RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

A woman forming a relationship with an octopus may not seem like an interesting story at all. It is easy to assume the woman is, in some way, deficient and incapable of making real friends, or that the animal is indifferent and oblivious to her. Tova’s encounters with Marcellus, however, are not one-sided, and not accidental. This story is told from multiple perspectives, and the pieces come together to connect the characters at just the right time. This is a strong debut novel, set in a small town, peppered with the kind of preoccupations with the past, tempered longing, and questions about the future that make the characters believable and their desires relatable.

2. Only Murders in the Building.

The true crime genre seems to have taken over the entertainment industry. From The First 48 on A&E to the shocking number of podcasts dedicated to recounting terrible stories of the past and digging into mysterious, criminal events, it is everywhere. While far too much of it is graphic and can glorify crime and criminals for viewing and listening audiences, some manage to centre humanity. Only Murders in the Building is interesting because of the characters who would be completely indifferent to one another if not for their shared love of a particular true crime podcast and interest in solving what they believe to be murder. Each member of the trio is rather odd and they each have their own issues to face, so it is unsurprising that they would rather get lost in a murder mystery.