PBT Horizons—September Planning and Reporting

[Book Concierge]

Horizons - SEPTEMBER - Egypt
Fits the tag - YES

Cross-posted to Sept tag "CULTURAL" folder


The Curse of the Pharaohs – Elizabeth Peters – 2.5**
Book two in the Amelia Peabody series, featuring the intrepid Victorian lady Egyptologist. I read the first book in the series a few years back and was not a fan. Much of what irritated me in the first book happened again. But … I’m beginning to see the humor and satire in Peters’ style. I’m starting to appreciate Peabody’s manner and her relationships with the other characters. This is a strong, independent-minded, intelligent woman who does not suffer fools gladly.
LINK to my review

[Lyn]

Culture: Native American - Blackfeet

Fools Crow by James Welch

This book offers a very detailed insight into the lives of the Blackfeet tribe in the 1800s. It is a compelling telling of life as a Lone Eater at the time of the white settlers coming into Montana territory in the 1800s.

The author takes us on horse raids, into the dreams and tipis of medicine men, and into forts and ranches of Napikwans and siezers (white settlers and soldiers). The details of daily life and celebrations is informative and interesting.

This is a difficult time for the Blackfeet. They are already fighting with the Crow when the Napikwans invade their territory, taking the land, killing the game and bringing illness. In the book, Fools Crow grows from a young man going on his first horse raid into a respected warrior and medicine man apprentice among the Lone Eaters.

To me this book read like an oral history that was documented for us. It was well written and interesting to read. I especially enjoyed and appreciated reading about the traditions and legends of the Blackfeet.

[Viji]

SEPTEMBER, 2019

Culture: Egypt
The book also fits September Tag: Cultural

Title: Cleopatra Confesses
Author: Carolyn Meyer
Date Read: 09/21/2019
Rating: ★★★
Review:
The book is set in first century B.C. The book from the perspective of Cleopatra. It starts when Cleopatra is 10 years old and deals mostly with the early years of Cleopatra and her later days are not detailed much. The love shared by Cleopatra and her father, King Ptolemy and the resultant rivalry between her and her elder sisters, the love shared by Ceopatra and Charmion and their friendship and Cleopatra’s love for Egypt are brought out well. Cleopatra is chosen by her father to reign with him as Queen of Egypt when she is a little older. When he has to exile himself in Rome, her elder sisters - Tryphaena and Berenike – declare themselves as Queens of England and start to rule. Clopatra’s life becomes dangerous when her sister, Tryphaena, disappears and Berenike takes over. When her father returns from exile, Berenike is executed for treason and Cleopatra is made the Queen. After her father’s marriage, she had to marry her brother to rule Egypt as Queen. She had to face opposition in every step from the advisers of her brother and also face the enmity of her younger sister. Her life is always full of jealousy and greed of those around her and she had to fight for saving her life till she has the protection of Julius Caesar and later Marcus Antony. She always does the best for Egypt and endeavors to preserve the culture and encourages scholars and artists. Despite the poor harvest and harsh economic conditions prevailing, she does her best to rule Egypt in peace and harmony. Finally, she is driven to take her own life as she does not want to fall a prisoner of Octavian. She wants to preserve the dignity of Egypt in the eyes of the world and takes her exit in a dignified way.
This was a good read and the book is a fast moving one. I enjoyed reading it.

[Theresa]

Book Concierge wrote: "Horizons - SEPTEMBER - Egypt
Fits the tag - YES

Cross-posted to Sept tag "CULTURAL" folder



The Curse of the Pharaohs
– Elizabeth Peters – 2.5**
..."

I recently realized that in my head, Amelia Peabody is Kate Hepburn in Desk Set and African Queen, two of my favorite movies.

[Nicole R]

I will be closing this thread on Wednesday afternoon, so be sure to get your lingering reviews posted by then!

[Jemima]

Culture-Egypt
Read ‘Nefertiti’ by Michelle Moran. I’m off grid so a brief mobile app update is all I can manage. A 4 Star read for me. I knew very little about actual culture and life in Ancient Egypt. I learned so much. Did heaps of extra looking up and learning as I went. This was a pleasant journey into another world, told from the perspective of Nefertiti’s younger sister and so avoiding the first person biographical style of Historical Fiction that I loathe. It is much nicer to get a balanced viewpoint from the outside perspective of a legend like Nefertiti. It allows you to make up your own mind, I encumbered by strong author bias. I would read other Michelle Moran books, I will be looking at what is available. Her understanding of Ancient Egypt is brilliant, her word painting of the world absorbing.

[NancyJ]

Culture Egypt
Fits monthly tag Cultural

Revolution for Dummies: Laughing through the Arab Spring

See my review in the sept cultural folder.

[Idit]

culture - egypt
fits Cultural as well

Beer in the Snooker Club
After whinging about another arab country, again, I actually loved the book!

I really try my best to read local for horizon, and this one is as well, but surprisingly it was written in English originaly.

The author, and the protagonist are both British educated christian egyptians, very disconnected from the poorer majority of their countrymen. He is trapped between the two cultures - the british and the egyptians and the story tells it beautifully.
Add the complication of a Jewish egyptian woman, in the years after wars with Israel, and in this small cosmos there is a beautiful representation of young upper-class people.
Together with the angst, rebelliousness, selfishness and humor.

It really is a gem of a book. combines anger, sadness and humor in a very delicate way that works for me every time
(reminded me in some ways of The Garden of the Finzi-Continis which I read and loved earlier this year - a youth in love with a strong jewish girl, not fitting in his surrounding. Both heroes based on the author

[Nicole R]

Kszr wrote: "Culture - Egypt

Joanne - I had the same idea as you on the 500+ Palace Walk and actually just finished Chronicle of a Last Summer: A Novel of Egypt. I gave it 4 stars because it was beautifully w..."

Kszr, is this an actual reporting of a book you read for this month? I can't tell. I am NOT counting it because it kind of seems like you are just talking about the book, but let me know if this is an official review and I will amend my spreadsheet!

[Nicole R]

Points for September have been calculated! Please feel free to double check the spreadsheet to make sure I got your reads recorded correctly. You can find then in the third tab of the tracking spreadsheet.

If you have a question about the scoring, please send me a private message.