Chafic (Rello) Chafic’s Comments (group member since Jul 22, 2014)


Chafic’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

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Jan 03, 2019 02:43AM

35559 NPR's Best Books of 2018

Progress - 5/15


https://apps.npr.org/best-books-2018/#/_

Sadie by Courtney Summers The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory Circe by Madeline Miller Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao Becoming by Michelle Obama Educated by Tara Westover

1. Sadie by Courtney Summers
2. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
3. Circe by Madeline Miller
4. Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao
5. Becoming by Michelle Obama
6. Educated by Tara Westover
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.


** POSSIBLE OPTIONS **
My Sister the Serial Killer
Emergency Contact
Two Sisters
An American Marriage
Children of Blood & Bone
Text Me When You Get Home
Warlight
Cixin Liu - Ball Lightning
Census
The Perfect Nanny
The Death of Mrs. Westaway
35559 The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

Japan's most highly regarded novelist now vaults into the first ranks of international fiction writers with this heroically imaginative novel, which is at once a detective story, an account of a disintegrating marriage, and an excavation of the buried secrets of World War II.

In a Tokyo suburb a young man named Toru Okada searches for his wife's missing cat. Soon he finds himself looking for his wife as well in a netherworld that lies beneath the placid surface of Tokyo. As these searches intersect, Okada encounters a bizarre group of allies and antagonists: a psychic prostitute; a malevolent yet mediagenic politician; a cheerfully morbid sixteen-year-old-girl; and an aging war veteran who has been permanently changed by the hideous things he witnessed during Japan's forgotten campaign in Manchuria.

Gripping, prophetic, suffused with comedy and menace, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is a tour de force equal in scope to the masterpieces of Mishima and Pynchon.

Three books in one volume: The Thieving Magpie, Bird as Prophet, The Birdcatcher. This translation by Jay Rubin is in collaboration with the author
35559 An Abundance of Katherines
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Katherine V thought boys were gross
Katherine X just wanted to be friends
Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail
K-19 broke his heart

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.
35559 The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life...as only a dog could tell it.
Apr 03, 2017 09:36PM

35559 I'm going to reserve this spot, will edit in later - aiming for MVP 25+ for 2017 season.

Also having difficulty on deciding how I want to proceed with the other options besides my favourite team - GO BLUE JAYS
Mar 23, 2017 01:36AM

35559 Wow I thought I posted already, guess I didn't - I've been following the challenge via spreadsheet!
-------------------------

Luck of the Irish: 8+ books
Currently Read: 13/15 (86.66%) - Challenge Completed!

Books Completed During Challenge:
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon Maus II A Survivor's Tale And Here My Troubles Began (Maus, #2) by Art Spiegelman Shadows & Dreams (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator, #2) by Alexis Hall Caraval (Caraval, #1) by Stephanie Garber Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) by Agatha Christie A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic, #3) by V.E. Schwab The Notebook (The Notebook, #1) by Nicholas Sparks Zero to One Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future by Blake Masters Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman The Fires of Heaven (Wheel of Time, #5) by Robert Jordan Gemina (The Illuminae Files, #2) by Amie Kaufman Holes (Holes #1) by Louis Sachar More Than This by Patrick Ness

Redemption Books (Completed After Challenge)

Tasks :
◄ March is Irish American Month.
Read a book that takes place in Ireland, or was written by an Irish author.
In the Woods by Tana French

◄ March is Women’s History Month.
Read a book by a new to you female author, or a book with a strong female lead.
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - March 13th

◄ March is said to come in like a lion and go out like a lamb.
Read a book that starts out strong and wimps out to the end, or read a book featuring animals.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - March 1st

◄ The flower of March is the daffodil.
Read a book that has a predominately yellow or white cover, or where the first letter of the title can be found in DAFFODIL.
Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel - March 20th

◄ March was named for Mars, the Roman god of war.
Read a book set in space, a book about war, or a book with a red cover.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman/Jay Kristoff - March 22nd

◄ March: to walk in a military manner with a regular measured tread.
Read a book where a character is very determined with moving towards their goal or a book with a character in the military.
The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan - March 24th

◄ March splits Pisces and Aries for zodiac signs.
Read a book with water or fire on the cover, the final book in a series, or the first book in a series.
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab - March 17th

◄ March Madness is the college basketball tournament performed each Spring in the US.
Read a book featuring a sports team or someone who plays a sport.
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

◄ March 2nd is Old Stuff Day. This is a day to try something new, break out of your routine, make a change!
Read a book from a new genre or author. Break out of your reading rut!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber - March 9th

