The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters

 This is #16 in the series, and I'm enjoying them more as I go along. I feel like I know the characters well, and Peters does a fine job of keeping them fresh, funny, and consistent. This particular book continues with Egypt at war, and Ramses continuing some undercover spy work for the British military. 

I read most of this on our houseboat on Lake Powell, and it was the perfect book for a summer read. It's light, intriguing, and the characters are interesting. I know I wrote they are consistent (above), but they are also full of surprises. And the intrigue and situations are always new and different. The Emerson family always overcomes incredible odds and people, but the settings and descriptions are always engaging.

In this story, we get to know Sethos much better. His mysterious facade is coming away, piece by piece, and we see more of his humane side. Ramses is faced with some moral dilemmas as he is rescued by a Turkish tyrant's daughter, and of course Amelia is in the middle of everything. 

The new character of Jumana is an interesting mix of loyalty and intelligence and will probably continue on into the next installment. Sennia is developing into a mini-Amelia, which will make for interesting developments in future installments. Nefret doesn't get much air time, but she does end up pregnant, so that opens up some interesting possibilities too, for future books. And I kept wondering, why is Amelia "in charge" of Sennia rather than Ramses and Nefret? Just a wondering. 

The setting of Gaza and other middle eastern cities and how they are situated was fascinating; as was the description of the homes and harem quarters, etc., These colorful details make this series even more interesting and hint at a rich culture and history. So many insights...

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

 My new young friend here in St. George, Beth Farley, gifted me this book while I was suffering with a tweaked knee. She knew I would be resting it and laying around, so she thoughtfully brought me this book, which she characterized as one of her favorites. It was a perfect gift because it was a change of pace from all of my Egyptology books! And I was curious to see what Beth considers a great book.

I have read one other book by Shannon Hale (Austenland), and was not particularly impressed. I like that her books are clean wholesome, but they also lack depth and compelling characters. This one fits that mold.

This story is more like a fantasy or a fairy tale, and it was a creative way to set a story with good lessons about loyalty, family, love, and friendship. All good themes. But sometimes trying to figure out the attributes of the environment took precedence over the story. The mountain people and working in the quarry, the princess academy and its traditions, the prince--the bandits---all of it were somewhat confusing. I kept wondering, "Where is this going? What does THIS mean?" And the characters were either villains or goodie-goodies with no shading in between. There were some secrets and mysteries, but nothing too engaging. I think a young person might enjoy the fantasy aspects, the linder stone, and the telepathic communication. It was also very obvious that Miri was going to end up with Peder by the end of the story; and it was clear there was going to be a happy ending for all of the good people. 

Overall, I'd give this book a 6 on a scale of 1-10. I'm surprised it was a Newbery honor book...it doesn't seem to be worthy of that. 

Lord of the Silent by Elizabeth Peters

Another winner! Two in a row (at least). I'm enjoying these more and more. I think the humor is better, the plots are always interesting, and the characters are developing in interesting ways.

This is the first book after Ramses and Nefret are married, and they work well together as a team. We get almost equal time between these two and Amelia and Emerson, and that is a satisfying combination. It's fun to listen in as Emerson gives Ramses marital advice. And Sethos is becoming more and more sympathetic and plays a larger role than ever before. It seems like he and Miss Minton are on the brink of romance, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next book.

Most of the action in this one involves trying to find a hidden tomb in the Luxor area, and trying to find out who the Master Criminal's rival is. Cyrus and Katherine are back, and we get to know Bertie, their son, trying to recover from his stint in the war. Jumana is a likely figure for the future, an ambitious Egyptian girl of 16 who wants to become an Egyptologist. All interesting and colorful characters. 

I'm going to start the next one on the houseboat in Lake Powell next week. These are perfect light, funny, and absorbing summer reads.  

He Shall Thunder in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters

 This is a good one! The series definitely improves at this point in the story. The setting is, as usual, Egypt, but this time it's during wartime in 1914. The Suez Canal is threatened. So the backdrop is an interesting history of how the Turks, for example, were involved. Ramses and Nefret finally get on the same page, Amelia and Ramses are able to appreciate each other, and Amelia is funnier (unintionally) than ever. 

I've really enjoyed watching the relationships develop over the series. Ramses has come into his own and we see how he is the perfect blend of his father's and mother's attributes. Nefret is becoming more scheming, along the lines of her guardian, Amelia. And finally, after years, Ramses and Nefret are able to be on the same page romantically. It was a long time coming! And since both characters are so sympathetic, it was great to finally have this happen.

There are also more subtle humorous bits that make the series so light-hearted and fun, despite the crimes and poverty all around. I think the series is improving; I'm enjoying these later books even more than the earlier ones. They are the perfect companion to take out to the pool on a hot summer day in St. George!

Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott

 I read Bird by Bird by this author years ago, and really enjoyed it. When Len and I were at D.I. this week, I looked for something interesting to read and found this one for $1.00 and decided to give it a try. Lamott's writing is wonderfully vulnerable, introspective, and insightful. These little sparks of beauty keep popping up, and are so enjoyable. And her similes are always simple and powerful. Her writing is just GREAT! 

This story is somewhat seedy, though. Lots of sexual malfunctioning resulting in pedophilia, dark secrets, and various other mental maladies. Yet there is a faith and hope that shines through, probably because Lamott's faith is strong. She shows her characters' real selves, warts and all, and they are rendered with compassion. Hurt people hurt people is evident here; that kind of compassion.

Occasionally the main character, Mattie, seeks divine help. I really liked the natural way that she asks for help and in turn follows the promptings given, even when difficult. At the end of the book, when she doesn't want to wash someone's filthy feet, she struggles, and she does it. She renders her faith beautifully and strongly. It's also kind of unusual for a story to elucidate some of the devotion and preaching that the characters hear in church, but it's shared here to great and direct effect. We can see the desire to be in church to become better; to believe and act better. There's a purity here that is refreshing. There is no judgment or self-righteousness.

The characters are real and interesting and heart-breaking. In particular, Mattie's relationship with her mother is multi-faceted and mysterious. The mental decline is described in very real yet compassionate terms. Mattie's quest to get to know her dead father and to know what her mother knows about him is the thread that the story hangs on. I could tell it wasn't going to end well, yet the story is told with compassion and even beauty. 

What we really get here is a story of human frailty, of human pain, and of human goodness. The agony that Mattie's children suffer because of her divorce is alternately funny and tragic. Lamott does a good job of keeping the pain light sometimes, so we don't drown in it. The real feelings and real suffering in a family, especially a divorced family is beautifully shown here. 

Lamott seems to know what makes people tick and reveals it sympathetically. Mattie's goodness and generosity is simple and powerful. I especially liked the part when she decides to simply tell the truth about all the complicated relationships swirling around her. She follows her good instincts, too, about not sharing her feelings with Daniel before its time. I enjoyed reading about her inner struggles and could definitely relate to them. Her closeness to and acceptance of her children were inspiring. More than once, I thought, I'd like a "do-over" with my children. 

Another aspect of this book I enjoyed was the northern California, Marin County, setting. The weather and garden were often described in beautiful terms...