Joplin Reads Together 2023 book reveal from Joplin Public Library
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Joplin Public Library is excited to announce Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is the 2023 book choice for Joplin Reads Together.
The book is a New York Times best seller, a Read with Jenna pick, and a nominee for two Goodreads Choice Awards in 2022. Described as a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus, 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.
The Library has purchased additional copies of the book in hardcover and audiobook versions. They are available to check out from the Library and available digitally using the Libby app. Information about the book, programs and more can be found at joplinpubliclibrary.org/
Joplin Reads Together is the Library’s first Community Read, a program commonly provided by libraries around the country. As a Community Read, Joplin Reads Together is a community focused, month-long event centered upon Remarkably Bright Creatures and will include accompanying programs during the month of April, ending with a visit from author Shelby Van Pelt.
Joplin Reads Together aims to increase awareness of the Library and its services, provide a shared experience, and connect our community to our partner organizations – Post Art Library, Missouri Southern State University Spiva Library, Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Friends of the Joplin Public Library. Community members can participate by reading the book, tracking their progress on Beanstack, and joining programs offered throughout the month of April.
For more information about Joplin Reads Together, please contact Sarah Turner-Hill or Lori Crockett by phone at 417-623-7953 or email at sturnerhill@