LitQueuelitqueue

After

Shine Bright

Danyel Smith2022

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • A Piece of Cake

    Cupcake Brown2005

    A memoir detailing the author's survival of childhood abuse, addiction, and homelessness in California before the age of twenty.

    Same earnest register, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·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

  • Doktor Faustus

    Thomas Mann1948

    A composer trades his soul for musical genius as his life and the rise of Nazi Germany are chronicled by a concerned friend.

    earnest → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • David and Goliath

    Malcolm Gladwell2013

    A series of case studies arguing that perceived disadvantages can become strengths. It covers topics from dyslexia to the civil rights movement.

    Same earnest register

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    Stephen King

    Stephen King details his personal history with writing and provides a technical guide to the mechanics of the craft.

    earnest → warm, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

  • Untamed

    Glennon Doyle2020

    A woman recounts leaving her marriage and rebuilding her life after falling in love with another woman. It is a series of personal manifestos.

    Same earnest register, still memoir

    pace0·prose-1·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.

    earnest → tender

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • 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-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.

    earnest → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • 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

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • 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

    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.

    earnest → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • Rena's Promise: A Story of Sisters in Auschwitz

    Rena Kornreich Gelissen

    A woman details her three years in Auschwitz, where she focuses on keeping her younger sister alive through the first transport of women.

    Same earnest register, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account

    Miklós Nyiszli1960

    A Jewish prisoner forced to assist Josef Mengele describes the daily operations of the gas chambers and medical experiments at Auschwitz.

    earnest → clinical, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·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

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+2