LitQueuelitqueue

After

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Robert M. Pirsig

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same meditative register, still memoir

1 more ↓

  • Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    Barack Obama

    A young man travels to Kansas, Indonesia, and Kenya to understand his family history. He examines his identity through his father's absence.

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

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.

    meditative → playful

    pace-1·prose+1·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.

    Same meditative register, still memoir

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak0

  • The Souls of Black Folk

    W.E.B. Du Bois1903

    A collection of 1903 essays examining the psychological and social effects of racism in America through the concept of double consciousness.

    meditative → elegiac

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

To recover

meditative → earnest, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • The Pioneer Woman

    Ree Drummond2011

    A city woman moves to a remote cattle ranch after falling in love with a cowboy. She details her transition to country life and farm chores.

    meditative → warm, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

    Mindy Kaling2011

    A collection of essays about the author's childhood, her career in comedy, and her observations on friendship.

    meditative → wry, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-2·bleak-1

  • You're Never Weird on the Internet

    Felicia Day2015

    The actress and creator of 'The Guild' recounts her life as a homeschooled child, her gaming addiction, and her career in digital media.

    meditative → playful, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-2·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.

    meditative → earnest

    pace+2·prose-2·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.

    meditative → tender

    pace+2·prose-2·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.

    meditative → playful

    pace+2·prose-2·bleak-1

Slower

3 more ↓

  • The Prophet

    Kahlil Gibran1900

    A prophet waiting for a ship home delivers twenty-six sermons to a crowd. He speaks on topics like love, work, and death.

    Same meditative register, still philosophical fiction

    pace-1·prose0·bleak-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.

    meditative → playful

    pace-1·prose+1·bleak-1

  • Braiding Sweetgrass

    Robin Wall Kimmerer2013

    A botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation weaves together indigenous legends and scientific study. It focuses on ecological interconnectedness.

    Same meditative register, still memoir

    pace-1·prose0·bleak-1

Heavier

meditative → bleak, still memoir

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    pace+1·prose0·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.

    meditative → tense, still memoir

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2

  • A River in Darkness

    Masaji Ishikawa2018

    A man describes his thirty-six years living in North Korea after moving there from Japan. He recounts extreme poverty and his eventual escape.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+2