◄ March 9th is Panic Day.
Rather than freak out, read a book that calms you down! Alternatively, read a book that raises your blood pressure and makes you uncomfortable.
Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman - March 3rd

◄ March 12th is Girl Scout Day.
Read a book with cookies in the title or on the cover, or read a book about a group of girls or a where a character does community service.
Holes by Louis Sachar - March 28th

◄ March 14th is Pi Day, a day that celebrates Pi, the number that never ends. It’s often abbreviated to 3.14. This year is ultimate Pi Day because the first 5 numbers of Pi are 3.1415 which corresponds to this date. It’s also Albert Einstein’s birthday.
Read a book with an average rating of 3.14 or higher, a book that was published in March of 2014 or a book featuring a mathematician or bakery.
Gemina by Amie Kaufman/Jay Kristoff - March 27th

◄ March 17th is Saint Patrick’s Day.
Read a book written by an author named Patrick (first or last name) or with Patrick as the main character (Pat is acceptable). Alternatively, read a book where the main cover color is green or has alcohol on it.
More Than This by Patrick Ness - March 29th

◄ March 20th is the first day of Spring in the United States. Spring represents ideas of rebirth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth.
Read a book where the main character undergoes a transformation of some kind or gives birth to something (a person, a new idea, a business).
Shadows & Dreams by Alexis Hall - March 6th

◄ March 29th is National Smoke and Mirrors Day.
Read a book where something isn’t as it seems or where the main character is hiding something.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks - March 19th
Mar 08, 2017 03:37AM

35559 Oh man I forgot to post here. I got so excited when I saw this challenge I had already set up a spreadsheet!

I'm doing Victor Plus+ !!!

Deadline for me: December 31st, 2017
--------------------
District 1: Precious Gems
Read books with precious gem on the cover or in the title. Or spell-it-out with your favorite gemstone or birthstone. (examples: diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, etc).

JASPER

The Shadow Rising (Wheel of Time, #4) by Robert Jordan Shadows & Dreams (Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator, #2) by Alexis Hall A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini The Princess Bride  by William Goldman Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

J - The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan - February 28th
A - Shadows & Dreams by Alexis Hall - March 6th
S - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - February 15th
P - The Princess Bride by William Goldman - February 21st
E - Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon - March 1st
R - The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury - February 16th
---------------------
District 2: Masonry and Weapons
Read books where a main character uses a weapon. Or spell-it-out with masonry terms (ex: masonry, stonework, stone, bricks, arch, etc.)

SEALANT

S -
E -
A -
L -
A -
N -
T -
Judge & Jury (226 new)
Nov 17, 2016 03:17AM

35559 Judge & Jury
Duration: November 6, 2016 - ??
Option 3: Judge & Jury Spell-it-Out
Level: - Judge : 25+ books
Books read: 11/26 (42.31%)
--------------------
Aiming for November 6th, 2017 Completion
--------------------
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Millennium, #3) by Stieg Larsson
Damages (3/7) - 42.85%
D - The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
A - Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
M - Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - 19th November, 2016
A - Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick - 22nd November, 2016
G - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - 17th, January, 2017
E - Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
S - The Secret Place by Tana French


The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger Catch-22 by Joseph Heller Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot, #10) by Agatha Christie
Negligence(4/10) - 40.00%
N - The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - November 28th, 2016
E - Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
G - The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson - November 14th, 2016
L - The Likeness by Tana French
I - In the Woods by Tana French
G - The Whistler by John Grisham
E - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - March 13th, 2017
N - Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
C - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - November 30th, 2016
E - Room by Emma Donoghue


The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time, #3) by Robert Jordan 1984 by George Orwell The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon Illuminae (The Illuminae Files, #1) by Amie Kaufman
Objection(4/9) - 44.44%
O - 1984 by George Orwell - 22nd December, 2016
B - Broken Harbour by Tana French
J - The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan - January 5th, 2017
E - The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
C - The Flame and the Arrow by Emigh Cannaday
T - Faithful Place by Tana French
I - Illuminae by Amie Kaufman/Jay Kristoff - March 22nd, 2017
O - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
N - The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon - February 13th, 2017
35559 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving - January 1st
108 pages

A Darker Shade of Magic (A Darker Shade of Magic, #1) by V.E. Schwab - January 7th
398 pages

Focus The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman - January 11th
320 pages

When to Rob a Bank by Steven D. Levitt - January 20th
400 pages

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - January 26th
440 pages

Subtotal: 1,666
Current Total: 175,657
Jan 04, 2015 01:39AM

35559 You know what? I'll join in on this challenge. I'm feeling very ambitious and this is one serious challenge. Let's try for Level IX (Millennial Challenge).


