Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

18 – A book about a subject you are passionate about
My immediate thought is Social Justice, under which I would include books concerned with racism and prejudice/discrimination, such as How to Be an Antiracist, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, The Souls of Black Folk, and White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. I already read and learned so much from Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, and The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts: Murder and Memory in an American City.

How about your passion?

Great prompt, since it should guarantee you like the subject you are reading about :-)

Just a few ideas/topics...

Horses:
Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America
Obsessed: The Autobiography
Ruffian: Burning From the Start
Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Fighting oppression/injustice:
Disappeared: A Journalist Silenced
I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

Saving/helping children:
Sold
I Loved Her Enough: chance, tragedy, love, and fresh air
Little Men

Disney:
Disney-War
Deadliest Cast Member -- Disneyland Adventure Series
Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination
Walt Disney: An American Original
Realityland: True-Life Adventures at Walt Disney World
The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World: Over 600 Secrets of the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom

I think I might go with fighting climate change / protecting the environment:
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook
No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference

Or Vegetarianism/Veganism:
Eating Animals
The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Diet
What the Health: The Startling Truth Behind the Foods We Eat, Plus 50 Plant-Rich Recipes to Get You Feeling Your Best
The PLANeT BASED DIET - The Cowspiracy Cookbook

Tania wrote: "Great prompt, since it should guarantee you like the subject you are reading about :-)"

Agreed! :)

So, I really like this prompt, but I'm also completely stumped. I think this is just a case of me wrestling with semantics, because I am interested in a lot of subjects, but I wouldn't describe myself as "passionate" about any of them.

I'm trying to reframe this in my mind as "a book on a subject you are very interested in."

It's too bad I already ran through every bread machine cookbook in my library system, or I could use one of those, since maybe I'm passionate about bread?

I might go for something food related or about the natural world. I kinda want this to be a fun passion as I have the social justice prompt to read about an issue I am passionate about. I don't want to get too bogged down in reality next year!

For me it's Scottish independence, so I'm going with Two Closes and a Referendum

I think I'm going to read Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art or How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. I'm pretty passionate about taking time for self-care and self-reflection.

I'm an anthropology and business double major, though I'm more passionate for my anthropology field, so I'll pick something off the Goodreads recommendation for the anthropology category. If I can find something that intersects with my two fields than even better.

Hidden women's history so I thought I'd go with a classic that for some reason I haven't picked up yet - though I have seen the movie adaptation.

Some more Horse literature:
The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts
Smoky the Cow Horse by Will James (an oldy but goody)
Black Beauty (a classic)
The Eighty Dollar Champion by Elizabeth Letts
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Hm... I have the same problem that I don't think of myself as having passions at all. But one thing I care a lot about and find interesting is learning science, so maybe one of the books I noted at a conference last year, like Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education or Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain

What about books about books? Aren't we all passionate about reading and books? Any recs for this?

climate change!

The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren

Morgan wrote: "What about books about books? Aren't we all passionate about reading and books? Any recs for this?"

Book Love its a graphic novel so it can work for different format for people too.

First I thought, what am I passionate about? But then I remembered. Climate change, children's rights, human rights and equality in general, reading, sustainable agriculture and energy. Good food, being generous and kind. Laughter and compassion. Love, life and friendship. Meeting people with an open mind.
I believe I'll find something.

Can anyone recommend any books (nonfiction mostly!) about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, the Romanovs?
I’m mostly passionate about history lol

Megan wrote: "Can anyone recommend any books (nonfiction mostly!) about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, the Romanovs?
I’m mostly passionate about history lol"

I highly highly recommend Robert K. Massie. He writes about Russian leaders. They are non-fiction but read like fiction. They are so gripping and juicy.

He has one on the Romanovs, Nicholas and Alexandra, also Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman and Peter the Great: His Life and World

I’ve read all those except the last one.

