New Notions Challenge - Reading Outside the Comfort Zone

The New Notions Challenge Runs from May 1 to September 30. The challenge is to pick 5 books that you believe will challenge your thinking about any topic. It might be tackling a political viewpoint, a stance on a social issue, and notions about a color of skin, a creed, or an “ism”. You might challenge your notions about science, the world, or economics. You might want to read a book about something you already agree with that presents a whole new take on it. Anything that YOU believe is outside your normal viewpoint or that will make you rethink your preconceptions or assumptions is fair game.


Most of what I read is non-fiction, and I have read a lot of stuff, so I am already fairly open-minded about ideas, politics and beliefs. So for me, this challenge is going to be more on reading Authors I have never read - because that will be outside my comfort zone.

One of the books I am choosing for this challenge is The Hacienda by Lisa St Aubin de Teran. I have never read anything by her before, and so this book will definitely be outside my comfort zone.

ETA (May 5th)
I have decided to read the following 4 authors (as well as Lisa St Aubin de Teran) for this challenge.

The Historian by Elisabeth Kostova, because I am not a Dracula fan, and this looks an interesting view on Vlad Tepes (the man behind the Dracula legend)

Shakespeare's Sonnets (I have never read any of these before at all - and in all the Shakespeare author debate books I have - the sonnets are mentioned a lot!!)

The Carpet Wars - From Kabul to Baghdad by Christopher Kremmer - so I can have some understanding of the Middle East Situation according to their carpets.

And lastly I really must read at least one book by Margaret Atwood, since I have never read any of her books, and I do live in Canada.

I did read House of Spirits by Isabel Allende a few years ago, so she gets disqualified. LOL