After
It Must've Been Something I Ate: The Return of the Man Who Ate Everything
Jeffrey Steingarten
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from
More like it
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Alice, Let's Eat: Further Adventures of a Happy Eater
Calvin Trillin
A journalist travels to find specific regional meals and writes wry essays about his preferences and the people he eats with.
Same wry register, still food writing
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
- pace0prose0bleak0
Shrill
Lindy West2016
A series of essays follows a writer's life from a shy childhood to public activism. She discusses body image, feminism, and internet harassment.
Same wry register, still essays
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- pace0prose0bleak0
The Man Who Ate Everything
Jeffrey Steingarten1997
A food critic travels the world to overcome his culinary phobias. He investigates the science and culture behind specific ingredients and dishes.
Same wry register, still essays
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- pace-1prose0bleak0
Eating for England: The Delights and Eccentricities of the British at Table
Nigel Slater
A collection of short essays observing the specific food habits, snacks, and culinary quirks of the British public.
Same wry register, still food writing
pace-1·prose0·bleak0
1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak0
The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars
Joël Glenn Brenner
A history of the corporate rivalry between the Hershey and Mars candy companies, detailing their differing cultures and leadership.
Same wry register, still food writing
pace0·prose0·bleak0
Denser prose
- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
wry → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

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

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
wry → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

- pace-1prose+2bleak+1
Antifragile
Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012
A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.
wry → reflective
pace-1·prose+2·bleak+1

- pace-2prose+2bleak+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.
wry → mysterious
pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

Faster
- pace+1prose-1bleak0
'Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy and Other Misheard Lyrics
Gavin Edwards1995
A collection of hundreds of misheard song lyrics organized by category. Each entry lists the real lyric alongside the humorous mistake.
wry → playful, still humor
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

- pace+1prose-1bleak+1
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.
wry → earnest
pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-1bleak0
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.
wry → tender
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

- pace+1prose-1bleak0
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.
wry → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

- pace+1prose-1bleak0
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.
wry → playful
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

Slower
- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
wry → playful
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

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

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
wry → meditative
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

- pace-2prose+2bleak+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.
wry → mysterious
pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

- pace-2prose+2bleak+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.
wry → dreamlike
pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1
Heavier
- pace-1prose0bleak+3
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture
Roxane Gay
A collection of essays by various authors regarding sexual violence and harassment. The writers describe personal experiences and cultural norms.
wry → earnest, still essays
pace-1·prose0·bleak+3
- pace-1prose+1bleak+3
The Drowned and the Saved
Primo Levi
A series of analytical essays examining the social hierarchy, psychological trauma, and ethics of survival within Nazi concentration camps.
wry → meditative, still essays
pace-1·prose+1·bleak+3
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak+3
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.
wry → sardonic
pace0·prose0·bleak+3

- pace-1prose0bleak+3
The Diary of a Young Girl
Anne Frank2001
A Jewish teenager records her daily life and thoughts while hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex in Amsterdam.
wry → earnest
pace-1·prose0·bleak+3

- pace0prose-1bleak+3
A Child Called "It"
Dave Pelzer1987
A memoir of the author's childhood survival against severe physical and psychological abuse by his mother in California.
wry → bleak
pace0·prose-1·bleak+3
