Readings in Literature for Moderate CD High School Class

Hello everyone, In a new position I am taking this year one of the classes I am going to be teaching is a course called "Readings in Literature" for a class of approximately 10 student in our moderate CD program. As I begin to plan out the first few months of the class some of the thoughts that have come across my mind for curriculum are as follows:

Various Novels, biographies, and short stories written at a level accessible for the students but still high interest

Weekly current events using the local paper, Time, Newsweek, etc. (I am going to be applying for a bookshare.org account soon to have access to a variety of periodicals, newspapers, and other readings

Monthly breakfasts for the class where we will be dissecting the recipe, assigning responsibilities for the students, doing the shopping, etc.

I was hoping for some teachers with experience in this area could give me any other ideas or lessons you have used in the past or other resources that could be of use. Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!