I hadn't planned to post again today, but my husband's at work, my older kids are at school, my baby's at Grandma's and my house is quiet as a tomb. It seemed like the perfect time to sneak down and play on the computer. I still have to be careful about spreading my radioactive germs around, so I can't do housework or cook or anything (hurt me, hurt me bad), but my eyes need a break from reading. Who knew absorbing six books in three days would leave my peepers this bloodshot and sore? I will, of course, wipe everything down so well that not even Grissolm and his CSIs could find evidence of my being here (yes, I know Grissolm left the show - guess who's not quite over it yet?). It's just nice to leave my bedroom. And, I have to say that not being able to take care of my family for a week, even by doing little things like folding socks, makes me even more eager to kick cancer to the curb and get everything back to normal.

'Course, I'm so behind on life now that I seriously will never catch up. I know reviews are posting automatically, so you can't even tell how behind I am. Oh well. I'll get 'em written when I get 'em written, but I have to tell you that I may have just finished my favorite book of the year: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. It's similar to James Dashner's The Maze Runner, just with more complexity and depth (literally). And originality. It's reminiscent of The Hunger Games, too, but still its own thing. Hard to describe. Anyway, I loved it. The only problem is the sequel, Sapphique, doesn't come out until the end of December. I'm pretty sure I can't wait that long. My first-born may be available to the first person who can get me an ARC (well, he's pretty sweet - maybe my second-born or third- ...). Seriously, anyone have a copy??

Did I forgot to mention that my review of Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden appeared in the Fall 2010 issue of Latter-Day Woman magazine. Check it out here.

I'm looking foward to a quiet weekend - more resting, more reading, more taking three showers a day and flushing twice every time I use the toilet ... Things should be back to normal by Tuesday, when my body will have expelled enough radiation that I can hug my kids again and get back to the grind that I have somehow missed this week.

Happy Friday, everybody!

Oh, and just because I'm skipping out on the Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday this week, doesn't mean you should. It's a great way to find new blogs, drive traffic to your own, and strengthen this big, fun book blogging community. Enjoy :)

Ten-year-old George Calder doesn't mean to get himself into scrapes all the time - it just kind of happens. His curiousity gets the best of him in the most normal of circumstances, but now he's aboard the largest moving object ever built. How can he possibly resist sliding down the banister of the Grand Staircase, sneaking among the immigrants on the lower decks, and creeping into the storage room to see if the rumors about an Egyptian mummy on board are really true? Even with his younger sister, Phoebe, and their recently-widowed aunt keeping their sharp eyes on him, George is determined to explore every inch of the Titanic.
When George sets out on one of his escapades on the night of April 15, he has know idea that it will lead to the most horrifyingly exciting adventure of his life. He's prowling through the ship's underbelly when the great Titanic starts to shake. As he scuttles back to First Class, he hears the news: they've nudged an iceberg. What begins with laughter and snowball fights soon turns into running, screaming, and all-out panic. The ship is sinking. George is not only a child, but a wealthy one. Unlike the lower-class passengers, he has both a life jacket and an escort to where women and kids are being packed into life boats. There's only one problem - his sister is missing. He can't leave her on the doomed ship. He has to find her, no matter what.


As the story of the Titanic unfolds through the eyes of young George, the reader can't help but be swept away in all the terror of that fateful night. We know how the story ends (at least what happens to the ship), but even after all this time, it's an incredible tale. George Calder did not really exist, but he represents the many passengers who scrambled for their lives while the "unsinkable" Titanic plunged to its watery death. Through him, we're there. His story resounds with one chilling question: Would I have survived?

Written for middle-grade readers, I Survived: The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 is the first in a series of books by Lauren Tarshis about children surviving infamous historical disasters. The next one (available now) concerns shark attacks in 1916 and will be followed by I Survived: Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (available March 2011). My kids and I agree that we need keep our eyes on this exciting, informative and well-written series. You can check it out for yourself on the I Survived website. Oh, and if your school happens to be in the throes of Scholastic Book Fair mania, these books should be available and would make good picks for classrooms, homes and school libraries. 'Course, surviving the Titanic's nothing compared to getting through a school book fair unscathed - if you can survive that particular adventure, you might just deserve a medal :)

(Readalikes: I can't think of any other children's books I've read about the Titanic. Can you?)


Grade: B


If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for intense/scary scenes (the book's written for younger middle graders)


To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of this book from the very generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!