After
The Woman Who Wasn't There
Robin Gaby Fisher2012
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
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The Good Nurse
Charles Graeber2013
This account follows the investigation into Charlie Cullen, a prolific serial killer who murdered patients while working as a hospital nurse.
Same tense register, still true crime
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
- pace0prose0bleak+1
The Man in the Rockefeller Suit
Mark Seal2011
A German immigrant spends thirty years reinventing himself as an American aristocrat. He cons his way into high society and a wealthy marriage.
tense → sardonic, still true crime
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The Stranger in the Woods
Michael Finkel2017
The true story of Christopher Knight, who lived in total isolation in the Maine woods for twenty-seven years by burglarizing cabins.
tense → meditative, still true crime
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- pace0prose0bleak+1
Ask Not
Maureen Callahan2024
A biographical examination of the women in the Kennedy family's orbit. It details decades of alleged abuse and cover-ups by the men.
tense → sardonic, still true crime
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
1 more ↓ ↑
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Manson
Jeff Guinn2013
A biography of Charles Manson that places his cult and the 1969 murders within the context of the California music scene.
tense → clinical, still true crime
pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Denser prose
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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.
tense → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
tense → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
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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.
tense → meditative
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- pace-1prose+2bleak-1
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.
tense → meditative
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
tense → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0
To recover
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake
Frank W. Abagnale
A teenager poses as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fraudulent checks. He evades the FBI across several countries.
tense → playful, still true crime
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
Murderbot Diaries
Martha Wells2023
A self-aware security android hacks its governor module to watch soap operas while protecting humans. It navigates corporate conspiracies.
tense → sardonic
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
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Vampires Are Forever
Lynsay Sands2008
A woman suspects her business partner is a vampire after he attempts to bite her. He tries to convince her they are fated mates.
tense → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace0prose-1bleak-1
The Mane Event
Shelly Laurenston2007
A female cop reunites with a childhood friend who is now a lion-shifter. They navigate a romantic attraction while he pursues her in New York.
tense → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace0prose-1bleak-1
Mile High
Liz Tomforde2023
A professional hockey player and a flight attendant clash on the team's private plane during a season-long road trip.
tense → playful
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1
Faster
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake
Frank W. Abagnale
A teenager poses as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fraudulent checks. He evades the FBI across several countries.
tense → playful, still true crime
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace+1prose-1bleak0
Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever
Bill O'Reilly
A minute-by-minute narrative of John Wilkes Booth's plot to kill Abraham Lincoln and the subsequent manhunt for the conspirators.
tense → propulsive, still true crime
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0
3 more ↓ ↑
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American Kingpin
Nick Bilton2017
This account follows Ross Ulbricht as he builds the Silk Road dark web market and the federal agents who spend years tracking him down.
tense → propulsive, still true crime
pace+1·prose0·bleak0

- pace+1prose-1bleak0
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.
tense → earnest
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- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
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.
tense → tender
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower
- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
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.
tense → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
tense → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak-1
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.
tense → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
tense → mysterious
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- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
tense → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0
Heavier
tense → clinical, still true crime
- pace0prose0bleak+2
The Lost Girls
John Glatt2015
This account details the decade-long kidnapping and abuse of three women in a Cleveland home. It includes interviews with the captor's family.
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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.
pace0·prose0·bleak+2

3 more ↓ ↑
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Under the Banner of Heaven
Jon Krakauer2003
This account links a 1984 double murder to the history and evolution of Mormon fundamentalism.
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- pace-1prose0bleak+2
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace
Jeff Hobbs2014
A biography of a brilliant man who went from the streets of Newark to Yale. It tracks his struggle to bridge two incompatible worlds.
tense → elegiac, still biography
pace-1·prose0·bleak+2

- pace0prose0bleak+2
Columbine
Dave Cullen2009
A journalist reconstructs the 1999 school shooting using police records and the killers' journals to debunk common myths.
pace0·prose0·bleak+2
