Friends,

My monthly book club meeting was this week, and I have to admit I missed the mark.

Now, the book assigned, West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge, was not a terrible book. It just wasn’t for me for personal reasons. Not because it was poorly written or lacked a plot.

I just couldn’t get into it.

As with my writing, it was wordy. Lots and lots of words to tell a paragraph’s worth of events. I fully expected others to feel the same.

Boy, was I wrong.

They LOVED the book. They loved it so much that there was no chit-chat, no gossip before the meeting. Nope. Everyone sat down and got straight to it. Not going to lie; it was a bit of a dark conversation about animal cruelty, memories of assassinations, pets that had passed away, and struggles of our pasts.

That is what the story of two giraffes’ journey from New York to San Diego after surviving a hurricane did. It sparked something in the others that triggered an emotional response.

That, my friends, is a sign of an excellent book.

And it was a learning moment for me. Sometimes, when we are plodding through life, struggling to make deadlines, do chores, cook dinners, go to meetings, and answer texts… we forget to slow down and read between the lines.

I was so caught up in the hustling of my life- I forgot to smell the roses. I forgot to read the words and hear the story. It moved too slowly for me, so I didn’t give it a chance.

I will go back to the book. Not anytime soon because I won’t be able to give it the time the book deserves. But I will return when the season is right. I will read the book in its entirety and hear the characters’ voices because they lived. It’s a true story (with some embellishments), and every story deserves to be remembered.

Isn’t that what I’m always preaching?

Anyhoo, if you would like to read a story about two giraffes and their journey to the San Diego Zoo in 1938- I am including the link. (West with Giraffes: A Novel: Rutledge, Lynda: 9781542023344: Amazon.com: Books)

And until next time, my friends- keep reading and stay caffeinated.

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