LitQueuelitqueue

After

Poverty, by America

Matthew Desmond2023

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Facing the Mountain

    Daniel James Brown2021

    Four Japanese-American families navigate internment camps while their sons fight in Europe during WWII. It follows the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.

    Same earnest register, still narrative nonfiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume 1

    Karl Marx2015

    An analysis of the capitalist mode of production focusing on commodities, surplus value, and the exploitation of labor.

    earnest → clinical

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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-2

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

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

    earnest → reflective

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • King of Pride

    Ana Huang2023

    A buttoned-up billionaire heir falls for an impulsive bartender while trying to secure a CEO position. They navigate a forbidden workplace romance.

    earnest → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries

    Emily Brightwell1993

    A Victorian housekeeper and her staff secretly solve crimes for their employer, a clueless Scotland Yard inspector.

    earnest → playful

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Royally Screwed

    Emma Chase2016

    A crown prince visiting Manhattan pursues a bakery worker who threw a pie at him. The story follows their class-clash courtship.

    earnest → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

    earnest → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • 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.

    earnest → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Poke the Box

    Seth Godin2011

    A short manifesto encouraging readers to start projects and take initiative. It argues that the greatest risk is staying in place.

    Same earnest register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • 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.

    earnest → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·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.

    earnest → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • In the Garden of Beasts

    Erik Larson2011

    The American ambassador and his daughter live in 1933 Berlin as the Nazi party seizes power. They observe the shift from socialites to witnesses.

    earnest → tense, still narrative nonfiction

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • The Good Soldiers

    David Finkel2009

    A journalist embeds with an infantry battalion during the 2007 surge in Iraq. It documents the daily physical and mental toll of the deployment.

    earnest → bleak, still narrative nonfiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • 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.

    earnest → sardonic

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1