You can always tell when school starts because the number of books read decreases significantly. This year, I’m teaching 8th grade full time, one graduate course on the pedagogy of young adult literature and taking two courses–one also on multiculturalism and young adult literature and the other on multimedia authoring. Needless to say, I haven’t finished a book since school started and I’m beginning to feel it. With any luck, this weekend I will have finished Little Brother by Cory Doctrow (mostly audio with a little reading thrown in) and It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. Without further ado, here are the books I read in August.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Addie on the Inside by James Howe
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

I’ve also updated a number of posts with book talks — I met my goal of making a video every day since Tuesday — I haven’t made one yet today but it’s still early and in the time it took me to write this post I finished Little Brother.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

As it is the beginning of the school year, it’s time to get new books. Some of the books I have on order and am excited about are

Dust & Decay and Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride
Addie on the Inside by James Howe (the copy I read was from the library)
Totally Joe by James Howe
…and a few more…

Some books that I have on preorder that I’m excited about…and my students think I’m crazy for being so excited about them

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan