LitQueuelitqueue

After

Big Magic

Elizabeth Gilbert2015

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

1 more ↓

  • The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well

    Meik Wiking

    The CEO of the Happiness Research Institute explains the Danish concept of hygge. It focuses on comfort, lighting, food, and social connection.

    Same warm register, still self-help

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Doktor Faustus

    Thomas Mann1948

    A composer trades his soul for musical genius as his life and the rise of Nazi Germany are chronicled by a concerned friend.

    warm → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+3·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.

    warm → meditative

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

    A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.

    warm → reflective

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    warm → earnest

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+1

  • 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.

    warm → tender

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

  • 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.

    warm → playful

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    warm → meditative

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

  • 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.

    warm → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak+1

  • Self-Reliance and Other Essays

    Ralph Waldo Emerson1993

    A collection of 19th-century lectures advocating for individualism and nonconformity. The prose is dense, formal, and philosophical.

    warm → meditative, still essays

    pace-2·prose+3·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Animal Farm

    George Orwell1945

    Farm animals overthrow their human owner to run the farm themselves. The pigs gradually seize control and establish a new hierarchy.

    warm → sardonic

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+3

  • The Diary of a Young Girl

    Anne Frank2001

    A Jewish teenager records her daily life and thoughts while hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex in Amsterdam.

    warm → earnest

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+3

  • A Child Called "It"

    Dave Pelzer1987

    A memoir of the author's childhood survival against severe physical and psychological abuse by his mother in California.

    warm → bleak

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3