Titania of Fishmuffins of Doom
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I was totally obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid. I was convinced I wanted to be an archaeologist. Now, I’m happy to become a teacher, but I still harbor a love for everything Egyptian. Here are some great reads that I love AND feature mummies!
by Elizabeth Peters
This series is excellent. It follows Amelia Peabody as she has adventures in the late 19th century and early 20th century in Egypt and England. She is a no nonsense, confident woman who isn’t afraid to whack someone with her parasol. There are 19 books in the series so far. I started them in high school and I still go back and read them. Plus a new one was just released this year. The books have everything: romance, mystery, murder, and (of course) mummies (though the unmoving, nonsupernatural types). Elizabeth Peters skillfully interweaves her own characters with actual figures in history such as Lord Carnarvon, Howard Carter, and Gaston Maspero. If you like Victorian England and ancient Egypt, you will surely like this series.
by Anne Rice
This is a stand alone book that was published in 1989. The story takes place in 1914 and follows the resurrected pharaoh Ramses II as he collides with an archaeologist’s dysfunctional family. Ramses isn’t the typical Boris Karloff type mummy that shuffles around in ragged linens. He has drank the elixir of life which makes him doomed to wander the earth forever trying to sate his senses that offer no sustenance. For example, he eats and drinks constantly though he needs neither to survive. There is also murder, intrigue, and archaeology framing this supernatural story. I enjoyed this book immensely and I think you will too.
by Gail Carriger
This is the second novel in the Parasol Protectorate series. There are similarities between this series and the Amelia Peabody series because of the strong heroines that carry around parasols, but both are unique stories. In this book, Alexia must figure out what is causing rampant normalcy in the supernatural creatures in London. This plague of normalcy follows her husband on his unannounced trip to Scotland, so she has to follow him (with a largely unwanted entourage of people) to warn him. A mummy figures largely in the story. I can’t really elaborate any more without spoilers. Except that there is an important mummy unwrapping party that happens. This book (as well as the entire series) is highly recommended.
* guest post from Titania of Fishmuffins of Doom
