Out of Egypt

Kiya, a beautiful young Egyptian woman has everything— riches, a handsome fiancé, social status. Through a sudden twist of fate she finds herself enslaved and scorned. Her only friend is a fellow slave, Shira, who is Hebrew.  When plagues ravage Egypt, Kiya is told of a plan to gain her freedom. She must leave with Shira and her family and follow their leader, Moses, into the desert away from Egypt. Kiya, her mother and brother join the exodus. She must leave behind all her beliefs and her way of life. She has chosen a path, but is it the right one? Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette is a unique Biblical fiction. She gives the reader a glimpse of ancient life through the eyes of a reluctant wanderer. DB

An unlikely pairing.

Enid Shomer's exquisite debut,The Twelve Rooms of the Nile, is an intellectual adventure through mid-nineteenth-century Egypt as experienced by two dissimilar people sitting on the cusp of greatness, though neither one knows that. Prim, earnest Florence Nightingale yearns to do good works, but her gender and disapproving family constrain her exuberant curiosity. Gustave Flaubert, a devoted cynic, loses himself in debauchery while seeking literary inspiration. Both traveled up the Nile in 1850, although they probably never met in real life. From this grain of historical plausibility emerges a captivating story about close friendship and all the pleasures and complications of understanding another human being. As their parties follow a similar route, from the temples at Abu Simbel to Philae and other sites, they develop a tender bond, and they even take a daring overland trek together (with chaperones, of course). Their encounters with ancient monuments and the unfamiliar culture enhance their psychological journeys. Flo's awkward relationship with her unadventurous maid, as significant as hers with Gustave, authentically shows the limitations of her privileged Victorian background. The superb characterizations, poignant observations on the Egyptian religion, and depictions of the land's ethereal beauty all perfectly interwoven are rendered in memorable language that excites and enriches the mind (2010 Booklist)

Don't miss The Red Pyramid

From the author of the popular Percy Jackson series comes an adventure of Egyptian proportions. In The Red Pyramid, the first volume in Rick Riordan's new Kane Chronicles, siblings Carter and Sadie must team up to save the world. The action begins immediately: In a failed attempt to "make things right" following their mother's mysterious death, the teens' father, Dr. Kane, blows up the Rosetta Stone and accidentally releases five Egyptian gods and goddesses trapped within. Now only Carter and Sadie have the power to stop the potentially disastrous events that have been set in motion. And time is fast running out.... Aided by a basketball-loving baboon and a very special cat, the teens must race to the Phoenix desert where Set, the god of chaos, is building a red pyramid that will give him the power to destroy and take over North America--and, very possibly, the world.

The action is fast-paced and the characters are well-developed. Woven into the story are bits of Egyptian history and plenty of mythology. The Red Pyramid ends with a cliffhanger, suggesting that first volume of The Kane Chronicles has only uncovered the very tip of the iceberg (or pyramid, if you rather). Even better than Percy and not to be missed!