It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? (#IMWAYR) is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys with a kid/YA-lit spin hosted by Kellee at Unleashing Readers and Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

Past Reads: Now that our backyard is a real backyard again, I picked up my reading pace this week; I think reading was also an excuse to continue putting off painting our bedroom ceiling. After drywall, ceiling painting is my least favorite home improvement chore. I checked a few books off my must-read list (Shatter Me by Tahreh Mafi, Slammed by Colleen Hoover, Rush by Eve Silver - reviews coming soon), I was introduced to an entirely new genre of books (Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral - thanks Sarah Andersen and Cindy Minnich for the recommendation), and I got some great professional ideas for my reading classes (When Kids Can’t Read by Kylene Beers).  

         

        

Current Reads: I FINALLY started City of Bones (Book #1 of The Mortal Instruments series). I know I am WAY behind on this, but better late than never. I’ve read the first two books of The Infernal Devices series (the third is sitting on my TBR shelf) and absolutely loved them, so I’m sure I will feel no different about this series. I’ve put off City of Bones because I know once I start reading it, I will be hooked; I will need to immediately read the rest of the series, which will put me farther behind on my TBR list. Oh well!

Here’s the goodreads summary of the book: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . .

I am also reading (and taking diligent notes on) Cris Tovani’s I Read It, But I Don’t Get It this week. School starts in less than a month and I need to get my act together. I have too many ideas, but nothing concrete yet. Hopefully this book will help me clearly formulate some of the philosophical thoughts running around my brain.

Future Reads: Good news - I’ve finished every library book before its due date! I still have a stack of books to get through, but I’ve really enjoyed all of the recommendations I’ve received.

One of my future reading plans I’m most excited about is participating in YALit101. Two English teachers put together an online professional development opportunity that introduces readers to multiple genres of young adult literature. Each week focuses on a different genre and there are three books to choose from. This was how I was introduced to a new kind of graphic novel through Chopsticks. Ideally, I want to read all three selections for each genre, but seeing as our school year starts up right in the middle of this discussion, here is the one book for each genre I DEFINITELY want to read:

Graphic Novel - Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

Verse Novel - October Mourning by Leslea Newman (if you haven’t read Sold yet, do it!)

Contemporary YA - Ask the Passengers by A.S. King (also really want to read Wild Awake)

HIstorical Fiction - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Dystopian/Sci-Fi - The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson (already read the other two)

        

What are you reading? What have you just finished? What are your top recommendations? Leave me a comment as I'm always looking for books to add to my To-Be-Read list!