Live Your Life and also Mine

1. The Mysterious Benedict Society

After seeing a newspaper article addressed to children with special gifts, eleven-year old Reynie Muldoon goes to a center where he and many other children take a written test with many strange questions relating to logic, bravery, etc. He is the only one in the room to pass this exam, and, after all the other children leave, he is invited to yet another center for more tests. He goes there the next day, and meets Rhonda, a distressed girl who lost her only pencil for the test. Reynie breaks his pencil in half to give Rhonda to use, and Rhonda offers him the answers to the test they're about to take. Reynie refuses this, and walks into the testing area. There, he and many other children sit in separated desks, each getting a test. All of the test questions are impossibly hard Reynie notices, some of the other children even start to cry. But Reynie realizes that each of the question's answers have questions in different part of the tests that give the answers. Reynie realizes it is all just a big puzzle.

Because of the logic and skill he showed, Reynie together with three other children named George "Sticky" Washington, a boy with photographic memory, Kate Wetherall, a resourceful and agile girl, and Constance Contraire, a stubborn little girl who likes to recite couplets, is later invited to the home of Mr. Nicholas Benedict, who presents them all with a task to do. He tells them that by using subliminal messaging hidden in television a man named as the "Sender" can make people believe such things. One example of a hidden message is "The missing aren't missing, they've only departed". Benedict tells them that the one sending these messages is a Mr. Curtain, the principal of L.I.V.E. institute: a school on an island off the coast of their city of Stonetown.

Inside the Institute the children see strange people. The lessons are otherwise repetitive.Communicating with Mr. Benedict via Morse Code, the children uncover the hideous plan of Mr. Curtain, to control the people of the world and imprison his enemies.

The children manage to stall Mr. Curtain's plan, allowing Mr. Benedict to shut down the Whisperer, Mr. Curtain's machine which allows him to transmit the hidden messages. Though Mr. Curtain is still at large, the children share a party together with Constance, who is celebrating her third birthday.

source : Wikipedia

2. Ghost Girl

This is the debut novel from author and filmmaker, Tonya Hurley. Indonesia.

After spending an entire summer planning how to become popular and get Damen, her crush, to notice her, the unpopular Charlotte Usher's life seems to be looking up when Damen is made her Physics lab partner and asks for tutoring. However, her plans come to an unexpected end when she chokes to death on a gummy bear. Charlotte becomes a ghost, invisible to everyone she once knew, and forced to go to "Dead Ed" – a school for dead teenagers – to learn to use her supernatural abilities.

After some initial shock, Charlotte resolves to continue with her plan, using her new abilities to rejoin the living world, even though her Dead Ed classmates disapprove. While spying on Damen with his girlfriend Petula – the cheerleader Charlotte idolises – Charlotte discovers that Scarlet, Petula's goth sister, can see her. However, she is forced to leave to attend a meeting at the Dead Dorm, Hawthorne Manor, where the Dead Ed class are trying to prevent the manor from being sold. At Charlotte's suggestion, they disguise the building as unsafe to scare off buyers.

Inspired by her Dead Ed handbook, Charlotte attempts to possess Petula, but discovers possession is impossible without permission. Instead, Charlotte convinces Scarlet to allow herself to be possessed, gaining some time tutoring Damen in Physics while Scarlet enjoys making mischief as a ghost. However, Scarlet cuts the encounter short when Charlotte impulsively tries out for the cheer leading squad in her body. Charlotte possesses Scarlet again in order to attend a cheerleader slumber party, in return for allowing Scarlet to visit the Dead Dorm. While Charlotte decides that she is destined to share the "magical" Midnight Kiss with Damen at the upcoming Fall Ball, Scarlet is discovered by Prue and her interruption during a viewing accidentally causes Hawthorne Manor to be condemned.

Scarlet returns to the slumber party just as Charlotte is about to kiss Damen in a game of spin the bottle. As Prue uses her powers to scare away the other guests, Scarlet resolves not to be possessed again, but she is forced by Charlotte's promise to continue tutoring Damen. The pair begin to bond over similar tastes in music, and Scarlet's association with Damen makes her style popular. When Damen begins failing Physics, Scarlet, who has begun to like him, asks Charlotte for her help with the tutoring. However, the pair soon become jealous of each other, and decide to ask Damen to choose between them, only to be interrupted by Prue and the Dead Ed class.

