LitQueuelitqueue

After

Salinger

David Shields2013

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Diana: Her True Story

    Andrew Morton1992

    A biography of the Princess of Wales written with her secret cooperation. It details her unhappy marriage and struggles with eating disorders.

    propulsive → earnest, still biography

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·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.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

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

    propulsive → reflective

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • The Duke and I

    Julia Quinn2000

    A duke and a debutante enter a fake courtship to avoid social pressure. They navigate Regency London's marriage market while hiding their deal.

    propulsive → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • On Dublin Street

    Samantha Young2012

    An American woman in Scotland enters a sex-only arrangement with her roommate's brother to avoid emotional intimacy. It is a contemporary romance.

    propulsive → warm

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Night Pleasures

    Sherrilyn Kenyon2002

    An immortal warrior and a skeptical accountant are handcuffed together while being hunted by supernatural predators.

    propulsive → playful

    pace0·prose-1·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.

    propulsive → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    propulsive → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • 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.

    propulsive → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Confessions of a prairie bitch

    Alison Arngrim2010

    The actress who played Nellie Oleson recounts her time on Little House on the Prairie and her subsequent life in activism.

    propulsive → tender, still biography

    pace-2·prose0·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.

    propulsive → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·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.

    propulsive → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Escape from Camp 14

    Blaine Harden2012

    The biography of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean political prison camp known to have escaped.

    propulsive → bleak, still biography

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Nagasaki

    Susan Southard2015

    A historical account follows five survivors of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki across seven decades of their lives.

    propulsive → elegiac, still biography

    pace-1·prose0·bleak+2

  • House of Sticks

    Ly Tran2021

    A Vietnamese girl grows up in Queens while working in her family's sweatshop. She navigates poverty, failing eyesight, and cultural isolation.

    propulsive → elegiac, still biography

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2