makkai
7PM CT
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May 8

Paperback Tour
MILWAUKEE, WI
Boswell Book Company and Milwaukee Public Library
Centennial Hall
6:30 PM CT
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May 10

Paperback Tour
GROSSE POINTE, MI
Books on the Lake
More Info Coming Soon

May 13

Paperback Tour
PORTLAND, OR
Powell’s City of Books
with Eileen Garvin
7PM PT
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May 14

Paperback Tour
SEATTLE, WA
Elliott Bay Book Company
with Jamie Ford
7PM PT
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May 15

Paperback Tour
DANVILLE, CA
Rakestraw Books
with Simon Van Booy
7PM PT
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May 16

Paperback Tour
PETALUMA, CA
Copperfield’s Books
7PM PT
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May 17

Paperback Tour
CORTE MADERA, CA
Book Passage – Corte Madera
4PM PT
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May 19

Paperback Tour
SANTA CRUZ, CA
Bookshop Santa Cruz at
Seymour Marine Discovery Center
7PM PT
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May 20

Paperback Tour
MENLO PARK, CA
Kepler’s Books
with Karen Joy Fowler
7PM PT
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May 22

Paperback Tour
OAKBROOK, IL
Barnes and Noble Oakbrook Center
7PM CT
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