Megan wrote: "Can anyone recommend any books (nonfiction mostly!) about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, the Romanovs?
I’m mostly passionate about history lol"

To the Scaffold: The Life of Marie Antoinette

Megan wrote: "Can anyone recommend any books (nonfiction mostly!) about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, the Romanovs?
I’m mostly passionate about history lol"

Have you read The Romanovs: 1613-1918? I thought it was really good.

It's a hard prompt. I do not feel a deep burning passion for anything in particular. I guess I'll change it for a subject that I like.

Any recommendation about a book with board game? Or english history?

Fannie wrote: "Any recommendation about a book with board game?"

I don't know if you'd be familiar with Dave Gorman, but he asked the internet if anyone would like to play games with him and he wrote a book about all the different ones he played, and there were a lot of board games: Dave Gorman vs. the Rest of the World

Ellie wrote: "Fannie wrote: "Any recommendation about a book with board game?"

I don't know if you'd be familiar with Dave Gorman, but he asked the internet if anyone would like to play games with him and he wr..."

Wow! Thank you. I'll look into that for sure.

Sara wrote: "I'm an anthropology and business double major, though I'm more passionate for my anthropology field, so I'll pick something off the Goodreads recommendation for the anthropology category. If I can ..."

Sara - Fellow Anthropology major here, if you haven't already read it, I recommend Out of Poverty: What Works When Traditional Approaches Fail. An entrepreneur/inventor discusses poverty around the world. Its the closest Anthropology/business book I have found and its a good read. A little textbook-y but puts poverty in a whole new perspective.

I'm very interested in cats and cat behaviour, so I'm going to read:
Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean by Jackson Galaxy.

Hmm education is a passion of mine being a teacher. The first two that come to mind are “Educated” and “The Freedom Writers”, which I’ve read both.

Any ideas?

Any ideas for books about mental health?

Rikke wrote: "Any ideas for books about mental health?"

I highly recommend The Heartland: Finding and Losing Schizophrenia. I have a mental health shelf for books I've read that might give you ideas: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Yeah, I'm stumped on subjects I'm passionate about. But I collect unicorns, so apparently I'm passionate about them. Plenty of books to choose from there.

I would go with a social justice issue, but we already have that prompt covered. And a book about Dove's chocolates seems limiting.

For anyone into Beanie Babies, I read The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute a couple of years ago and found it quite entertaining and informative.

Nadine wrote: "So, I really like this prompt, but I'm also completely stumped. I think this is just a case of me wrestling with semantics, because I am interested in a lot of subjects, but I wouldn't describe mys..."

White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf

Crystal wrote: "
White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf..."


That looks fascinating!! And with all my bread baking, I have opinions, I bet I'll get pretty worked up at some parts hahaha!

Sara wrote: "I'm an anthropology and business double major, though I'm more passionate for my anthropology field, so I'll pick something off the Goodreads recommendation for the anthropology category. If I can ..."

My degree is anthropology. How about Margaret Mead?

Sara wrote: "I'm an anthropology and business double major, though I'm more passionate for my anthropology field, so I'll pick something off the Goodreads recommendation for the anthropology category. If I can ..."



Have you read Euphoria?

Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread As the only thing I am passionate about is reading, can I pick "Ex-Libris" by Michiko Kakutani as it deals with the subject of books and reading?

I chose 2 books for this prompt: Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation and Why We Can't Sleep: Women's New Midlife Crisis. As an elder millennial, I feel deeply the struggle not to burn out (whether at work or just in life). I'm also a woman in my late 30s who sometimes can't sleep, and I feel passionate about women's health issues.

Megan wrote: "Can anyone recommend any books (nonfiction mostly!) about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, the Romanovs?
I’m mostly passionate about history lol"

Obviously not about the Tudors or Romanovs, but I might double up (yes, I am doubling up as that’s half the fun of it) on The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt for this and a couple of other prompts.

Hmm I might not go with a serious passion because there's the social justice prompt already.

I wonder if there any good books about chocolate since I'm so obsessed with it...

