Where Is Your Bookmark? [September 19th Edition]

This week I thought I would feature my latest book, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. I pulled the quotes from the print copy I own, but I was more in the mood to listen to it in audio format, so checked the audiobook out from the library. I had put off picking this one up, worried it might be a little too over the top with an octopus as a character. As it turns out though, it was just what I needed. 

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by Gillion of  Rose City Reader. Also linking to First Line Friday hosted by Carrie of Reading is My Super Power.

Darkness suits me.  [opening of Remarkably Bright Creatures]

Sometimes all it takes is a three word sentence to leave me wanting more, and this is one of those instances. On its own, there is no real context, but it's piqued my interest just enough. 

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Our host Freda of Freda's Voice is on a break, and Anne of My Head is Full of Books  has stepped in to host! 

She feels a scowl cross her face now, watching this young fellow pick up a pair of fallen canisters and return them to the shelf, not seeming to care that he's placed them upside down. For the last two weeks, Barb Vanderhoof and Ethan Mack and their ilk have been churning the rumor mill with their talk of the fellow from California, the homeless man, who had taken her place. But Cameron has clean fingernails and nice, white teeth. And he's well versed in the works of Shakespeare, apparently. He has promised to keep her secret, and for some reason she can't quite identify, she likes him. She might even trust him.

He is not what she expected. [excerpt from Remarkably Bright Creatures, page 179]

Rumors can run rampant in small towns, but they are not always true, or at least, do not always tell the entire story. 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus

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 Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

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 arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late. 

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. [from the Publisher]

Does this sound like something you would enjoy reading? If you have read it, what did you think?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

My answer is less than glamourous and not very altruistic, I confess. And it would depend on whether I won a little pocket money or the biggest prize ever. If the latter, I would pay off any debt (namely my mortgage and the car), set aside money for my daughter's education and perhaps some for close relatives and friends in need. I would not mind doing a bit of traveling, but mostly, I would want to set up a fund of some sort that would allow me to live comfortably (no mansions or expensive cars or anything fancy) for the rest of my life. Though, a cottage in a remote forest near a lake sounds really good about now . . . But if I only win a little pocket money? I would treat my family to lunch--or ice cream, if that's all it would buy.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Do you know more than one language? If so, do you read books published in other countries?

Sadly, I am a monolinguist. I know a little Spanish but not enough to get by. I might be able to read an early reader children's book in Spanish that was published in another country thanks to my high school and college Spanish classes, but that would be about it. I have not actually tried though. Books translated into English are a different story. I have read and enjoyed those! I have great respect for those of you who speak and read in multiple languages. It is such a useful skill to have. 

What about you?

 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

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