The It Girl by Ruth Ware

 The It Girl by Ruth Ware-432 pages (Barnes & Noble Edition)

I previously read The Turn of the Key by Ware for a book club and really liked it. I've been wanting to read more of her books. This is her most recent novel. I was not disappointed by this novel. Hannah Jones found her best friend and setmate (they shared a suite) at Oxford dead ten years ago, in 2012. She saw a porter coming down the stairs from their suite and thought he could be the only one to kill her friend, April Clarke-Cliveden. However, new doubts and evidence come to light thanks to a reporter named Geraint Williams, who comes calling after the convicted porter, John Neville, dies in prison. Geraint believes Neville's continued assertion that he's innocent. Hannah, now de Chastaigne, and married to Will, April's university boyfriend whom she also liked, reluctantly decides to meet with Geraint. The meeting opens a whole new can of worms and starts Hannah on a renewed path to finding justice for April and Neville, if he truly was innocent. This story took several twists and turns and I really liked it. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more of Ware's books in the future. 

Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin

Chasing Fireflies by Charles Martin
342 pages / 9 hrs, 15 mins

"They have one summer to find what was lost long ago.

"'Never settle for less than the truth,' she told him.

"But when you don't even know your real name, the truth gets a little complicated.  It can nestle so close to home it's hard to see.  It can even flourish inside a lie.  And as Chase Walker discovered, learning the truth about who you are can be as elusive--and as magical--as chasing fireflies on a summer night.

"A haunting story about fishing, baseball, home cooking, and other matters of life and death...from the author of The Dead Don't Dance and When Crickets Cry."  --from the publisher

Beautifully written with heart-warming characters, this is one of those books "everyone should read."  It's not too sweet and not too bitter.  The reader of the audio version was perfect--age and tone of voice with just the right amount of emotion.  Happy sigh.

Missoula by Jon Krakauer

Missoula: rape and the justice system in a college town by Jon Krakauer - 367 pages

I discovered while writing this entry that its very hard to type Missoula when you live in Missouri, the fingers just want to finish it with ri.  That's about the only levity I felt regarding this book.  It's a hard read but I think a valuable one.  Krakauer was inspired to write the book after learning how many women in his life had been a victim of acquaintance rape.  His research led him to Missoula where a flawed system in a college town was allowing rapists to continue in their horrible activities unchecked.  The book covers several pivotal cases and the Department of Justice investigation that helped bring about a new dawn in Missoula in how sexual assaults are prosecuted.