he Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

20th Century

Lonely hunter is right!  Wow, such a sad group of misfits we encounter in this classic first novel by a young author.  As one critic said, "I can't understand how a [22] year old girl can know so much of love and loneliness...".  A movie was made in 1968 based on the novel, but I'm not sure I have the heart to endure the additional sadness on screen.  I enjoyed the book and for the most part it was a quick read, but I was left feeling disheartened and saddened by the choices most of the misfits made.

Quotes from book:
"What is the value of any piece of property, of any merchandise we buy in a store?  The value depends only on one thing - and that is the work it took to make or to raise this article."

"Of all the places he had been this was the loneliest town of all"

Series

I did not realize a book could move so slow.  And so many characters!!!!   I always enjoy reading about what Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes are up to,  but I did not care to learn about the lineage of the Hughenfort Dukes.  It did pick up for me near the end with solving a mystery and discovering who the 8th ( yes, 8th Duke!!) really was.  Not one of my favorites in this series.  I am looking forward to where Mary and Sherlock go next!

"B" Author

We meet Truly, a bigger than life woman.  No really she is huge!!!! Physically she grows into a giant of a woman.  We meet her as a child and follow her thru her life to adulthood. We learn how choices and secrets greatly affect ones life. 

20th Century


I felt this was dated material about a young girl who contacts AIDS though a transfusion. It deals with how her school, friends and family deal with it.  Very sad, but it also shows just how far we have come in treating and dealing with Aids. 

The Camel Club by David Baldacci

"B" Author

It took me awhile to get into this one.  Guess it was too close to reality with terrorists, issues in Syria and corruption in government, that it never felt like I was "escaping" into a book.  There was some excitement at the end, but not sure it was enough to make me want to read the next four (4) books in the series.