2015
1. The Girl on the Train Apr 4th
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

2014
1.Yes Please - Feb 11th
2.Landline - Feb 15th
3.Big Little Lies - June 7th
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

2013
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
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13.

2012
1.The Last Guardian - Jan 19th
2. Me Before You - May 31st
3.Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - June 13th
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

2011
1.A Hidden Witch - Jan. 20th
2.Bossypants - Jan 25th
3.The Martian - Feb 27th
4.Ready Player One - June 22nd
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

2010
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

2009
1. The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century - Jan 22nd.
2.Shiver - June 20th
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

2008
1. The Hero of Ages - Apr 1st
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

2007
1.The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - June 18th
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

2006
1.Mistborn: The Final Empire - Mar 12
2.Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything - June 6th
3.
4.
5.
6.

2005
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

2004
1.Y: The Last Man, Vol. 3: One Small Step - June 19th
2.Y: The Last Man, Vol. 4: Safeword - June 22nd
3.
4.

2003
1.Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned - June 13th
2.Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2: Cycles - June 15th
3.

2002
1.
2.

2001
1.

---------
Current Status - 21/121 Books - 17.35%
Sep 02, 2014 01:30AM

35559 Level: Captain (13+)

D
A
V
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J
O
N
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S'

L
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C
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Aug 17, 2014 07:28AM

35559 ======================
Amazing August Challenge
Level Maze Master (13+ Books)
Completed: - 12/18
===============
Entry: North

✔Right - Delirium, by Lauren Oliver - 3rd - ★★★
✔Left - City of Glass, by Cassandra Clare - 5th - ★★★★
Left - The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
✔Right - City of Fallen Angels, by Cassandra Clare - 7th - ★★★★
✔Right - The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green - 15th - ★★★★★
✔Left - City of Lost Souls, by Cassandra Clare - 9th - ★★★★
✔Left - The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield - 6th - ★★★

Delirium (Delirium, #1) by Lauren Oliver City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3) by Cassandra Clare The Hobbit (Middle-Earth Universe) by J.R.R. Tolkien City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare The Fault in Our Stars by John Green City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Exit: East

✔Left - Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius - 13th - ★★★★★
✔Right - City of Heavenly Fire, by Cassandra Clare - 12th - ★★★★
Left - Requiem, by Lauren Oliver
✔Left - Girl, Missing, by Sophie McKenzie - 16th - ★★★★
Right - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson
✔Right - Clean Sweep, by Ilona Andrews - 14th - ★★★★
Left - Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
✔Right - Aesop's Fables, by Aesop - 10th - ★★★★★
Right - Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan
Right - The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
✔Right - Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity, and Ingenuity Can Change the World, by Steve Crawshaw - 15th - ★★★★★
================
Aug 17, 2014 07:27AM

35559 Reserved
Aug 17, 2014 07:24AM

35559 This topic will be an overall archive of all the challenges and books that I have read. As well as a directory for all the challenges I have entered and chronicled my progress.
-------------------------------------

Current Challenge :

Amazing August - Message 32
Aug 01, 2014 06:47AM

35559 Okay, so this is my first challenge, and I'm feeling like going all out.
======================
Amazing August Challenge
Level Maze Master (13+ Books)
Completed: - 12/18
===============
Entry: North

✔Right - Delirium, by Lauren Oliver - 3rd - ★★★
✔Left - City of Glass, by Cassandra Clare - 5th - ★★★★
Left - The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
✔Right - City of Fallen Angels, by Cassandra Clare - 7th - ★★★★
✔Right - The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green - 15th - ★★★★★
✔Left - City of Lost Souls, by Cassandra Clare - 9th - ★★★★
✔Left - The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield - 6th - ★★★

Delirium (Delirium, #1) by Lauren Oliver City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3) by Cassandra Clare The Hobbit (Middle-Earth Universe) by J.R.R. Tolkien City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) by Cassandra Clare The Fault in Our Stars by John Green City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Exit: East

✔Left - Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius - 13th - ★★★★★
✔Right - City of Heavenly Fire, by Cassandra Clare - 12th - ★★★★
Left - Requiem, by Lauren Oliver
✔Left - Girl, Missing, by Sophie McKenzie - 16th - ★★★★
Right - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson
✔Right - Clean Sweep, by Ilona Andrews - 14th - ★★★★
Left - Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
✔Right - Aesop's Fables, by Aesop - 10th - ★★★★★
Right - Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan
Right - The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
✔Right - Small Acts of Resistance: How Courage, Tenacity, and Ingenuity Can Change the World, by Steve Crawshaw - 15th - ★★★★★
================

I'll edit the hyperlinks later and hopefully make this a bit more tidy to look at
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