The 2022 New York Times bestseller Remarkably Bright Creatures captured our hearts, and now it’s being adapted for film starring Sally Field as the stoic septuagenarian Tova and Lewis Pullman as the aimless millennial Cameron, with Alfred Molina voicing the brilliant and cranky octopus Marcellus. If you’re looking for another book that captures that same magic—with themes of friendship, loss, love, and connection—check out these titles.

The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang

Dr. Jo Ness is a marine biologist who likes jellyfish more than people. At least, most people. When her friend Nadia asks her to come rescue a small Maine island community from a giant, menacing, glowing jellyfish, she drops everything to go. But something strange—straight out of a classic sea monster story—is unfolding in this small town, and Jo must open her mind to new possibilities, both scientific and deeply personal.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

Eudora Honeysett has decided she’s ready to die—but her charmingly annoying 10-year-old neighbor, Rose, has other plans. Determined to befriend the prickly Eudora, Rose recruits their widowed neighbor, Stanley, and the three form an unlikely bond. Through trips to the beach, afternoon teas, and small moments of connection, Eudora begins to confront her past and reconsider what makes a life worth living.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

HGTV meets D&D in this sweet and cozy tale of new beginnings. Viv, a battle-weary orc, wants to give up the sword and open a coffee shop. It’s a simple tale of starting over and finding family and connection among fellow misfits, and the little ratkin baker that Viv hires will steal your heart.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

Two nonbinary, Mexican-American, neurodivergent teens get pulled into a magical world beneath a lake. It becomes a place to hold their bad memories and deepest fears—but the magic threatens to flood their world above with their secrets. The only way to quiet the waters is to face what they’ve tried to drown. Lakelore is representation at its best, with engaging, emotional writing, and wonderfully relatable characters.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Lillian is asked by an old friend to care for her stepchildren for the summer—but the kids have a condition where they sometimes ignite into flames, never getting harmed but definitely a hazard to their surroundings. Though Lillian never had a decent parental example herself, she slowly drops her prickly armor to care for these strange children, opening herself up to connection and love. The story is as moving as it is quirky, grounding its strange premise in something deeply real.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett

Everton, New Hampshire is a small town facing an opioid crisis, and Emma Starling has returned home as a med-school dropout to care for her dying father, who hallucinates animals and has visions of a long-dead naturalist. As she navigates grief and guilt, Emma reckons with healing in its many forms—and the deep bonds between humans and animals.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton

Opal and Nev are fictional musicians, but this well-researched and beautifully written book makes you think—and wish—they really occupied space in the music world of the 1970s. Told as an oral history of the interracial rock duo’s meteoric rise and fall, the story explores art, grief, and the power of memory as it reckons with the past.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley

An elderly woman who just might be a suspected jewel thief and a down-on-her-luck young woman hired as her “nanny” form an unlikely friendship, when an unexpected adventure forces them both to reckon with the lives they’ve left behind.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Mika is a lonely witch—with a lovable golden retriever—who discovers new possibilities when she takes an unexpected job to teach three young witches how to control their magic. Though she’s breaking the rules of her secretive society, Mika finds herself drawn into a quirky found family that opens her up to connection, belonging, and a different kind of future.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

When Eleanor Bennett dies, she leaves only a recipe for black cake and a voice recording for her two children, Byron and Benny. They listen to her story and discover much they never knew about their mother—challenging their ideas of identity and culture, and helping them understand what really matters.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Seventy-three-year-old Sybil Antwerp writes letters. And emails, if she must. Through her correspondence, an evocative picture emerges of Sybil’s life and the power of connection. She has wisdom but makes mistakes; she’s stubborn but goodhearted. Her story is moving, and you’ll remember Sybil Van Antwerp long after turning the last page.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

Shark Heart is the fantastic tale of newlyweds Wren and Lewis, who receive the terrible news that Lewis will mutate into a great white shark in a few months. As they prepare and grieve, we learn their love story—and the tragic tale of Wren’s mother. It’s heartbreaking but fascinating, and a reminder that books can help us understand humanity—even in the strangest ways.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author TJ Klune creates a world full of hilarious and lovable characters—including misfits ranging from a gnome to the Antichrist—in this cozy, queer fantasy. Linus Baker, 40, solitary, and bookish, is sent to oversee a mysterious orphanage on a remote island, where he meets Arthur, its charming and enigmatic caretaker. Sparks fly, and Linus finds a family he never expected. The story is heartwarming, and the antics of the orphans—and the danger they face—keep the pages turning.

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon