LitQueuelitqueue

After

Modern Romance

Aziz Ansari2015

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

Same playful register, still humor

1 more ↓

  • Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls

    Lauren Graham

    The actress who played Lorelai Gilmore shares essays about her career. She focuses on her time in Hollywood and the revival of her show.

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

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-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.

    playful → reflective

    pace-1·prose+3·bleak+1

  • 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-2·prose+3·bleak+1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    playful → 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.

    Same playful register

    pace+1·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+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.

    playful → 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.

    playful → mysterious

    pace-2·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-2·prose+3·bleak+1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • 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

    pace0·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

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+3

  • Hiroshima

    John Hersey

    The book follows six people in Hiroshima during and after the atomic bombing. It records their movements and physical symptoms.

    playful → clinical

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+3