LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

Deborah Blum

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same clinical register, still true crime

1 more ↓

  • In the Heart of the Sea

    Nathaniel Philbrick2000

    A historical account of the whaleship Essex, which was sunk by a sperm whale in 1820, leaving the crew to survive in small boats.

    Same clinical register, still narrative nonfiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

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.

    clinical → 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.

    clinical → reflective

    pace-1·prose+2·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.

    clinical → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Two for the dough

    Janet Evanovich1996

    An inexperienced bounty hunter tracks a man who jumped bail for shooting his friend. She competes with a vice cop to find him first.

    clinical → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Better Off Dead

    Lee Child2021

    Jack Reacher investigates a staged car crash in Arizona and infiltrates a dangerous local crew to find a missing woman.

    clinical → propulsive

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Death by Darjeeling

    Laura Childs2001

    Theodosia Browning hosts a tea party where a guest is poisoned. She must find the killer among the local socialites of Charleston.

    clinical → warm

    pace0·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.

    clinical → earnest

    pace+1·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.

    clinical → 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.

    clinical → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

    clinical → 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.

    clinical → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    clinical → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • American Predator

    Maureen Callahan2019

    A true crime account of the hunt for Israel Keyes, a killer who hid 'kill kits' across the US. It follows the FBI's interrogation and discovery.

    Same clinical register, still true crime

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Under the Banner of Heaven

    Jon Krakauer2003

    This account links a 1984 double murder to the history and evolution of Mormon fundamentalism.

    Same clinical register, still true crime

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Columbine

    Dave Cullen2009

    A journalist reconstructs the 1999 school shooting using police records and the killers' journals to debunk common myths.

    Same clinical register, still true crime

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2