Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs

This isn't the first book I would want for Middle Egyptian, but it's fantastic supplementary material and really helps honing in where other books on mdw ntr take it easy on a beginner. I got this from the library, but as soon as I can afford it, I'm buying a copy. I need this immediately on my shelf. It's not so great on the nuances of the religion though, which is more of a peripheral thing if you're only buying it for language, so I highly recommend it as your second or third book.