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The first day of school is historically one of my favorite days of the year. Growing up it meant new clothes, new shoes and, of course, a backpack full of school supplies. Call me crazy, but there's something exciting about the promise of a new school year. Anything seems possible. Plus, I really love the smell of freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils.

As a former teacher the first day of school meant meeting a new group of students. Every class was wonderfully unique, and the thought of spending the next year helping 25 third-graders discover the magic of reading and decipher the mystery of multiplication was such an amazing feeling.

But, this past Friday, as I watched students in my neighborhood waiting for their buses as I drove through my neighborhood on my way to work, I couldn't help but feel a little sad. Now that I am no longer in the classroom, the first day of school means the last day of summer.

I always set lofty summer reading goals for myself that never seem to come to fruition. What once seemed to be a major priority has now taken a backseat to life. It's become increasingly hard to balance those small pleasures, like curling up with a good book on a rainy, summer day, now has to compete with work, errands and family obligations. There's just never enough time to squeeze it all in.

My summer started out with such promise. David Sedaris, one of my all-time favorite writers, came to Baton Rouge for a signing of his new book, When You Are Engulfed In Flames. Meeting him was absolutely amazing, and his book totally quashed my reading drought. At the start of the summer I had a list of six books I wanted to finish, some new bestsellers, some old favorites and of course the annual One Book One Community selection.

I knocked out Sedaris' latest collection of essays in a weekend and was feeling pretty good about the odds of reaching my goal. I then moved onto my dear old friend The Moviegoer. I then set my sights on this year's community reading selection, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza. It's an absolutely amazing story of survival that mirrors Anne Frank's own harrowing tale in hiding as detailed in her famous diary. To find out more check out this month's 225.

As amazing as it is, it was often hard to read. There were several times I had to put it down, shocked and angry that such inhumanity exists. It was a book that took me longer than expected to finish, so I didn't get to some of the others on my list, but was time well spent. It's a story that will stay with me always.

I was crushed that I couldn't attend the July 31 event at LSU that featured a reading by Ilibagiza, but was pleased to hear that an event at the PMAC with Ilibagiza has been scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 23. Click here to find out more. She's also been added to the amazing list of authors coming to the Louisiana Book Festival in October.

If you haven't gotten a chance to read Left to Tell I highly recommend it. Read it then pass it onto a friend. This is definitely a must read for all.