24 - A book on a subject you know nothing about

[VanesGirl]

I will read Carry the World by Susan Fanetti. Its about the Pack Horse Library Project

[Sharon]

I just finished listening to the audio book of JoJo Moyes called The Giver of Stars also about the Pack Horse Library Project. Very good.

[Beth]

VanesGirl wrote: I will read Carry the World by Susan Fanetti. Its about the Pack Horse Library Project

I looked up another title about the Pack Horse Library Project. It's The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. It also has the subject of Methemoglobinemia (a genetic trait where the person has blue tinged skin).



The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek has 2 subjects I’m not familiar with. Methemoglobinemia (a genetic trait where the person has blue tinged skin) and the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky.

[Pam]

I'm reading Silence of the Chagos: A Novel by Shenaz Patel. I came across this book accidently on the new fiction shelf at the library. I have never heard of the Chagos Archipelago or the displacement of the indigenous people.

[L Y N N]

Sharon wrote: "I just finished listening to the audio book of JoJo Moyes called The Giver of Stars also about the Pack Horse Library Project. Very good."

I would like to read this and compare with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek.

[Kim]

I read Becoming Eve by Abby Chava Stein for this prompt. . It was about a person's journey from ultra-orthodox rabbi to transgender woman. The subject I knew nothing about was Hasidic Jews, I personally know several transgender folks.

[The Biased Bibliophile]

I read Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee for this prompt, and it was great! I definitely recommend it, especially for anyone who likes true crime or biographies!

[Grainne]

I just read Voices from Chernobyl for this prompt. I knew it happened but I didn't really know anything about the nuclear fallout from the nuclear power plant.



Also I am Malala about the middle east:


or

The Lost City of the Monkey King about the Honduran jungle and a team of experts search for a lost city. Also has a map inside.

[Heather]

I've decided to read The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean for this prompt. I had not heard of this case before, and I don't know anything about orchids (or botany in general). This book was turned into the movie Adaptation. I'll have to watch it after I finish the book.

[Rachel]

Stina wrote: "Aagh! My brain does not do well with absolutes like "favorite" and "nothing." I know tiny bits about LOTS of things. This one is going to be even tougher than the "pink cover" prompt, and I certain..."
I really enjoyed the Happy Hooker. (I was in my teens when I read it, so my enjoyment could have been a result of elicit info and sex ed)
:)

[Brenna]

I read The Biggest Game in Town about poker. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I knew more about poker, but the characters were interesting enough to keep me reading until the end

[Rachel]

Ruth wrote: "I'm not sure if it's cheating. But, as I am trying to use books from my TBR (I have a LOT), I figure, I will read a book that I bought because it sounded interesting to me when I bought it, because..."
It's not cheating. It's smart. :)
There are many threads that discuss ways to combine challenges (read a book that covers more than one challenge).

[Lisa]

I found a perfect book for this while ebook shopping with the amazon card my boss gave me for Christmas
The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience, and the Secret World of Sleep. Of course i know nothing about Neuroscience or the science behind sleep disorders or dreams but this still checks so many of my nonfiction reading boxes or what I want from nonfiction reading.

[Evil Secret]

I read Fairy Gardening: creating your own magical miniature garden by Julie Bawen-davis

Fairy Gardening: Creating Your Own Magical Miniature Garden

[Lilith]

I read Uzbekistan by Marylee Knowlton

Really enjoyed this book, and satisfied curiosity I didn't know I had. So that's where Samarkand is! Now I kind of want to visit..

There are maps in this book, too. It has a pink spine if not a pink cover ;)

[Louise]

I got a Kindle Unlimited subscription earlier this year so I'm going with one of the "Introducing... A Graphic Guide" books available as part of that: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=an+graph...

The ones where the topic in the title makes me say "huh?" are the strongest contenders so far :D will see what most appeals to me when I'm ready to start this prompt!

[Meg]

Thoughts on historical fiction for this prompt? I just read The Alice Network, which is a brilliant novel, and I didn’t even know the Alice Network existed in WWI until I read it. Shame on my history textbooks.

[Robin H-R]

Most of what I read is historical fiction and non-fiction

I would recommend The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

You may know about the Ripper, but probably not about the women. The author has done a LOT of research for this book. It is non-fiction though.

