LitQueuelitqueue

After

Meditations of Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius2012

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

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  • Stuff Matters

    Mark Miodownik2013

    A materials scientist explains the history and molecular structure of common objects like steel, glass, and chocolate.

    Same playful register

    pace0·prose+1·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Sum of Us

    Heather McGhee2021

    An analysis of how racism in American policy-making has led to the dismantling of public goods, affecting citizens across racial lines.

    playful → dark, still fantasy

    pace0·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.

    playful → meditative

    pace-1·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.

    playful → reflective

    pace0·prose+3·bleak+1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    Same playful register

    pace+2·prose0·bleak0

  • Steal Like an Artist

    Austin Kleon2012

    A series of short, illustrated principles for creative work. It focuses on remixing existing ideas and establishing productive daily habits.

    Same playful register

    pace+2·prose0·bleak0

  • How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

    Django Wexler2023

    A woman stuck in a time loop decides to stop trying to save the kingdom and instead attempts to become its villain. She uses past lives to plan.

    playful → sardonic, still fantasy

    pace+2·prose+1·bleak+1

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.

    playful → meditative

    pace-1·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.

    playful → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+1

  • 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.

    playful → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    playful → earnest

    pace0·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.

    playful → bleak

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+3

  • Twelve Years a Slave

    Solomon Northup1853

    A memoir by a free Black man from New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He details twelve years of labor on Louisiana plantations.

    playful → earnest

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+3