Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef

Autobiography

Morrissey2013

The singer of The Smiths recounts his childhood in Manchester and his music career. The prose is dense, rhythmic, and highly critical of others.

Same sardonic register, still memoir

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Either/Or

Søren Kierkegaard1992

A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

sardonic → meditative

pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

No Archive Will Restore You

Julietta Singh2018

The author examines the history of her own body through the lens of race, desire, and pain. It is a collection of fragments and academic theory.

sardonic → meditative, still memoir

pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

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.

sardonic → bleak, still memoir

pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

The Pioneer Woman

Ree Drummond2011

A city woman moves to a remote cattle ranch after falling in love with a cowboy. She details her transition to country life and farm chores.

sardonic → warm, still memoir

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

We Were Dreamers

Simu Liu2022

Actor Simu Liu recounts his childhood in China, his upbringing in Canada, and his path from accounting to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

sardonic → earnest, still memoir

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Mindy Kaling2011

A collection of essays about the author's childhood, her career in comedy, and her observations on friendship.

sardonic → wry, still memoir

pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

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.

sardonic → earnest

pace+2·prose-2·bleak0

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.

sardonic → tender

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

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.

sardonic → playful

pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

The Education of Henry Adams

Henry Adams

A man writes a sardonic third-person account of his life and his failure to adapt to the technological shifts of the late 19th century.

Same sardonic register, still memoir

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

No Archive Will Restore You

Julietta Singh2018

The author examines the history of her own body through the lens of race, desire, and pain. It is a collection of fragments and academic theory.

sardonic → meditative, still memoir

pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

M Train

Patti Smith2015

A musician travels to various cafes and gravesites around the world. She reflects on her late husband, her favorite books, and her daily rituals.

sardonic → elegiac, still memoir

pace-1·prose0·bleak0

Wasted

Marya Hornbacher1998

A detailed memoir of the author's decade-long struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It documents hospitalizations and the physical decay of the body.

pace+1·prose0·bleak+2

A House in the Sky

Amanda Lindhout2013

A freelance journalist is kidnapped in Somalia and held for fifteen months. The memoir details her captivity and the conditions she endured.

sardonic → tense, still memoir

pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2

A River in Darkness

Masaji Ishikawa2018

A man describes his thirty-six years living in North Korea after moving there from Japan. He recounts extreme poverty and his eventual escape.

pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2