It’s a cool, foggy morning. The fog usually fades away before noon in our city by the ocean. Today, it’s past eleven a.m., and the fog seems to want to stick around. It’s kind of creepy. Makes me want to stay warm under a blanket and read a good book. Too bad I don’t have a book available that I haven’t already read. I will have to visit the library today to pick up a couple of novels that I requested weeks ago. I look forward to reading those books.

The first book is The Last Bookshop by Evie Woods. Anything with “bookshop” or “library” in the title will catch my eye. This is a magical realism novel set in Dublin, and it is about a mysterious book shop that holds many secrets involving the main characters. The second book is The Intruder by Freida McFadden. I discovered McFadden’s novels a couple of years ago and binged on a few of them. Her novels are page-turning thrillers, sometimes overwrought and straining belief. Yet, I can’t put them down.

It’s time to get to the library and pick up those books.

Well, I tried. One of my recent blogs focused on my excitement over finding a storyline for my next novel, following a lengthy period of writers’ block. Unfortunately, not long after writing that blog, I realized that if I were to write the book I wanted to write, it could make certain people in my life upset and, possibly, angry. There is no way I could have avoided basing some of my characters on real-life people, given the topic I wanted to focus on. It would have been cathartic to write about these people and the pain that they had caused me and others with their appalling behavior. But it’s not to be. I have to play it safe and not use these real-life people as characters in my novel. It could backfire and end up hurting me. It’s not worth it, no matter how cathartic it might be.

At my latest book club meeting, we discussed West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. I wasn’t too excited about reading a book about giraffes, but then I read this quote in the introductory pages: “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” As someone who has loved their dog, I knew that I would probably appreciate this book

”Favorite character?” asked the book club member who was leading the discussion. Without hesitation, I replied, “The giraffes.” The giraffes are so dog-like, showing affection for those humans that they like and quick to pounce on whoever gives them a problem. Their actions entertained me.

But this book is about more than the giraffes. It’s about animal and human interactions and relationships, the coming-of-age of a young man, and even women’s rights. Woody is 18 years-old when he drives the truck containing the giraffes across the country to the San Diego zoo. Their adventures are depicted with emotion and a sense of adventure. I loved it.

I surprised myself today. After more than a year of suffering writer’s block (and only one idea during that time, which came to nothing), I came up with another idea for my next novel! I won’t go into much detail at this point, because the idea just popped into my head. It’s a novel I will enjoy developing.

My plan is to write a murder mystery, something I’ve never tried before but am excited about. I’ve been a big fan of mysteries for many years. I do realize that being a fan doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be able to write in the genre, but at least I’m motivated. I already have the setting, a motive for the murder, and some characters in mind. Next, I will draft an outline of the plot. This will be fun. I realize this might all come to nothing, but at least I have an idea for the first time in a long time.

I have belonged to the same book club for almost ten years. It’s a relatively small group with eight members. Our taste in books is quite varied. As a result, I’ve read some books that I might never have chosen to read. Despite that fact, I often have enjoyed those books (though there were a few I would have preferred to set aside and never look at again).

A book club is a good idea if you’re looking to be motivated to read more, if you want to be in the company of other readers, and/or you want to expand your reading tastes. Whatever your reason for joining a book club, be prepared to hear opinions about your chosen favorite read that might completely disagree with yours. One time, a book I had thoroughly enjoyed and suggested the group read was verbally ripped apart by one of the members! I admit, I was shocked by her reaction to the book that I had so enjoyed. But, it happens.

That experience taught me a lesson. I have a thin skin, so the next time that it was my turn to select the book to read, I chose one that I was not crazy about. I knew that any negative reactions would not hurt me personally since I was not emotionally invested in it. This worked! I don’t think I’ll do this every time, but once in a while will work.

I just finished reading Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. I read it very fast, finding the story and characters highly absorbing. The main character, Klara, is artificial intelligence in the form of a dark-haired young woman, and the story is told from her perspective. She is purchased and brought to a home where she serves as a companion to sickly young Josie. As the story progresses, the reader learns that Josie’s future is uncertain. Klara has come to care a great deal for Josie and tries to do something that she believes will save Josie’s life.

I was not pleased with how this novel ends. However, minutes after coming to that conclusion, I realized that the ending was perfect for the message that the author is imparting. I won’t say more than that so as not to give away too much. I did find it interesting that I wished I could rewrite the ending so that I could enjoy the book more!

No, I can’t rewrite the ending, and I shouldn’t want to. A book is the result of an author’s work, and that work should be respected as an individual’s effort. If the reader doesn’t like that work, they should set it aside and move on. I am moving on, with great respect for Ishigura’s talent and the message that he imparted.

We recently suffered a death in the family, a cousin who had been a close childhood playmate. Though I had not seen him in years, his death hit me hard, and I was feeling bad for a few weeks. My reaction surprised me, because as adults, my cousin and I were not close. Then I realized that his passing had awoken my feelings about aging. The precariousness of our existence becomes more apparent the older we become. Not only did I contemplate that fact, in my mind, I also started to relive some of the less successful times of my life and came close to shedding tears. It took me a while, but I finally threw my shoulders back and made a successful effort to be the positive person that I usually am.

There was one positive result of this down period that I suffered: I got an idea for my next novel! I don’t know yet that I’ll actually use it, but it’s certainly something to consider. Given that lately I’ve had writer’s block, this idea is a good thing.