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: I apologize for my recent absence from this post, but with our family reunion and school starting last week, I’ve been a little time-crunched. However, I’m back! As I knew would happen, starting school seriously slowed down my reading pace (moving to book-a-week, instead of book-every-few-days). So, instead of sharing the two or three books I’ve finished recently, I’ve decided to share my Top Ten Summer Reads. Out of all the books I read this summer, these ten (in no particular order) are my favorites. If you’re looking for some good YA fiction, start here:

                    

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - might possibly be my favorite book of the year, and yes, I’m willing to make that statement in August. Future reads, the challenge is yours. Two of the best main characters I’ve EVER read.

2. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks - a completely unexpected favorite. Of Triton, the second book, is sitting on my nightstand calling my name. I can’t wait to find out what happens to these characters; I never thought a mermaid book would peak my interest quite like this one did.

3. Clockwork Angel(and the rest of the Infernal Devices series) by Cassandra Clare - Love! Really, that’s all I have to say about it - Love!

4. In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters - a creepy book that can only be read in the daylight. The moment when she wakes up next to a dead body...nightmares for days!

      

5. Icons by Margaret Stohl - I know The 5th Wave is getting all of the alien invasion press, but I actually liked this book better (sorry to all of you 5th Wavers out there). It featured the perfect mix of action and well-developed characters - my favorite kind of book.

6. The Selection by Kiera Cass - like Of Poseidon, this book was totally unexpected. It sounded too pageantry or Bachelor for me, but I ended up loving it - I actually might like the second book (The Elite) even better. Bring on The One.

7. Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff - spy thrillers are not my normal go-to book, but if they are all as good as this one, I’m in!

      

8. Born of Illusion by Teri Brown - this was the summer of me discovering my love for magic in books. I mainly have Teri Brown’s story to thank for that.

9. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - what a cool take on a well-known fairy tale! I loved Cinder, I loved Scarlet even more, so I can’t wait to see what Cress has in store for its readers.

10. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King - beautiful, moving, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at the same time. I love the message here: we are meant to be who we are meant to be, we are NOT meant to be a label or a box to check off...yes!

Current Reads: I am currently reading, and LOVING, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga. I’m actually having a hard time pulling myself away from the story to write this post.

Here’s the goodreads summary of the book: What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

Future Reads: I still have a few books stacked up in my TBR pile, although I’m trying to control it a bit more now that school started. Right now, waiting on deck, I have The End Games by T. Michael Martin, Of Triton by Anna Banks, Little Bee by Chris Cleave and Doll Bones by Holly Black.

          

I am looking for any good horror, mystery, or sports recommendations. I have a lot of students who think they might like something in those genres, and admittedly, I don’t have a lot of great recommendations in those areas; it’s my reader gap. Any good suggestions?

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!