Just Mercy

Waiting to Be Heard

Amanda Knox2013

An American student describes her arrest and four-year imprisonment in Italy for a murder she did not commit.

pace0·prose0·bleak0

The Argonauts

Maggie Nelson2015

A memoir of the author's relationship with her partner and her pregnancy. It mixes personal narrative with academic theory on gender and family.

earnest → meditative, still memoir

pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

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.

earnest → meditative

pace-2·prose+2·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.

earnest → bleak, still memoir

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Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

Frank W. Abagnale

A teenager poses as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fraudulent checks. He evades the FBI across several countries.

earnest → playful, still memoir

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Happy, Happy, Happy

Phil Robertson2013

The founder of Duck Commander recounts his life from a difficult upbringing to business success. He focuses on his faith and outdoor lifestyle.

Same earnest register, still memoir

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The Texas Ranger

Diana Palmer2001

A Texas Ranger and a junior investigator work a high-profile murder case. They must cooperate despite a past accusation that drove them apart.

Same earnest register

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Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever

Bill O'Reilly

A minute-by-minute narrative of John Wilkes Booth's plot to kill Abraham Lincoln and the subsequent manhunt for the conspirators.

earnest → propulsive, still true crime

pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

American Kingpin

Nick Bilton2017

This account follows Ross Ulbricht as he builds the Silk Road dark web market and the federal agents who spend years tracking him down.

earnest → propulsive, still true crime

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Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Jon Krakauer

A journalist recounts the 1996 Everest disaster. He details the logistical failures and the storm that killed several climbers.

earnest → tense, still memoir

pace+1·prose0·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.

earnest → sardonic, still memoir

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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.

earnest → meditative, still memoir

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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.

earnest → elegiac, still memoir

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Broken

Shy Keenan2008

The author recounts years of severe physical and sexual abuse by her parents. It follows her journey toward survival and activism.

earnest → bleak, still memoir

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The Fact of a Body

Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich2017

A lawyer investigates a 1992 murder case while confronting her own history of childhood trauma. It blends true crime with personal memoir.

earnest → meditative, still memoir

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+2

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.

earnest → bleak, still memoir

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