As Charlotte is lectured to leave her old life behind her, she decides that if the Fall Ball,now cancelled after Prue's attack on the school, were held at Hawthorne Manor, the building would not have to be demolished – secretly planning to possess Scarlet on the night, as she is attending with Damen. The Dead Ed class agree and help decorate in a Halloween style, and Scarlet convinces the dance committee to change locations, reluctantly promising Charlotte the Midnight Kiss in return. However, Prue and the other Dead Ed kids crash the party, and Charlotte gives up her Midnight Kiss in order to stop them. When Scarlet and Damen are crowned king and queen of the dance, Charlotte surrenders the moment in the spotlight and achieves resolution. Charlotte and the Dead Ed class become visible to everyone, their wounds healed, and they join the dance before finally moving on.

Source : Wikipedia

3. The Forbidden Game

is a series of novels by American author L.J.Smith. English.

The Hunter

Jenny Thornton wanted the perfect game for her perfect boyfriend's birthday party. And the nondescript hole-in-the-wall shop manned by an unnervingly handsome blue-eyed boy seemed to carry just the right thing: 'The Game'.

To win, the players' paper avatars must race through a constructed cardboard house. Each room contains a 'nightmare'; conquering the nightmare is the only way out.

'The Game' is fun at first. That is, until Jenny and her friends get sucked inside the house to find the blue-eyed boy waiting for them. His name is Julian, and he is a demonic Shadow Man. Now, Jenny and her friends must play the game for real. They must find their way out of the cardboard house by morning, or they'll be stuck in the Shadow World forever...

The Chase

Jenny and her friends won the first game. They defeated Julian, lost a friend, Summer in the process, but they won. It's all over. At least, it should have been.

Since the game, everything's changed. Jenny's on not-so-good-terms with her perfect boyfriend Tom. Audrey and Michael are... dating? And everyone is on edge, because something is not quite right. two classmates have gone missing. There's reports of animal attacks. The phone rings at the dead of night, with the voice at the other end whispering something indiscernible '...sssshh... ssshh'.

And then Julian crashes the senior prom which Jenny and Audrey had went to. He tells them a new game has already begun. It's called 'Lambs and Monsters' - like Cops and Robbers, with a deadly twist. One by one, the six friends will get kidnapped. If the last player finds the prison where the other players are trapped, the 'Lambs' win. But if the last player gets kidnapped before finding the prison, the 'Monster' win, and the Shadow Men will eat their souls.

The Kill

With Tom and Zach in Julian's grasp, Jenny and her remaining friends must find a way to break into the Shadow World and stage a rescue. After successfully breaking the barrier between the real and Shadow World, the foursome find themselves in a Shadow World version of a carnival. They are informed by Julian that in order to win back their friends, they must find three Spanish dubloons hidden on the carnival grounds.

But in a shocking twist, Julian tells Jenny that he's willing to forget the whole game. He will let everyone else go - if Jenny agrees to stay with him in the Shadow World forever.

Source : Wikipedia

4. The Privilage of Youth

This is the fourth installment in Dave Pelzer's series of autobiography. The book goes more in-depth about adolescence and life out of foster care than The Lost Boy did. Indonesia.

Dave Pelzer's biographical account tells of his teen years as an abused child placed into foster care in California in the 1970's. Currently working at an exhausting pace to spread his message of hope and triumph as a public speaker crossing the country for weeks at a time he recounts the events of his teen years that changed the course of his life. He was rescued in 1973 from a childhood home fraught with abuse, starvation, torture and neglect at the hands of his mother; deemed the third worst case of child abuse on record in California up to that time. Despite the newfound freedom and sense of family he got from his numerous foster families, he was still subjected to bullying and torment at school and in his neighborhoods as he struggled to fit in. Often he would put himself a risk of grave injury doing stupid stunts or taking dares to be accepted by his friends David and Paul. Life was better for Pelzer but still very traumatic as he approached the dreaded age of 18 when foster children are cut loose and must go it alone in the world. Pelzer was determined to succeed, after all he had been put through he refused to be complacent and let life beat him.

Pelzer admits he made poor choices along the way by sacrificing school for working menial jobs to save enough money to make it on his own, dropping out of school to work as a car salesman, and dreaming of a career as a Hollywood stuntman. He was fortunate to have the friendship of two men from his neighborhood of Duinsmoore, Mike Marsh and Dan Brazell, who preached to him to finish school and make something of his life. It was his short time living in this neighborhood that made all the difference to Pelzer and the man he became. It was here in the “Leave It To Beaver” world of Menlo Park, CA that he gained a sense of belonging that he had never known. His story is inspiring and has a positive message for kids who think they have a rotten life whether they are in foster homes or living with their parents. Dave Pelzer's message to value what you have, stay in school, work hard and to give your best effort in everything you do has been delivered to thousands of groups across the nation in his role as a spokesman for millions of abused and neglected children.

