LitQueuelitqueue

After

A Civil Action

Jonathan Harr1995

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • Miracle Creek

    Angie Kim2019

    A pressurized oxygen chamber explodes in Virginia, killing two people. The story follows the subsequent murder trial and the secrets of the victims.

    Same tense register, still legal thriller

    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.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • Antifragile

    Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

    A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.

    tense → reflective

    pace-1·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.

    tense → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Thraxas

    Martin Millar

    An overweight, beer-drinking private investigator with minor magical abilities solves crimes in a corrupt fantasy city.

    tense → wry

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The case of the fiery fingers

    Erle Stanley Gardner1951

    Perry Mason defends a nurse accused of theft and poison. The case hinges on forensic evidence involving ultraviolet light and aspirin tablets.

    tense → wry, still legal thriller

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Ghost Ship

    Clive Cussler2014

    Kurt Austin survives a yacht sinking but suffers from conflicting memories. He investigates a global cybercrime conspiracy to find the truth.

    tense → propulsive

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    tense → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Firm

    John Grisham1991

    A young lawyer joins a high-paying law firm only to discover it is a front for the mob and the FBI wants him to inform on them.

    tense → propulsive, still legal thriller

    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.

    tense → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

  • 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

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • 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·bleak-1

Heavier

3 more ↓

  • In the Garden of Beasts

    Erik Larson2011

    The American ambassador and his daughter live in 1933 Berlin as the Nazi party seizes power. They observe the shift from socialites to witnesses.

    Same tense register, still narrative nonfiction

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • The Good Soldiers

    David Finkel2009

    A journalist embeds with an infantry battalion during the 2007 surge in Iraq. It documents the daily physical and mental toll of the deployment.

    tense → bleak, still narrative nonfiction

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • Animal Farm

    George Orwell1945

    Farm animals overthrow their human owner to run the farm themselves. The pigs gradually seize control and establish a new hierarchy.

    tense → sardonic

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1