Als die Soldaten kamen: Die Vergewaltigung deutscher Frauen am Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs

The Rising Sun: The Decline & Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-45

John Toland

A history of the Japanese Empire from 1936 to 1945, told primarily from the perspective of Japanese political and military leaders.

pace0·prose0·bleak-1

History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides

A contemporary account of the 5th-century BC conflict between Athens and Sparta. It focuses on military strategy and political speeches.

Same clinical register, still military history

pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

The Tin Drum

Günter Grass1963

A boy in 1920s Danzig decides to stop growing at age three. He observes the rise of Nazism and the war while screaming and playing a toy drum.

clinical → sardonic

pace0·prose+1·bleak-1

The Gulag Archipeligo 1918-1956: An Experiment In Literary Investigation I - Ii.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

A history of the Soviet forced labor camp system based on survivor reports and the author's own imprisonment. It documents state-run repression.

clinical → bleak

pace0·prose+1·bleak0

Smokin' Seventeen

Janet Evanovich2011

A bounty hunter investigates bodies found in her boss's lot while choosing between three suitors. The story follows her daily mishaps in New Jersey.

clinical → playful

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-3

The Martian

Andy Weir2011

A man does arithmetic to stay alive on Mars. Problem, attempt, result, repeat.

clinical → wry

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-3

The Duke and I

Julia Quinn2000

A duke and a debutante enter a fake courtship to avoid social pressure. They navigate Regency London's marriage market while hiding their deal.

clinical → playful

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-3

The Sun and Her Flowers

Rupi Kaur2017

A collection of short, illustrated poems organized into five stages of growth. It covers themes of loss, trauma, and self-healing.

clinical → earnest

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-2

Pillow Thoughts

Courtney Peppernell2016

A collection of short poems and prose pieces organized by emotional state. It focuses on themes of heartbreak, healing, and loneliness.

clinical → tender

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-3

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

Neil deGrasse Tyson2017

A summary of the origin of the universe, the laws of physics, and the nature of space and time.

clinical → playful

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-3

Confessions

Augustine of Hippo

A 4th-century bishop writes a spiritual autobiography addressed to God. He recounts his sinful youth and his eventual conversion to Christianity.

clinical → meditative

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-3

How to Read a Book

Mortimer J. Adler1940

This is a guide to active reading techniques for different genres. It outlines levels of reading from basic literacy to syntopical analysis.

clinical → mysterious

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2

The Red Book: Liber Novus

C.G. Jung2009

A psychologist records his visions and internal dialogues in an illuminated manuscript created during a period of intense self-exploration.

clinical → dreamlike

pace-1·prose+1·bleak-2