Source : Wikipedia

5. Born To Be Bad

This is really a sexy stories made by New York Bestselling Author, Sherrilyn Kenyon. English.

In the all-new "One BAD Night" the bureau believes that agent Jason Banks has sold them out. Agent Samantha Winslow has never particularly cared for Jason, whom she reluctantly finds attractive, and she volunteers to bring him in. Under orders to infiltrate his rogue mission and kidnap him, she is also trying to pull off the ultimate double-cross. But who would have guessed that Jason would be so pleased to be her captive?

In "BAD to the Bone" Marianne wins the Hideaway Heroine Sweepstakes and a chance to pretend to be the heroine in her favorite romance novel. Whisked away to a remote island, Marianne's daydreams become real when BAD agent Kyle Foster kidnaps her and uncovers her every fantasy.

In "'Captivated' by You" BAD agent Rhea must go undercover as a dominatrix to capture a deadly terrorist. Fortunately, Agent "Ace" Krux, whom she has long desired, is her training partner. Immediately, the roles of master and slave are wonderfully blurred, and Rhea and Ace unleash a wealth of hidden desire.

Source : Sherrilyn Kenyon's Official Site

6. Acheron

This is a fantasy-ficiton novel written by New York Bestselling Author, Sherrilyn Kenyon. English.

In the war against vampires, mankind has only one hope: The Dark-Hunters. Ancient warriors who died of brutal betrayal, the Dark-Hunters have sworn themselves into the service of the goddess Artemis to protect us.

It's a pact with pretty good perks. Immortality, power, psychic abilities, wealth and a cool wardrobe. But it comes with a few drawbacks: fatal sun poisoning and a new, irreparable dental problem. But aside from the fangs and nocturnal lifestyle, it's not so bad.

In tis volume, the adventure continues with Talon and Sunshine as they face off against the Greek and Celtic gods bent on making a major comeback.

Source : Sherrilyn Kenyon's Official Site

7. Temple

This is a thriller novel with the major attractions are the fast pace and the complexity of the action scenes, written by Australian author Matthew Reilly. English.

Professor William Race is a young linguist, working for NYU. One day, he is approached by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, to translate the Santiago Manuscript, a manuscript, written in medieval Latin, which details the final resting place of a legendary Incan idol, allegedly made of thyrium-261, an element that, when combined with the mass destruction weapon the Supernova, could create Doomsday. Reluctantly agreeing to the mission lands Race on a plane to Peru, alongside mission leader Frank Nash, physicist Troy Copeland, archeologist Gaby Lopez, anthopologist Walter Chambers, five Green Berets, his personal bodyguard, and his college sweetheart. But when the manuscript leads the team to an ancient Incan temple, the hunt becomes a fight for survival when their raid of the temple is taken over by hostile German terrorists. And the situation becomes even worse for Race and the team when an army of giant "rapa" cats, hellbent on ripping throats, snapping spines and mauling anyone who comes near them. Can Race lead the team to the idol, or is he leading them into disaster, and violent death?

Source : Wikipedia

8. The Lost Symbol

This is a thriller novel written by a famous and America's Bestselling Author, Dan Brown. Indonesia.

The story takes place over a period of 12 hours in Washington, D.C., with a focus on Freemasonry. Robert Langdon is summoned to give a lecture in National Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol, with the invitation apparently from his mentor, a 33rd degree Mason named Peter Solomon, who is the head of the Smithsonian Institution. Solomon has also asked him to bring a small package which he had entrusted with Langdon for safekeeping years earlier. When Langdon arrives at the Capitol, however, instead of an audience for his lecture, and after receiving a phone call from the person that he thought was from Solomon's office he hears screams coming from the Capitol Rotunda. Running, he finds the severed right hand of Peter Solomon mounted on a stick, directly in the middle of the room. The hand contains tattoos on each finger, and Langdon recognizes it as the symbolic Hand of the Mysteries, which seemingly points straight up to the fresco The Apotheosis of Washington on the inside of the Capitol dome. Noticing Peter's ring on one of the hand's fingers, Langdon realizes that it is the hand of his kidnapped friend, and from messages already received he knows that the kidnapper wants him to find both the Mason's Pyramid, which Masons believe is hidden somewhere underground in Washington D.C., and the Lost Word, which will complete the task that the kidnapper has given himself.

Source : Wikipedia

I also bought myself 2 or 3 books about architecture. How to design. Feng Shui, etc. I'm in my happy place.. yipeee!!

enjoy reading. ^^

-auReL-