A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

 Not long after arriving in St. George, Len found the nearest Deseret Industries store and I joined him. They had a great used book selection, and this one looked interesting. It was a $1.00 paperback, so I jumped on it.

I'm so glad I did! It's the middle of the Amelia Peabody series, but I didn't feel hampered by jumping in the middle. Amelia Peabody is a great character--stern, hilarious, in love with her archeologist husband, and prim English lady, as well as an accomplished archeologist in her own right. 

I enjoyed the interactions of Amelia and her mercurial husband, Emerson and their constant battles with each other and the other characters. It's refreshing and fun writing with nothing too heavy or gruesome or in bad taste. The mystery aspects of the story were interesting, but not --for me--the center of the story. The setting and the people of the Middle East are fascinating aspects of the story as well. It's set in the 1920s, so many of the attitudes and even racism are context-appropriate. But Amelia is a modern heroine with great strengths and champions women and certain impoverished "lower class" people beautifully.

I liked this so well that I ordered the first two in the series, so I can go back to the beginning. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that Amazon is shipping them to Rapid City. AAARRRGGHH. So, I ordered two more, earlier ones, and had them shipped here. I'll read them all mixed up, but that's okay. I will keep laughing!

Poser-My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses by Claire Dederer

 When Len and I were in Laramie recently, we stopped in to see our wonderful friend, Susan. She had a box of books in her garage that was on its way out of there, so I paused to look through it. This one caught my eye, and Susan said, "Take it!" So I did.

This writer wrote in a very personal and vulnerable way. We see her doubts about herself, her mothering, her skills as a writer, as a daughter, etc., in all the insecure ways to which I can easily relate. It's also autobiographical as she goes back in time to her colorful childhood. She weaves an interesting story through the past and how it impacts her present struggles as a wife and mother. She navigates her relationships carefully and openly, and I kept wondering if her depressed husband would stay in the marriage. 

I enjoyed her descriptions of yoga, and the different poses. Her quest for deeper understanding of herself was always tied in some way to a pose. It also gave me a window into the world of a young mother these days, and the quest for perfection. It's a tortured path, but again, one to which I could relate! I also realized, as Dederer described her various yoga instructors and classes, that I have only skimmed the surface of the field. It might be time to go beyond the community yoga classes I've attended, and go all in on a yoga studio experience. Maybe, after COVID subsides?

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

 Len and I were traveling through Laramie and stayed with our wonderful friends, Don & Leslie. Leslie had recently finished this book, thought it was GOOD, and handed it to me. Leslie and I share a love of children's literature, so she anticipated I would like it too. And I did!

It's a tough story of an impoverished (in many ways) girl, Rose, who is autistic. She is also the narrator of the story, so we experience her world through her eyes. It's alternately heart-breaking and heart-warming as she experiences the best and the worst of human interaction. This is a tale well-told, and I especially enjoyed Rose's relationship with her uncle and her dog. 

It also reminded me of the way I often see the world... Despite our hardships, there is always a divine hand giving support and help where and when its needed. And to watch Rose grow and develop in her character was also instructive. She did the right thing in a tough situation and that is always inspiring to me.

I think it's a book that Henry and John would enjoy as a read-aloud. They both have soft hearts and this might help them understand "different ability" more deeply. It helped me experience autism from the inside out in a way I never have before.