2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

I’m Your Biggest Fan
February 1, 2022-February 28, 2022

Do you have a favorite singer, actor/actress, athlete, or other celebrity? How about a challenge to show your loyalty? Read books that relate to them in some way.

Example: Elvis Presley: He was born in January, so read a book published in January.
He was in the movie “Blue Hawaii.” Read a book with blue on the cover, or a book set in Hawaii.
He recorded the song “All Shook Up” So maybe read a book with any of those words in the title.

You choose the celebrity. You choose the books, based on what you know about them.

This challenge was created by Theresa, and she will be our challenge leader

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To sign up for this challenge, please post a message that includes your reading goal for the challenge.

When posting your progress please include your original (sign-up) message number plus your current progress.

(Example: Update to message #16: 3/5)

If you decide to drop out of the challenge, please don't delete your original sign-up post. Just post a message to let me know. Thank you!

Thanks for joining! Have fun!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

💵 Got The Money (Signed Up)
🎟️ Bought A Ticket (In Progress)
🤩 Seeing Stars (Goal Reached)

Participants:
🎟️ Agi #5 - 1/3
🤩 Amy #25 - 4/4
🤩 Brittany #29 - 3/3
🤩 Carmen #8 - 4/4
🎟️ Christene Paula #58 2/5
🤩 Cindy III #64 - 3/3
💵 CrazyAsACupCake #23 - 0/3
💵 D.L #9 - 0/4
🤩 Debra Diggs #6 - 5/5
🎟️ Jennifer #35 - 5/21
💵 Jotie #14 - 0/3
🤩 Kelly #13 - 3/3
🎟️ L A i N E Y #46 - 1/4
🤩 Lindsey #34 -12/12
🤩 Lynn #19 - 3/3
🎟️ Meghan L #11 - 6/8
💵 mussolet #32 - 0/5
🎟️ Nicole #21 - 2/3
🤩 oshizu #12 - 8/7
🤩 rika #4 - 8/8
🤩 Sarah #15 - 15/15
🤩 SarahKat #7 - 6/6
🤩 Sunny #10 - 4/4
🤩 TerryJane #17 15/10
🤩 Theresa #3 - 3/3

Stats:
Number Of Participants: 25
Books Read: 113
Books Pledged: 149
75.8% read

updated through message 90

I'm signing up for 3 books.

Sawyer Brown
Progress: 3/3

✔ I am including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in this challenge since Sawyer is in the title.--Feb. 13--

Sawyer Brown won in the vocal group category on "Star Search" in February 1983.
✔Homicide in Hardcover (published in the month of February) This book also has a mostly Brown cover--Feb. 21--

The song Ruby Red Shoes is on their The Dirt Road album. "There was a cat and a man made of tin, there was a chick and an old scarecrow" are some lyrics in this song.
✔The Wonderful Wizard of Oz--Feb. 2--

Count me in for 8 books - 8/8
I want to do a tribute to Meatloaf by using the first letter of each book's title to spell his name.


M -Malafrena by Ursula K. Le Guin 09/02
E -Extraction by Xyla Turner 09/02
A - A Countess Below Stairs by [a]uthor:Eva Ibbotson|57462] 04/02
T - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 02/02
L- Love and Lists by Tara Sivec 05/02
O - One Moment At Sunrise by Karen Aldous by 11/02
A - Against Nature Joris-Karl Huysmans 11/02
F -February Flowers by Fan Wu 11/02

Please, sign me up. I'm going to read three books, that are somehow related to Ralph Fiennes.

1. December by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop - he was born on 22 December 1962.

2. Madame Verona Comes Down the Hill by Dimitri Verhulst - story takes place in Belgium. He played in the film In Bruges.

3. A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True by Brigid Pasulka - story takes place in Poland. Zubrowka (native Żubrówka) is a Polish vodka and also the name of the fictional country in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Hi Theresa. I absolutely love this challenge. Please sign me up for 5 books.


Arnold Schwarzenegger
5/5
Completed

✔ 1. 1997 heart surgery and date book was published
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

✔ 2. phrase at the end of Terminator, "There's a storm coming in"....the word "storm" in title, plus the phrase also works for the book
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

✔ 3. the word "museum" in the title, the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum in Austria
The Horror in the Museum by H.P. Lovecraft

✔ 4. family was in Allied-occupied Austria then moved to America, Arnold was born in Allied-occupied Austria then moved to America
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta von Trapp

✔ 5. the Terminator novelization
The Terminator by Randall Frakes

Hi! Please sign me up for 6 books!


