Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Hump Day Reading (and Breakfast) Recs?


(Look closely. There's a camel on that cover.)

Can you believe I've never read this book?

I know! How remiss of me, considering my affection for camels.

It's not that I don't like Elizabeth Peters--I do. I adore her Vicky Bliss novels. And I've long since devoured everything by her alter ego, Barbara Michaels.

But for some reason, I've never gotten into her Amelia Peabody books. Not really sure why.



Anyhoo, this is what Publisher's Weekly said about The Last Camel Died at Noon:

If Indiana Jones were female, a wife and mother who lived in Victorian times, he would be Amelia Peabody Emerson, an archeologist whose extraordinary adventures are guaranteed entertainment. This time Amelia, her handsome, fearless husband, Radcliffe, and their precocious 11-year-old son, Ramses, are in the Sudan, searching for archeologist Willoughby Forth, who disappeared 14 years earlier with his new wife. Rescued in the desert after every camel in their caravan dies, the Emersons are taken to a lost city where ancient Egyptian customs have been carried into modern times. There, entangled in two half-brothers' battle for the throne, Amelia and family fight for the freedom of the slave class while ferreting out the fate of Forth and his bride, and arranging to escape with their lives. Peters (The Deeds of the Disturber), who also writes as Barbara Michaels, laces her usual intricate plotting with Amelia's commonsense approach to hygiene and manners, and coyly delicate references to vigorously enjoyed connubial pleasures. Combining a fierce affection for her family with indefatigable independence, stalwart Amelia proves once again an immensely likable heroine.

 Sounds pretty good to me. Have any of you read it? Would you recommend it? Are there any other camel-related books you'd like to recommend?

Alternate questions for those of you who don't give a darn about books with camels:

What did you have for breakfast this morning? 

Was it good? 

Would you have preferred something else? (Perhaps French toast with strawberries and whipped cream?)

Because I haven't eaten yet, so I'm looking for breakfast recs, too.

20 comments:

Al said...

I can see the camel, although spotting that is nearly as hard as one of my "What is it Wednesdays?"

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I can't believe you haven't read this one! I haven't either but then I don't talk about camels every Wednesday.

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I used to read everything by Elizabeth Peters and definitely all the Amelia Peabody books, until they got silly -- as every series eventually does. Judging by the age of Amelia's son Ramses, this must be one of the fairly early ones. I recommend it!

Anonymous said...

I had cereal for breakfast. Diet cereal with full-fat milk and 3 tablespoons of sugar. #DietFail

Patty Blount said...

Camel-related books??

*dies laughing*

Summer Frey said...

Yeah! I enjoyed the Amelia Peabody books too!

Unknown said...

It looks a great book and I'm far worse than you because I haven't read any of Elizabeth Peters' books...but I will now. Yes, I can see the camel!

LD Masterson said...

I haven't read this one yet but I love the Amelia Peabody series. If you haven't read any of the series, go back and start with the first one, Crocodile on the Sandbank, where Peabody first meets Emerson.

Delia said...

I don't know any camel books. Sorry. I had oatmeal and a slice of apple danish for breakfast. Which...meh. May I recommend the french toast?

Kelly Breakey said...

The book sounds interesting and no, I haven't read it yet.

For breakfast, I'm ashamed to say I had a hamburger. It was that or yogurt and my stomach decided that yogurt just wasn't going to be enough. I listen to my stomach. Would I recommend hamburgers for breakfast, why yes, I think I would.

abby mumford said...

now there are two things i never thought to put together -- camels + books. this author sounds interesting...

i had a bowl of cereal for breakfast. quick and easy!

Teri Anne Stanley said...

hmmm...I read the first Amelia Peabody book, now that I think of it...maybe I need to re-add that series to my TBR list. It can go on the "mysteries to get on audio while I do the really boring stuff at work" list.

I had yogurt and a banana for breakfast. It was okay, but it would have been better if my cabana boy had been there to feed it to me in bed.

Trisha Leigh said...

French toast is ALWAYS the answer for breakfast. I'm going to the lake next week to stay with my aunt, who I'm pretty sure makes the world's finest French toast. Would you like to join me??

As for me, I had a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats, which were yummy but ordinary. :)

Carol Kilgore said...

Haven't eaten breakfast yet. Will probably have Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries and Grape Nuts.

I didn't know Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters were one and the same. I've read some of Barbara Michaels' books, but none by Peters.

Diane Henders said...

I haven't read it, but I popped over to Amazon for the first pages. It reminded me a little of Dorothy Gilman's "Mrs. Pollifax" series... and she has camels in "Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist" and "Mrs. Pollifax And The Whirling Dervish". :-)

Breakfast was grapes, toasted homemade bread with peanut butter and jam, milk, and a cup of green tea. Yum.

Jessica Lemmon said...

I had the weirdest bfast out of anyone on your follower's list: quinoa with agave nectar, almonds, and blueberry craisins. It was delish! (no, really, it was) :-D

Michele Shaw said...

Peanut butter protein bar for me because I had to eat in the car. I love them because they taste good, are all natural, and have 21 big ole grams of protein that keep me going for a long time! But I'd like to trade with Jess. Hers sounds SO GOOD!

Judy,Judy,Judy. said...

One of the Tom Robbins books that I loved, Still Life With Woodpecker, has a camel on the cover. Does that count?

Sara {Rhapsody and Chaos} said...

You know, I probably wouldn't read this one because I have a really hard time with books (and movies) where animals die. That's NOT to say the books/movies are bad or anything. It's just that the way I care about animals makes those things too painful. Even horses dying in war movies--the animals don't have to be major parts of the stories.

I haven't eaten breakfast yet, but my stomach sure is grumbling :)

Unknown said...

STOLEN by Lucy Christopher has a camel in it! it's a YA novel about a girl who is kidnapped from an airport and taken by this man to live out in the middle of the aussie desert. all written as a letter from the MC to her kidnapper. the camel ended up being like a 'pet' to the girl and there was this one scene that involved the camel near the end that was heartbreaking