
After
Girls & Sex
Peggy Orenstein2016
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak-1
You're Not Listening
Kate Murphy2020
A journalist examines the psychological and social decline of listening skills through interviews and research. It focuses on how to reconnect.
Same earnest register, still journalism
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

- pace0prose0bleak-1
Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy
David D. Burns1999
A psychiatrist explains the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and provides exercises to identify and correct distorted thinking.
Same earnest register, still case study
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
- pace0prose0bleak-1
The Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships
Harriet Lerner
A psychologist uses case studies to show how women can identify and shift the repetitive patterns of conflict in their family relationships.
Same earnest register, still case study
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
- pace0prose0bleak+1
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
Gabor Maté
A doctor shares stories from his work with severely addicted patients in Vancouver. He links substance abuse to childhood trauma and brain biology.
Same earnest register, still case study
pace0·prose0·bleak+1
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment
Martin E.P. Seligman
A psychologist outlines the principles of positive psychology and provides exercises to identify personal strengths.
Same earnest register, still case study
pace0·prose0·bleak-1
Denser prose
- pace-1prose+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.
earnest → playful
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-1prose+2bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
earnest → meditative
pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose+2bleak+2
Seeing Like a State
James C. Scott1998
An analysis of how large-scale state projects fail by ignoring local knowledge. It covers forestry, city planning, and forced villagization.
earnest → analytical, still sociology
pace0·prose+2·bleak+2

- pace0prose+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.
earnest → meditative
pace0·prose+2·bleak-1

- pace-1prose+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.
earnest → dreamlike
pace-1·prose+2·bleak0
To recover
earnest → playful
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
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.
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace+1prose-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.
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-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.
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
Behind the Net
Stephanie Archer2024
A former musician becomes the live-in assistant for a professional hockey goalie she knew in high school.
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
She Went All the Way
Meg Cabot2002
A screenwriter and an actor survive a helicopter crash in the Alaskan wilderness and must hike to safety while being pursued by a killer.
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster
- pace+2prose-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.
Same earnest register
pace+2·prose-1·bleak0

- pace+2prose-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.
earnest → tender
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+2prose-1bleak-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.
earnest → playful
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace+2prose-1bleak-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.
earnest → playful
pace+2·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace+2prose0bleak0
Bad Blood
John Carreyrou2018
A journalist tracks the rise of Elizabeth Holmes and the eventual exposure of her multibillion-dollar blood-testing startup as a fraud.
earnest → propulsive, still journalism
pace+2·prose0·bleak0

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

- pace-1prose+2bleak0
Either/Or
Søren Kierkegaard1992
A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.
earnest → meditative
pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

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

- pace-1prose+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.
earnest → mysterious
pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

- pace-1prose+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.
earnest → dreamlike
pace-1·prose+2·bleak0
Heavier
- pace+1prose0bleak+2
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
Matthew Desmond
A sociologist follows eight families in Milwaukee as they struggle to keep their homes amidst the private housing market.
earnest → bleak, still journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak+2
- pace+1prose+1bleak+2
Hiroshima
John Hersey
The book follows six people in Hiroshima during and after the atomic bombing. It records their movements and physical symptoms.
earnest → clinical, still journalism
pace+1·prose+1·bleak+2

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose0bleak+2
Columbine
Dave Cullen2009
A journalist reconstructs the 1999 school shooting using police records and the killers' journals to debunk common myths.
earnest → clinical, still journalism
pace+1·prose0·bleak+2

- pace+1prose0bleak+2
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
pace+1·prose0·bleak+2

- pace0prose+2bleak+2
Seeing Like a State
James C. Scott1998
An analysis of how large-scale state projects fail by ignoring local knowledge. It covers forestry, city planning, and forced villagization.
earnest → analytical, still sociology
pace0·prose+2·bleak+2