Hugh Jackman
5/6

Australian: The Hypnotist's Love Story
Born in October: A Night in the Lonesome October
Born in 1968: A Wizard of Earthsea
X-men: New X-Men, Volume 2: Imperial
The Prestige: The Magician's Elephant
Greatest Showman: Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti

Hola!
Theresa, please, count me in! 😉

PROGRESS: 4/4😍


💟💟💟FREDDY💟MERCURY💟💟💟

💙1946 He was born in 1946, so I'll read a book published that year
Come, Tell Me How You Live✔

💚1991 He died in 1991, so I'll read a book published that year (the author's pseudonym is Fred too)
The Chalk Circle Man✔

💛QUEEN He was lead vocalist of the rock band Queen, so I'll read a book with "queen" in the title
QUEEN MARGOT✔

💜CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE song written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, I'll read a book with the same title
Crazy Little Thing Called Love✔

Love this challenge!!! And there's so many good celebrities already named here. I have 2 favorite celebs and couldn't decide which to use so I'll pick 2 tasks for each of my wonderful queens!

PROGRESS: 0/4


Melissa McCarthy



-- In 2020, The New York Times ranked her #22 in its list of the 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century. Read a book from the the Best Books of the 21st Century Listopia.


-- She has the best smile ever. Read a book with someone smiling on the cover.


***

Hilary Duff



She starred in the movie A Cinderella Story. Read a fairytale retelling.


Not only is she an actress, but she is also a singer-songwriter. Read a book tagged MPG Music.

Hi Theresa. I'm in.

Progress: 4/4
💜 Completed! 💜

💜John Barrowman💜

📕💜1. He was born in 1967.
***I will read a book published in 1967. Endless Night

📕💜2.He was Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and Torchwood.
***I will ead a science fiction book. The Hunger Games

📕💜3.As the character Captain Jack he wore a uniform from WWII.
***I will read a book set during WWII. Luciano's Luck

📕💜4.He recorded the song Loch Lomond on his You Raise Me Up CD.
***I will read a book set in Scotland.The Gathering Dark

I am going way back to my teenage dream fandom - The Backstreet Boys.

0/8

Backstreet Boys
1. Black & Blue (album) - Library of the Dead
2. Breathe (song) - House of Sky and Breath
3. Paradise (Kevin's first band) - Paradise Lost
4. Family (cousins) - House of Earth and Blood
5. Florida (origin) - Hemingway Stories
6. Heart (surgery) - The Heart: Frida Kahlo in Paris
7. The One (song lyrics) - Into the Wild
8. Singers - The Siren

I"M YOUR BIGGEST FAN

Please sign me up for 4 books.

My focus will be on my guilty pleasure: Taeyong Lee, the leader of the Korean boy band NCT and an obscenely talented dancer, singer, and rapper with an overwhelming stage presence and unbelievably good looks. *fans self
Don't feel you need to watch, but in the "KIck It" music video linked below, he's in the front with the straight white/blond hair. In the bridge and dance breaks, he's almost always in front center.
Video link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OvyA2__Eas

Progress: 8/7

✔️1. Murder at Kensington Palace: published in 2019, the year in which SuperM (a hybrid group to which he also belongs) debuted, their first album also debuting at the No. 1 spot on Billboard 200 that year.
✔️2. Jade War: a wuxia fantasy because NCT 127's 2020 hit song "Kick It" has a martial arts theme.
✔️3. My Love Story: a loose reference to my obsession for this talented entertainer for the past 4 years or so.
✔️4. Death and Judgment: published in his birth year.
✔️5. Nowhere to Be Found: The author shares Taeyong Lee's birthplace fo Seoul, South Korea.
✔️6. Space Opera: The protagonists are musicians performing in an intergalactic event to ensure the survival of Planet Earth. NCT 127's 2019 futuristic hit "Superhuman" features sci-fi computer graphic effects and cinematography.
✔️7. The Calculating Stars: published in July, his birth month.
✔️8. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: Published in 2012, the year Taeyong was scouted by his agency, SM Entertainment.

I’m in for 3 books! This is a great idea for a challenge. I will pay tribute to the late, great
Leonard Cohen!

I've been on a kick of David Tennant lately so I'll go for 3 books relating to him!
Progress: 1/3
*Mandy by Julie Andrews (published the year he was born) ✅
Rating: 4/5
*The Time Travelers by Linda Buckley-Archer (Time-traveling for Doctor who)
*City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (He plays a demon who's best friends with an angel in Good Omens)

I am going to go with Jonathan Knight from New Kids on the Block and Farmhouse Fixer as I am a big fan of his.