[Cheryl A.]

I chose to put The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler for this prompt because I know nada of most mental illnesses other than by name.

[Jennifer]

I highly recommend The Feather Thief It's about tying flies for fly-fishing and it's a true crime story about the heist of rare birds from a museum, all to fund the purchase of a golden flute! So convoluted and yet true. I knew nothing about the theft at the museum, or the history of collecting rare bird skins. It sounds bizarre, but it was soooo good!

[Milena]

Jennifer wrote: "I highly recommend The Feather Thief It's about tying flies for fly-fishing and it's a true crime story about the heist of rare birds from a museum, all to fund the purchase of a go..."

I second this recommendation. I read it last year, but it would have been perfect for this prompt.

[Anshita]

I've decided to read The Gift of a Cow by Premchand. It's set in 1930's pre-independence India and the book explores themes such as caste segregation and rural exploitation.

[Grainne]

Anshita wrote: "I've decided to read The Gift of a Cow by Premchand. It's set in 1930's pre-independence India and the book explores themes such as caste segregation and a rural exploitation."

That sounds very interesting!

[Kristin]

Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback- I chose 'Tracks' because I knew nothing about the Australian Desert, much less backpacking through it, before I read the book.

[Drakeryn]

Meg wrote: "Thoughts on historical fiction for this prompt? I just read The Alice Network, which is a brilliant novel, and I didn’t even know the Alice Network existed in WWI until I read it. Shame on my histo..."

I was considering something similar, since I just read War Girls, a futuristic retelling of the Nigerian Civil War (which I knew nothing about beforehand).

I think historical novels work as long as they're genuinely historical and not just "here's a generic fantasy novel but all the women wear petticoats." So I think The Alice Network definitely works.

[Kristin]

Debating between Freakonomics and the Kite Runner!

[Sherri]

I read Tidelands by Philippa Gregory for this prompt. It had 2 story lines. Set in 1648 on the South Coast of England. One story line was about a small village with a “wise woman” who of course they think is a witch. This story was predictable & I didn’t learn anything new. The second story line was about the English Civil War ( the second one) between King Charles I & parliament. I didn’t know anything about this period in British history. I googled a few things to clarify the religious battles & the difference between Thomas Cromwell ( who I knew was dead at this point) & Oliver Cromwell. I had totally forgotten about cavaliers & roundheads. The civil war story line at first was confusing to me till I got the timeline straight in my head. I wasn’t invested in this part of the book either I gave it 2 stars.

[Robin H-R]

Here's a suggestion:

Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation

I read it last year, and it was amazing!

[SadieReadsAgain]

I read About the Night by Anat Talshir, and the subject I don't know anything about is the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

This is the story of an Arab man Elias and a Jewish woman Lila, who fall in love in 40's Jerusalem, only to be separated by conflict, religion and a physically divided city. But theirs is a love that can't be extinguished, and this book charts their lives and emotions through decades of conflict and changes all around them, and the heartbreaking separation these cause. I'm not necessarily one for a romance, but this is no ordinary love. And the story is told (and has been incredibly translated) in the most transfixing and beautiful writing. This is tempered from being too cloying by being balanced against details of the ongoing fighting across the city, and the stories of a cast of other characters. I particularly enjoyed the modern day interactions of Nomi, who was a young girl during the hidden love story, and elderly Elias.

This is a slow, quiet story so I can see it wouldn't be for everyone, but I appreciated that quality in it. I enjoyed learning more about a conflict I have never been able to get my head around, and see it through the eyes of those who experienced it. Not those who fought it, but the everyday people whose lives were impacted as they tried their best to exist. I think I actually liked that aspect much more than I actually liked the love story. Like I said, I'm not big on romance, but this particular romance had a lot wrong with it that I couldn't overlook. Elias and Lila were not the warmest or most engaging characters, and no matter how strong a love is I really can't ever be ok with infidelity or abandonment.

Still, I think this book will stay with me for a long time and I really enjoyed the reading experience.

[Katie]

I’m going with The penguin lessons because I know nothing about rescuing a penguin and smuggling across the borders!

[L.]

