<there's a lot I don't understand about the way the chu"l
minhagim of keriat hatorah were transplanted to EY, which I presume
happened when Jews came back after the crusaders.  For instance, *why*
don't they read Aser Te'aser on Shemini Atzeret, which is its zeman,
and then read Vezot Haberacha either a) immediately after, b) at 
mincha of the same day, or c) on the following Shabbat together with 
Bereshit?>
 
     Mei'ikar hadin, Aser T'aser is not part of the Shmini Atzeres 
k'riah at all when it is a weekday.  The g'mara in M'gilla 31a lists 
it as Kol Hab'chor, the same as acharon shel Pesach, and neither the 
M'chaber nor the Ramo say to start from Aser T'aser on a weekday.  It 
is mentioned by the Magen Avraham as a minhag, because it is onas 
hama'asros.  Kol Hab'chor has the same role as it does on the other 
r'galim -- the k'riah for the day that "isn't there" in EY, and since 
apparently V'zos Hab'racha was intended for the finale of the Yom 
Tov, it's the eighth day which has the "extra" k'riah in chu"l.

     That's why, on a weekday SA, the kohein reads all of Aser 
T'aser, into Kol Hab'chor -- a total of 31 p'sukim, leaving 17 for 
the other four aliyos combined: because it would not be proper for an 
entire aliyah not to be part of the chovas hayom. It is similar to 
what the MB mentions about Chanukkah, that those whose minhag it is 
to start the first day's k'riah with birkas Kohanim should not make 
it the full first aliyah, but should continue into Vayhi b'yom kalos 
Moshe, so as not to have an aliyah no part of which is chovas 
hak'riah. (Incidentally, the Metzuda machzor seems not to have been 
aware of this, and on a weekday SA makes two full aliyahs before Kol 
hab'chor.)

EMT