Sign me up for 15 books

15/15-COMPLETED



✅1)He was born in November(a book published in November): Briar Girls(3/2/22)

✅2)He lives on a farm(a book set on a farm): Farmer Boy(10/2/22)

✅3)He has dealt with anxiety (a book about anxiety): The Anxiety Solution: A Quieter Mind, a Calmer You(4/2/22)

✅4)He is the second youngest of 6 siblings (a book with a large family in it): Cheaper by the Dozen(5/2/22)

✅5)He is an openly gay man(a book with a LGTB character in it): The Song of Achilles(16/2/22)

✅6)He is in a boyband(a book where the characters are in a boyband): Boy Band(15/2/22)

✅7)He sings lead on a song called Happy Birthday(a book with the title Happy Birthday and has a birthday in the story):
Happy Birthday(18/2/22)

✅8)He sings lead on a song called White Christmas(a book with White Christmas in the title): The White Christmas Inn(20/2/22)

✅9)When is not performing with New Kids on the Block, he renovate houses for a living(a book with a character who renovates houses):
99 Percent Mine(14/2/22)

✅10)He is the host of a home renovation show on HGTV(a book with a character who is a host of a home renovation show):
Man Hands(1/2/22)

✅11)He was born in Boston, Massachusetts(a book set in Boston, Massachusetts): Against the Tide(22/2/22)

✅12)His surname is Knight(a book with a character who is a Knight): Every Noble Knight(7/2/22)

✅13)He took part in the CBS The Amazing Race in 2015 along with his partner(a book with the word Amazing in the title): Amazing Grace(28/2/22)

✅14)His band New Kids on the Block has a album and a song called Step by Step(a book with the words Step by Step in the title): Step by Wicked Step(1/2/22)

✅15)His middle name is Rashleigh(a book with a character with Rashleigh as the surname): Maestra(24/2/22)

Welcome to the challenge, everyone. I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you for joining.

I truly enjoy seeing which celebrities are chosen. Some are more familiar to me than others and i have found myself using google for those that are less familiar to me. I'm having fun. 😊

😍 I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN - Monthly Challenge
Duration: February 1 - February 28, 2022
Progress: 15/10


I don't actually find many celebrities admirable, but in 2020, I read about Gary Sinise in Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service and was incredibly impressed by his patriotism, selflessness and humanitarian spirit, so that's who I decided on for this challenge.

▪ Gary Sinise was born in 1955 in Blue Island, Illinois. I read:
😍 Hickory Dickory Dock, published in 1955, and
😍 The House in the Cerulean Sea for his home town because it has a shade of blue in the title and is set on an island.

▪ Mr. Sinise received the Presidential Citizens Medal and the Congressional Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award for his support of America's military, veterans, and first responders. I read:
😍 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler because it was awarded a Newbery Medal.

▪ Mr. Sinise, through the Gary Sinise Foundation (https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/), has taken over 9000 Gold Star children/spouses to Walt Disney World Resort via the Snowball Express program. I read book #1 from Disney's Twisted Tales series:
😍A Whole New World

▪ GSF builds and retrofits homes and vehicles for disabled veterans, wounded defenders, and first responders. I read:
😍 Tiny Houses: Beginners Guide about home building.

▪ Mr. Sinise is a bass guitarist for Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, which performs charity concerts and USO shows. They have performed in Kuwait, Afghanistan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Singapore, Diego Garcia, Guantanamo Bay, Alaska, Puerto Rico and throughout the U.S. I read:
😍 The Cellist of Sarajevo for the musician who is central to the novel, and,
😍 The Storm on Our Shores: One Island, Two Soldiers, and the Forgotten Battle of World War II for the WWII history and the Alaska location.

▪ Gary Sinise is a man of faith who converted to Catholicism in 2010 and is a strong supporter of Israel. I read:
😍 Faithful which was written by a Jewish author.

▪ Mr. Sinise has acted in many films, plays and television shows. I read:
😍 Of Mice and Men, in which he protrayed George.
😍 Gwendy's Button Box because it's a Stephen King story, and he acted in SK's The Stand.
😍 Forrest Gump,
😍 Gump & Co., and
😍 Gumpisms because he portrayed Forrest's friend, Lt. Dan Taylor.
😍 The Sirens of Mars: Searching for Life on Another World because he was in Apollo 13 and Mission to Mars.
😍 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics about the birth of forensics, because he portrays Detective Mac Taylor in the TV shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY and CSI: Miami.

