Everyday Sexism

A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea

Melissa Fleming2017

A Syrian refugee flees her home and attempts to cross the Mediterranean. When her boat sinks, she fights to survive in the open sea.

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Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison

Michel Foucault

A philosophical history examines the shift from public torture to modern prison surveillance. It analyzes how power controls the body.

earnest → clinical

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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.

earnest → meditative

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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.

earnest → meditative

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Neon Gods

Katee Robert2021

In a modern city-state, Persephone flees an arranged marriage to Zeus by entering the underworld. She strikes a deal with Hades to stay there.

earnest → tense

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Love on the Brain

Ali Hazelwood2022

A neuroscientist must co-lead a NASA project with a man she believes has hated her since grad school.

earnest → playful

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The Duke and I

Julia Quinn2000

A duke and a debutante enter a fake courtship to avoid social pressure. They navigate Regency London's marriage market while hiding their deal.

earnest → playful

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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.

earnest → tender

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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.

earnest → playful

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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.

earnest → playful

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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.

earnest → meditative

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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.

earnest → mysterious

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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.

earnest → dreamlike

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And the Band Played on

Randy Shilts1987

A journalistic account of the early AIDS epidemic. It tracks the spread of the virus and the political response from 1980 to 1985.

Same earnest register, still journalism

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My War Gone By, I Miss It So

Anthony Loyd1999

A journalist reports on the Bosnian War while grappling with his family's military legacy and a personal addiction to heroin.

earnest → bleak, still journalism

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Missoula

Jon Krakauer2015

A journalist investigates several sexual assault cases at the University of Montana. He follows the victims, the accused, and the legal process.

Same earnest register, still journalism

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