I just read Albatross for this prompt. It is about a professional golfer, a sport I know nothing about!

[Nadine in NY]

I'm partway through The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World and I just want to re-iterate how perfect it is for this prompt. It is beautifully written, and turns out I knew nothing about eels! (Plus, very short chapters, so I feel like I'm flying through it.)

[Courtney]

I choose an autobiography for this prompt. I read In Pieces by Sally Fields. It was an interesting read.

[Karen]

I think I'm going to use The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek for this prompt. My mom read it for a book club, and loved it so much she bought me a copy. I had no idea there was a pack house librarian project as part of Roosevelt's New Deal, or that blue people existed, much less that there was a clan of them in Kentucky. I've really enjoyed this book, and can't think of a better book about something I knew nothing about, since these are topics I didn't even know I didn't know, until reading the book of course.

[T]

I loved that book :)

[Machell]

I just read The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II. If you like a little history combined with a bit of equal rights struggle, I highly recommend it!

[Kristin]

Thoughts about The Kite Runner? I know nothing about life in Afghanistan but wonder if it fits well enough since it is more of a memoir.

[Sherri]

I have been meaning to read Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust and i am looking forward to reading it in this category.

[Teri]

I didn't plan this prompt out because I knew I'd read something during the year that I had not previously known anything about. I often pick up highly recommended books without knowing what they are about.

I used The Nickel Boys, but I could have also used In Cold Blood and maybe others.

[Britany]

Finished Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Shelley]

How I approached this challenge was I went into Overdrive looked up non-fiction, available now, and sorted by most popular. I read the titles until I came across one that made me go "I have no idea how this book is going to go". Ended up being the The Monk of Mokha about the coffee industry in Yemen.

I found it fascinating. Apparently there's some controversy about the truthfulness of it, but considering it's a book about an existing company that only started 10 years ago, of course there's going to be disagreement.

[Nadine in NY]

Shelley wrote: "How I approached this challenge was I went into Overdrive looked up non-fiction, available now, and sorted by most popular. I read the titles until I came across one that made me go "I have no idea..."



that's a brilliant way to choose a book for this category!

[Rachel]

I read The Cottingley Secret, which is about the Cottingley fairies photos.

[Cara]

I'm going with something I know very little about personally. In this case, I selected (was given as an ARC actually) a book that is coming out in late July - The Road from Raqqa: A Story of Brotherhood, Borders, and Belonging. It is about two brothers torn apart as one moves to the US while the other stays in Syria (and later becomes a refugee). I feel like as much as I read about it, I "know" nothing about the immigrant experience, since I haven't actually experienced it. It was a REALLY good book and I highly recommend it.

[Robin H-R]

I read A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie

[Arunimaa]

I just finished The Wall of Winnipeg and Me for this prompt. The book involved a lot of football. And I know nothing about sports. And moreover, football in my country is what they call soccer in America. And while I won't say I know much about soccer, at least I know a teensy bit. The football mentioned in the book is what we call rugby and I honestly don't know shit about it. Like nada.

[Delia]

Sara wrote: "This is one of my very favorite things to do. I love exploring historical events that I know nothing about. This wouldn't be limited to history though. Science, philosophy, religion, gender issues,..."

YES, YES, YES! Over the past few years, I've been using cultural heritage and awareness months as a backbone to my monthly TBRs, and I've learned so much about different cultures and histories and ideas. For this prompt, I read The Harlem Hellfighters during Black History Month. I'm disappointed that I didn't know about about the Hellfighters until I was well into my 30s, and it's a eye opening read.

[Ashleigh]

I read Water for Elephants for this prompt.

I learnt a lot of the history of this time, and I learnt a lot about elephants. I surprisingly knew very little about depression-era circuses and the events, and elephants.

[Warring]

I read 'The Guinevere Deception for this since I know next to nothing about Arthurian Legend

[Douglas]

Okay, I'm not participating in the PopSugar Challenge for 2020 but I have just published a book that may satisfy #24 on the Regular Challenge. "Read a book on a subject you know nothing about."

It's a non-fiction adventure novella about sailing across the Atlantic with friends in the summer of 1986.

Catamaran Crossing: A Sailing Adventure from La Coruña to Antigua