=====
I ran out out of month and don't have time to read the ones below. They will remain on my TBR, and when I do read them, I will think of the altruistic Gary Sinise. What a loving and generous man! ❤️❤️❤️

▪ The Gary Sinise Foundation (https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/) assists our heroes with drug addiction, suicide prevention, PTSD, and a mentorship program that pairs new amputees with veterans who have adapted to similar injuries. I will read:
Troubled Blood in which the MC is a detective who lost a leg while serving Afghanistan.

▪ He portrayed Tom Joad in a Broadway production of Grapes of Wrath, so I will read:
The Four Winds, also set in the Dust Bowl/Great Depression.

▪ Gary Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand co-founded Operation Iraqi Children and sent school supplies to Iraqi children. They later expanded OIC to do the same for children affected by Hurricane Katrina. I will read:
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk which is set during the war in Iraq.

Gary Sinise was in the film version of The Green Mile, another Stephen King film, so I will read that.

oshizu wrote: "I"M YOUR BIGGEST FAN

Please sign me up for 4 books.

My focus will be on my guilty pleasure: Taeyong Lee, the leader of the Korean boy band NCT and an obscenely talented dancer, singer, and rapper..."
Quite the entertaining video! *Fanning...*

*The Calculating Stars: published in July, his birth month."
Oohh...I sure hope you enjoy this as much as I did! I adore Kowal's Lady Astronaut series!

Wow. I really don't get into being a big fan of much of anyone...

Although I have always idolized Denzel Washington. And he has made so many movies, etc., that I'm relatively certain I can find some way to link at least 3 books to him in some way...

3/3 as of February 22!
DONE!!

*💘The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross #9) by James Patterson
In the 2021 movie "The Little Things" Denzel plays a detective investigating a string of muders, just as Alex Cross does.
February 17 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*💘Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
In the 2021 movie "A Journal for Jordan" the female lead reflects upon her unlikely yet powerful romantic relationship with the male lead character. Much as Chloe and Red's relationship.
February 21 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*💘So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
Race/discrimination--Denzel played Malcolm X in the same-titled movie
February 22 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Possibilities:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Tie-in to the 1993 film "Philadelphia"--HIV/Aids
Lila by Marilynne Robinson
Lila becomes a minister's wife after seeking shelter from the rain in a church one Sunday and Washington starred in a 1996 movie "The Preacher's Wife"

Message 15 Updated

I have decided to change my goal to 15 books

I'm in for 3!

Andrea Bocelli

He played soccer as a kid and a soccer incident took away his remaining sight. This book has kids playing soccer= The Soccer Mystery
He wrote a memoir= The Music of Silence

Goal Met So Far: 2/3

Welcome to those who signed up in the last 24 hours. It's almost showtime. LOL! Enjoy!

I'll join for 3, relating to Leanna Firestone :)

Possible Prompts:
Born in 2001 - read a book published in 2001
She refers to herself as an 'unreliable narrator' - read a book with an unreliable narrator
The first song I listened to was Strawberry Mentos - read a book with strawberries on the cover or in the title
She likes anime, specifically Haikyu and MHA (the song Suneater is based on Tamaki) - read a manga book
She's from Tennessee - read a book set in Tennessee
Her most recent single is Smitten - read a romance novel

Welcome to the challenge, CrazyAsACupcake!

I want to join! At first I really couldn't think of anyone, but then I decided on Rachel Bloom, since I read her book in December and she is crazy funny and talented. I will try for 4 books.
4/4-- Challenge Completed

1. Flowers (Bloom)-- The Cranefly Orchid Murders
2. Songs-- The Songbook of Benny Lament
3. Pregnancy/Daughter-- Miss Benson's Beetle
4. Panic Attacks-- Welcome to My Panic

Updated message 24-- 1/4

Lynn wrote: "Wow. I really don't get into being a big fan of much of anyone...

Although I have always idolized Denzel Washington. And he has made so many movies, etc., that I'm relatively certain I can find so..."
Lynn
I love Denzel! *high fives

Message 15 updated

2/15

I'm in for 3. I am obsessed with Dolly Parton so I am going to be doing a book that was published in January (for her birthday), a book set in Tennessee, and a book about music.

1. The Princess Trap (published in January) finished 2/11/2022
2. Grin and Beard It (set in Tennessee) finished 2/26/2022
3. Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass by Lana Del Rey finished 2/28/2022

A big Welcome to Amy and Brittany. Good Luck!

Updated message 3. Progress: 1/3

Hi Theresa,

I'm going with a TV show, I hope that's okay :)
Going to set my goal at 5.

