I've always wanted to travel to Egypt to see the pyramids and ruins of Ancient Egypt. For some reason the history, mythology and general aspects of the Ancient Egyptian culture have always fascinated me. I've read books about the history, about the ancient Egyptian's pantheon of gods, the archaeological digs and finds... and I just can't get enough of it! My favorite place in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York? The Temple of Dendur (link below). Absolutely amazing every time I set foot in the room! It's always on my 'must see' list when I have time in NY.
Anyways, I picked up a book about a year ago called 'Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt' by Barbara Mertz. I read that book so quickly that I immediately started looking up other books by her and discovered that she had written under another name, Elizabeth Peters. However, Elizabeth Peters' books were works of fiction. I decided to give the first book a shot and purchased 'Crocodile on the Sandbank.' I read it in less than two days. It took a little to get used to the character's voice, but eventually the book flowed smoothly and I could picture everything that the author was writing to portray.
The story follows Amelia Peabody and it's supposed to be told as if Amelia is writing her memoirs, or in a journal. A few times it is even referenced, saying that Amelia's descendants had published her memoirs as a work of fiction so as not to ruffle any feathers from other archaeologists.
The story is told from a very well-spoken English-woman and she is very strong-willed and independent, especially for a woman in the time period this book is supposed to portray, somewhere in the 1880's. When the story starts, she immediately goes into explaining how she came to know her travelling companion, Evelyn. Together they venture to Egypt and rent a dahabeeyah (a houseboat) which they use to travel down the Nile. They journey down the Nile river and find two brothers (whom they had briefly met earlier in the book), Walter and Emerson, traveling to an archaeological dig and the four end up crossing paths and staying together to work throughout the story, much to Amelia and Emerson's displeasure. The two butt heads throughout the entire book, while Walter and Evelyn are drawn to each other, lending a little romance to the story.
During the dig, the group begins to realize that strange things are happening, and word around the camp is that a mummy has risen from the grave and is hunting everyone down. Amelia knows that there could not possibly be a real un-dead mummy walking around, so she sets out to figure out the mystery. The tale includes everything an action-packed book should: mystery, intrigue, fights, and hilariousness. Amelia's voice lends a humorous note to the otherwise serious book, and you can't help but chuckle at some points.
It's a great book, filled with historical fiction, beautifully described scenery, and lots of mystery. The series contains 19 novels (I have only read 3 so far), and it tells the stories Amelia gathers through her years in Egypt. It's a fun read, and would be great for a summer beach read (if it ever stops snowing!).
Check out the link below to 'Crocodile on the Sandbank' on Amazon.
Interested in the Barbara Mertz book, 'Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt'? I've included that link below as well!
Anyways, I picked up a book about a year ago called 'Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt' by Barbara Mertz. I read that book so quickly that I immediately started looking up other books by her and discovered that she had written under another name, Elizabeth Peters. However, Elizabeth Peters' books were works of fiction. I decided to give the first book a shot and purchased 'Crocodile on the Sandbank.' I read it in less than two days. It took a little to get used to the character's voice, but eventually the book flowed smoothly and I could picture everything that the author was writing to portray.
The story follows Amelia Peabody and it's supposed to be told as if Amelia is writing her memoirs, or in a journal. A few times it is even referenced, saying that Amelia's descendants had published her memoirs as a work of fiction so as not to ruffle any feathers from other archaeologists.
The story is told from a very well-spoken English-woman and she is very strong-willed and independent, especially for a woman in the time period this book is supposed to portray, somewhere in the 1880's. When the story starts, she immediately goes into explaining how she came to know her travelling companion, Evelyn. Together they venture to Egypt and rent a dahabeeyah (a houseboat) which they use to travel down the Nile. They journey down the Nile river and find two brothers (whom they had briefly met earlier in the book), Walter and Emerson, traveling to an archaeological dig and the four end up crossing paths and staying together to work throughout the story, much to Amelia and Emerson's displeasure. The two butt heads throughout the entire book, while Walter and Evelyn are drawn to each other, lending a little romance to the story.
During the dig, the group begins to realize that strange things are happening, and word around the camp is that a mummy has risen from the grave and is hunting everyone down. Amelia knows that there could not possibly be a real un-dead mummy walking around, so she sets out to figure out the mystery. The tale includes everything an action-packed book should: mystery, intrigue, fights, and hilariousness. Amelia's voice lends a humorous note to the otherwise serious book, and you can't help but chuckle at some points.
It's a great book, filled with historical fiction, beautifully described scenery, and lots of mystery. The series contains 19 novels (I have only read 3 so far), and it tells the stories Amelia gathers through her years in Egypt. It's a fun read, and would be great for a summer beach read (if it ever stops snowing!).
Check out the link below to 'Crocodile on the Sandbank' on Amazon.
Interested in the Barbara Mertz book, 'Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt'? I've included that link below as well!