Imposter Syndrome by Patricia Park

 This audio book that I downloaded last night came "librarian recommended" from the best books of the year. It looked interesting, and I'll tell you, it captivated me from St. George clear to Fresno as I drove today, It made the trip fly by. I left at 7 AM and didn't even turn it on until almost to Mesquite. I realized several times, that I was watching the road, but remembered nothing about it. Maybe it's unsafe to be so caught up in a story, but I was grateful I could focus on that and not, for example, on the somewhat scary fog I encountered around Tehacipi. I didn't want to stop for bathroom or lunch breaks. I drove through McDonald's for a frozen coke so I could keep listening. So good!

The main character, Alejandra Kim, descends from Korean Argentinians, and we suffer and relate with her as she attends her private high school on scholarship and meets racism at almost every turn. This theme is thoughtfully handled with many nuances and nothing ahem, black and white. Ale's ambivalence about being a person who fits in vs. someone who calls out blatant racism is instructive to watch. I really enjoyed the journey of her growth through her interactions with her friends and family. 

The New York City milieu plays a significant role in the story as well, as Ale travels to friends and to work and to school. Her description of her barrio and feeling at home is poignant. Her insistence on going to an expensive college and her blindness to her mother's poverty reminded me of my own selfishness thiat that period in MY life. It's just really well done, and I didn't like the somewhat frequent F-bombs, I know that's probably authentic...

Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

 Boy, did I get lucky! Len and I were in the Laramie airport, heading home from Don Polson's funeral, when I finished that stupid pickleball book. I threw it in the trash. And then, I noticed a bookshelf with FREE BOOKS for waiting passengers! And I hit the jackpot with this one... I have heard of it and have never read it. Well, it captivated me for the entire waiting period, both flights home, and for several days after. How did I miss this book before? It was published in 1990. Better late than never.

Kingsolver's analogies and descriptions are breath-taking. The way she describes the sisters and their relationship is amazing. All of her characters in this little town are interesting and so REAL. Their conversations are interesting and ring true. There is a mystery that unfolds about the family that Codi, the main character, unravels that is fascinating. The relationship between Codi and Loyd is delightful to read about as it develops. Honestly, this book was a marvel, page after page of beautiful writing and interesting content. I loved how Codi's help more or less saved the community from the devastating effects of the mine. I loved how she became a teacher and enjoyed reading about her relationships with her students. It was all so, so enjoyable, despite it being set in a dusty, hard environment. These people are hard working and interesting. And eventually, good things happen to them. I love it when good things happen to the right people! 

Even though I'm not familiar with this tribe or this environment, it rang true with my Lakota experiences in South Dakota. I loved the integration of the people of different backgrounds; and it was fascinating to read how Codi had felt like an outsideer all of her life. Her journey to recognize her belonging and her desire to belong was a beautiful introspective story in and of itself. And a great reminder that we see the world as WE are, not how it is!

H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton

 One of the joys of retirement life is getting to enjoy a long series at my leisure all over again. Because I originally read these back in our Laramie days, probably close to 30 years ago, these are like brand new stories to me! I believe I would have remembered this one--maybe I skipped it?

It's different because Kinsey goes underground, fairly unwillingly, and becomes part of an insurance fraud ring. It was fascinating to learn about life in a gang setting, in LA, in a crummy apartment, surrounded by hispanic gang members and a pitbull. It was pretty depressing in a lot of ways, but I really enjoyed Kinsey's introspection as she acclimated to the various characters in the story. And how she began to understand that the line between law-abiding and fraud can be tempting to cross. She waxes philosophical about the people that surround her, and they are interesting characters.

She's very tuned in to sexual energy, and in this story there's a lot of it. Bibianna, the hapless young woman that Kinsey befriends, attracts men powerfully and Kinsey describes it visually and with the feelings and smells that accompany it. The demented leader, Raymond, suffers from Tourette's syndrome, and his physical tics and jerks are brilliantly described. And his narcissism, and his complete disorientation from reality. What's depressing about the complete picture of this criminal is that in the epilogue, it becomes clear that he may escape justice despite his despicable crimes and behavior. Maybe that's an underlying theme; at the end, I was hoping Kinsey would kill him, but no. I was happily surprised that one of the gang members was actually an undercover cop; he was one of the better ones. That was a cool surprise at the end that I didn't see coming.

I also learned a lot about how auto insurance fraud is undertaken and it stinks. Even in the 80s setting, this was perpetuated without the help of the internet. All the paperwork reminded me of how much crime and law enforcement has changed since then! It was a fun romp, despite the depressing milieu and characters.