I’m Your Biggest Fan
Feb 1, 2022 - Feb 28, 2022 - Completed: / 5

The Doctor Blake Mysteries
Ideas:
* set in Australia
* set in the 1950s/1960s
* a mystery
* a romance
* medical profession
* flowers on the cover
* grief

Hi, mussolet! Welcome!

I'm Your Biggest Fan- MESSAGE 34



Goal: 12/12

Tobey Maguire ---- 4/4
✘ 1. First Spider-Man move of his came out in 2002 --- a book published in 2002 The House of the Scorpion
✘ 2. In 2004 Maguire took up tournament poker --- a book with a poker chips or cards on the cover Insanity
✘ 3. Tobey has two kids ---- a book with a 2 kids on the cover From Little Tokyo, with Love ---- 2/10/22
✘ 4. Tobey's first movie came out in 1989 --- a book published in 1989 The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book

Andrew Garfield ---- 4/4
✘ 1. First Spider-Man move of his came out in 2012 --- a book published in 2012 Insurgent
✘ 2. Garfield has dual citizenship in the United State and the United Kingdom ---- a book that takes place in the United States and the United Kingdom Red, White & Royal Blue
✘ 3. Andrew appeared in two episodes of Doctor Who ---- Doctor Who book Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion
✘ 4. He is a HUGE dog lover --- a book with dogs A Pug's Guide to Dating

Tom Holland ---- 4/4
✘1. First Spider-Man move of his came out in 2017 --- a book published in 2017 Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book
✘ 2. His first Marvel movie came out in 2016 ---- a book published in 2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
✘ 3. Tom will be playing Fred Astaire in a biopic --- a book about Fred Astaire American Legends: The Life of Fred Astaire
✘ 4. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 7 --- a book with a main character who is dyslexic My Dyslexia

Tobey Maguire ---- 2/4

Andrew Garfield

Tom Holland

I would like to sign up for 21
This sounds so fun!!!
The celebrity I'll be focusing on is Julie Andrews 😊

Welcome, Lindsey and Jennifer.

Lindsey wrote: "

Tobey Maguire
1. First Spider-Man move of his came out in 2002 --- a book published in 2002
2. In 2004 Maguire took up tournament poker --- a book with a poker tournament
3. Tobey has two kids --..."

Hi, Lindsey. I'm guessing your goal is 12 books? If that is not accurate, please let me know.

Theresa wrote: "Lindsey wrote: "

Tobey Maguire
1. First Spider-Man move of his came out in 2002 --- a book published in 2002
2. In 2004 Maguire took up tournament poker --- a book with a poker tournament
3. Tobey..."

my bad....yes, my goal is 12 books. Thank you.

Update message 4
Count me in for 8 books
I want to do a tribute to Meatloaf by using the first letter of each book's title to spell his name.

Update to Message 7: 3/6

Born in October: A Night in the Lonesome October
Born in 1968: A Wizard of Earthsea
The Prestige: The Magician's Elephant

Updated message 25-- 2/4

Update to message 4 - 6/8

update to message 34 --- 1/12

✘ 3. Tobey has two kids ---- a book with a 2 kids on the cover From Little Tokyo, with Love ---- 2/10/22

TerryJane wrote: "I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN - Monthly Challenge
Duration: February 1 - February 28, 2022
Progress: 0/10

I found 16 choices for this great challenge, but will only commit to 10 for now. I'd rather go over..."

I love Gary Sinise! And what interesting books you've chosen! My TBR gets longer and longer =)

Update to message #6: 2/5

Loving this challenge!

Oh my! This challenge is so up my alley!! :)

🥇I'm your BIGGEST fan

Read: 1/4



🥰 MR. CALEB LANDRY JONES ❤️

He’s an adorable ginger - redhaired protagonist
Frankie & Bug
In Byzantium movie - immortal being
The Taker
In Heaven Knows What - book about drug addiction
✅ You'd Be Home Now   5⭐️
He won Cannes film festival 'Best Actor' for Nitram - troubled male MC
House Arrest

Now I shall leave you with this. *chef's kiss*

Welcome to the challenge, L A i N E Y!

Theresa wrote: "Welcome to the challenge, L A i N E Y!"

Thank you Theresa! I’ve been having fun checking out everyone’s beloved objects of obsession (and the book selections of course 😆 😂)!

Update message 4 - 8/8 Completed

Thanks for the challenge!!!

update mess 13
1/3
Leonard Cohen Theme
1.

Both the author (Pete Mansbridge) and Leonard Cohen have been awarded the Order of Canada (Another tie in is that Leonard Cohen is a Canadian Author like Peter Mansbridge!)