Becoming by Michelle Obama

I started listening to this in January. The length of time it's taken me to read is not a reflection of the book, just a reflection of my chaotic, messy life right now. I appreciated the Obamas as a First Family, even if I didn't always agree with President Obama's policies all the time. The entire family, Michelle's mom included, seemed like a classy group and getting through 2 terms with nary a scandal in sight, seemed to prove that.

In Becoming, Michelle recounts her childhood, growing up on the South side of Chicago, living in a small apartment in her aunt's house, her father's battle with MS, trekking to school and doing her best to make sure she went to college. She studied law because it seemed like the right thing to do (100% understand her thinking here) and became a junior partner after graduating. Thankfully for us, and her, she stuck it out for a bit even when she realized that a big time lawyer isn't the path she really wanted keeping going down. Barack Obama ended up at her law firm as an intern. And the two quickly become enamored of each other.

Barack had political aspirations and quickly pursued all of them, ultimately ending up as POTUS. Michelle had her own path to follow and left the law firm to work in the public sector, even if that meant a pay cut. She talks candidly about using IVF to have Malia and Sasha. She also talks candidly about what it meant to be a politician's wife: the long hours waiting for the husband to get home, essentially being a single working parent, having to balance the plates of mother, wife, and Director at the same time. There were a few places in the book that really shows what working mothers deal with. Dads have a focus, their job, but the extras that make up family life are usually left up to mom.

Michelle eventually gave up her career to go with Barack to the White House. She gives great detail of life in the White House, most of which I had no idea. I had no idea the POTUS and FLOTUS gets a bill every month for the food and supplies they consume. I don't know why that surprised me.

Michelle details her time as FLOTUS, doing a job that had no job description. She was up front and making changes during her eight years in the White House, and it shows. The White House garden is still there, just ignored by the current administration, and she definitely made her stamp during the eight years.

The Obama family are still people I admire, but I greatly respect Michelle.

The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow

I was reading some book reviews and saw The Border by Don Winslow being praised. As per usual, I went to Goodreads to add it to my To-Read pile (that will still be there after I die, it's so large) and discovered that it was third in a series.

We all know my trouble with starting a series in the wrong spot.

I did my research and ended up getting book #1, The Power of the Dog, from the library. Work is making it increasingly difficult to just sit down and read. My mind wanders, thinking about all the work I should be doing, instead of relaxing and escaping reality. The Power of the Dog caught me right from the start and tried so hard to make me just sit and read. It turns out, I had to read this in fleeting moments, mostly waiting in waiting rooms for appointments or kept in my car and purse for quiet minutes before a dinner or stuck in traffic. Any chance I had, I read.

“Deliver my soul from the sword; my love from the power of the dog. Psalms 22:20” 

I would be incorrect to say this was just a novel about the Mexican drug cartel. It's Irish Mafia, Russians, American DEA, Italian Mafia, Hookers, Priests, drug lords, Columbians and the American government out for their own agenda. It's every-fricking-thing.

It's Art Keller. A Mexican-American kid grown up to be DEA. It's Adan Barrera and his brother, Raul. Their uncle is in charge of Operation Condor, in 1975, that destroys the poppy fields in Mexico, taking out the main source of heroin. Tio Barrera delivers the main drug lord to the Americans and makes it appear the operation was a success. But Tio has other plans. Instead of heroin, he brings together a federation of drug dealers (suppliers, soon to be millionaires), including his nephews, to start producing crack cocaine and distributing it across the border to the US. Two thousand miles of border is split up so every area is covered. And soon, America has a crack epidemic.

In New York, we have O-Bop and Callan, two Irish kids, who run into the wrong side of the Irish mob. The Italian Mafia wants to start bringing in crack to the area to make more money and run into the Irish kids. Callan turns out to be a killer...literally. O-Bop comes along for the ride but it's really Callan's show. The Italians start using and investing in the kids.

The book moves along the years to follow all of the players, and there are a lot. Starting off in 1975 and ending 2004, we cover a lot of, often bloody, ground. I was amazed at the detail, not necessarily the gory details. The human beings caught up in events they really don't want to participate in, trying to get away from the mafia and have a normal life, agreeing to do things knowing that if they don't, the Barrera brothers will torture or kill them and their families. How drugs make it past the border (and don't you think a wall is going to help with this!), how the American government looks the other way when it needs something and how the Mexican government pretends nothing is wrong because of the drug money kickbacks being handed over by the Barrera's for "protection".

Corruption is ripe in this novel and it's almost disheartening. Even our protagonist, Art, has to make some sketchy decisions that move him from the right side towards the more morally gray area.

Damn good book. Really looking forward to continuing the trilogy.