Good source of news and info:
http://www.coindesk.com/
Understanding blockchains at at least a basic level is good, so you know what you're getting into. Here's an 'Explain like I'm 5' version:
http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-explained-five-year-old/
And the technical white paper for bitcoin:
https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
Age old advice but it bears repeating: Don't invest anything you cannot afford to lose.
It can be tempting seeing the incredible gains some of these coins are making to bet too much, but big gains can also mean big losses.
Good luck!
RE: It's frustrating to not have any prior knowledge of the Crypto-World! Drop some knowledge on me...