My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin

While at college, Isabel's "friend" sexually assaults her.  She then begins an affair with an older, married professor.

3.5 stars. 

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

 Rich man wants to divorce his wife of 40 years because he's in love with their 24 year old chef.  Wife, Mebel, decides to go to cooking school in the hopes of winning him back.  While there, she discovers the parts of her self she's kept tamped down her entire life.

3 stars.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

 Set in 1985 Ireland, Bill Furlong discovers a young woman locked in a shed on the grounds of the local convent.  She's a victim of the Magdalen laundry run by the Catholic Church.

Okay, so sad story, but almost all of it was about Bill and his life and not about the victims.  I seriously do not understand the hype around this book.  That this was shortlisted for the Booker prize is incomprehensible to me.

1.5 stars.

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

 A portrait of young Hugh "Shuggie" Bain growing up with an absentee father and an alcoholic mother.  Very sad.

Never would have picked this up based on the title.  It was part of a Goodreads challenge.

4 stars.

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz

 Hawthorne investigates when an actor is murdered on the set of a movie based on one of his books.  He and Horowitz discover the actor had many enemies, but which was mad enough to kill him.

4 stars.

The Divorce by Freida McFadden

 A woman's husband asks for a divorce and the wife's paints herself as a total victim.  Second half of the book, from the mistress's perspective shows maybe the wife isn't as pure as she thinks she is.  Also, the husband is a jerk the whole time.

I didn't like any of the characters and the "twist" is now such a FMcF thing that I spend the whole first half wondering what's not true.  She really needs to write more novels where the twist is not the main plot point.  It was great in The Housemaid when nobody expected it, but it's getting pretty old now.

2.5 stars.

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

 Audrey investigates the disappearance of a teenage girl student at the school where she's a guidance counselor.  Meanwhile, another woman is imprisoned underground and trying to escape.

And Barry the dog gets to save the day.

4.5 stars.