#NonficNov: Stranger Than Fiction

Sorry to be a little late posting this. Believe it or not, we are already kicking off week 4 of Nonfiction November. Thanks so much to everyone who’s already participated by sharing discussion posts and reviews or by joining our Instagram challenge! This week we have a fun new prompt talking about nonfiction that’s almost unbelievable, hosted by Chris at Plucked From the Stacks. If you have a response to the prompt or nonfiction reviews to share, that’s the place to do it this week.

Here’s the full text of this week’s prompt:

Stranger Than Fiction: This week we’re focusing on all the great nonfiction books that *almost* don’t seem real. A sports biography involving overcoming massive obstacles, a profile on a bizarre scam, a look into the natural wonders in our world—basically, if it makes your jaw drop, you can highlight it for this week’s topic.

The first book that came to mind for me for this prompt was Bad Blood. That’s probably partly because it’s one of my all-time favorite nonfiction books. It covers the Theranos scandal, in which a blood testing start-up was able to fake having a working product for a disturbingly long time. The corporate underhandedness felt like something right out of a thriller.

The Lady’s Handbook For Her Mysterious Illness didn’t quite feel unbelievable to me, but I certainly wished it were fiction! The way doctors dismissed the author’s pain and sometimes caused her more pain through a refusal to take her seriously made them feel like really poorly developed villains, with no motive but to be evil.

Last but not least, another medical memoir that almost couldn’t be believed. In Susannah Cahalan’s Brain on Fire, the doctors aren’t evil, just bewildered. The fact that she even survived and was able to write this book feels completely improbable. Many people with similar problems don’t have them solved until it’s too late.

I’m sure there are a ton of other great books that could be included in this post. Nonfiction is constantly surprising me and making me want to share fun facts with everyone around me. I can’t wait to see what books you’re all talking about for this one!

Instagram Challenge and Discussion Link-Up

Thank you all for joining us for another year of Nonfiction November! Don’t forget to link-up your discussion prompt responses and nonfiction reviews with Chris at Plucked From the Stacks. You can also join Jaymi at The OC Book Girl for the Instragram challenge every day. The hashtag there and on twitter is #NonficNov.

The post #NonficNov: Stranger Than Fiction appeared first on Doing Dewey.