I'm having trouble coming up with what I'm passionate about. Politics (but I'm SO burned out on that subject), protecting women's reproductive rights, animal rescue (particularly dispelling pit bull myths) ... then there are subjects that I'm interested in but I don't know that I'd say I'm passionate about them (WW2, atheism, French culture).

Rikke wrote: "Any ideas for books about mental health?"

It's Kind Of A Funny Story/ BY: Ned Vizzini

Little Panic / BY: Amanda Stern

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest / BY: Ken Kesey

Thirteen Reasons Why / BY: Jay Asher

The Silver Linings Playbook / BY: Matthew Quick

Megan wrote: "Can anyone recommend any books (nonfiction mostly!) about the Tudors, Marie Antoinette, the Romanovs?
I’m mostly passionate about history lol"

I read - The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia
by Candace Fleming
in 2020 for one of the prompts and really enjoyed the book. I think this one is YA, but it still gave me some new facts.

I'm passionate about a few topics. The first topic is Doula/Birth Work. Some of my books are:

Battling Over Birth: Black Women and the Maternal Health Care Crisis
The Doulas: Radical Care for Pregnant People
The Doula Business Guide: Creating a Successful Motherbaby Business
Your Amazing Newborn
Midwives
Empty Arms: Coping with Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death
Untold Stories: Life, Love, and Reproduction
Call the Midwife: A True Story of the East End in the 1950s

The other topic is Polyamory/Ethical NonMonogamy

Love's Not Colorblind: Race and Representation in Polyamorous and Other Alternative Communities
More Than Two: A Practical Guide to Ethical Polyamory
Polyamory in the 21st Century: Love and Intimacy with Multiple Partners
The Ethical Slut: A Guide to Infinite Sexual Possibilities
The Game Changer: A Memoir of Disruptive
Love
For Hire: Operator
Many Love: A Memoir of Polyamory and Finding Love
What Love Is: And What It Could Be

I feel passionately about fire damage (I know that is oddly specific). I live in California and wildfires are a major issue. I'm planning on reading the following to learn more:

Fire: A Very Short Introduction

But, I would consider the following too:

Fire in Paradise: An American Tragedy

Smokejumper: A Memoir

I read this one and it was AMAZING (and super fast to read since it is a graphic novel):

A Fire Story

I am passionate about wildfire damage and control as well as forestry. I know that's oddly specific but, living in California, wildfires are becoming more and more out of control. I've started learning about forest management, firefighting, and insurance bureaucracy through podcasts so I'm excited to read the following for this prompt:

Fire: A Very Short Introduction

Others on my list that I hope to get to someday:

Fire in Paradise: An American Tragedy

Smokejumper: A Memoir

One I've read and LOVED:

A Fire Story

I'm a big film buff, super passionate about all kinds of movies, so I would recommend Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema (which is what I'm reading) or Movies

Heritage buildings: The Life and Death of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

I've got a few suggestions to add that have been on my list!

LGBTQ+/Queer books (Fiction and Non-Fiction):
-All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages
-Straight: The Surprisingly Short History Of Heterosexuality
-The Invention of Heterosexuality
-Honeypot: Black Southern Women Who Love Women
-We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir
-Lives of Great Men: Living and Loving as an African Gay Man
-Bloodflowers: Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Photography, and the 1980s
-Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity
-Dying to Be Normal: Gay Martyrs and the Transformation of American Sexual Politics
-I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes from the End of the World (one of my favorites over the last year)
-Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity
-When Brooklyn Was Queer
-Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches
-Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
Pantomime
-We Want It All: An Anthology of Radical Trans Poetics
-The Lauras
-A Proper Young Lady
-Dear Herculine

I will be reading a book about fat acceptance

Rikke wrote: "Any ideas for books about mental health?"

Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life= Christie Tate

I LOVED this book! It also found me whenever I really needed it.

I’m not really passionate about any subject, but I am interested in serial killers and dark history. So I will be reading ‘Talking with Serial Killers’ by Christopher Berry-Dee which I got in my Secret Santa.