LitQueuelitqueue

After

Son of a Gambling Man

Bob Miller2013

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same warm register, still memoir

1 more ↓

  • The Story of the Trapp Family Singers

    Maria Augusta von Trapp1949

    A young postulant leaves an Austrian convent to tutor a widower's seven children. She eventually marries him and forms a family singing group.

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • Gödel, Escher, Bach

    Douglas R. Hofstadter1979

    An exploration of how cognition emerges from hidden neurological patterns. It uses math, art, and music to explain self-referential systems.

    warm → playful

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

  • The Gulag Archipeligo 1918-1956: An Experiment In Literary Investigation I - Ii.

    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    A history of the Soviet forced labor camp system based on survivor reports and the author's own imprisonment. It documents state-run repression.

    warm → bleak, still memoir

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

  • 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.

    warm → sardonic, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

To recover

Same warm register, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • Look Me in the Eye

    John Elder Robison2007

    A man recounts growing up with undiagnosed Asperger’s, from his difficult home life to his career in the music industry.

    warm → wry, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

  • Everything Beautiful in Its Time

    Jenna Bush Hager2020

    The author reflects on the lives and deaths of her grandparents, including a former President and First Lady. It is a series of personal essays.

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Happy, Happy, Happy

    Phil Robertson2013

    The founder of Duck Commander recounts his life from a difficult upbringing to business success. He focuses on his faith and outdoor lifestyle.

    warm → earnest, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • The Sun and Her Flowers

    Rupi Kaur2017

    A collection of short, illustrated poems organized into five stages of growth. It covers themes of loss, trauma, and self-healing.

    warm → earnest

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak0

  • 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.

    warm → tender

    pace+2·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.

    warm → playful

    pace+2·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.

    warm → sardonic, still memoir

    pace-1·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.

    warm → meditative, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • M Train

    Patti Smith2015

    A musician travels to various cafes and gravesites around the world. She reflects on her late husband, her favorite books, and her daily rituals.

    warm → elegiac, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • When Rabbit Howls

    Truddi Chase1987

    A woman and her ninety-two distinct personalities document her history of severe childhood trauma and her journey through therapy.

    warm → bleak, still memoir

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Wasted

    Marya Hornbacher1998

    A detailed memoir of the author's decade-long struggle with anorexia and bulimia. It documents hospitalizations and the physical decay of the body.

    warm → bleak, still memoir

    pace+1·prose+1·bleak+2

  • A House in the Sky

    Amanda Lindhout2013

    A freelance journalist is kidnapped in Somalia and held for fifteen months. The memoir details her captivity and the conditions she endured.

    warm → tense, still memoir

    pace+1·prose0·bleak+2