It's So Easy: And Other Lies

Spare

Prince Harry2023

Prince Harry recounts his life from childhood through his departure from royal duties. He focuses on his grief and his treatment by the press.

Same earnest register, still memoir

pace0·prose0·bleak0

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-2·prose+2·bleak0

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, still memoir

pace-1·prose+2·bleak-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-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Happy, Happy, Happy

Phil Robertson2013

The founder of Duck Commander recounts his life from a difficult upbringing to business success. He focuses on his faith and outdoor lifestyle.

Same earnest register, still memoir

pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Tuesdays with Morrie

Mitch Albom1994

A journalist reconnects with his dying college professor for weekly lessons on life. They discuss aging, regret, and love as the professor declines.

earnest → tender, still memoir

pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1

Untamed

Glennon Doyle2020

A woman recounts leaving her marriage and rebuilding her life after falling in love with another woman. It is a series of personal manifestos.

Same earnest register, still memoir

pace0·prose-1·bleak-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.

Same earnest register

pace+1·prose-1·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.

earnest → tender

pace+1·prose-1·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.

earnest → playful

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

The Education of Henry Adams

Henry Adams

A man writes a sardonic third-person account of his life and his failure to adapt to the technological shifts of the late 19th century.

earnest → sardonic, still memoir

pace-2·prose+2·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.

earnest → meditative, still memoir

pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

M Train

Patti Smith2015

A musician travels to various cafes and gravesites around the world. She reflects on her late husband, her favorite books, and her daily rituals.

earnest → elegiac, still memoir

pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

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.

pace0·prose+1·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.

earnest → tense, still memoir

pace0·prose0·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.

pace0·prose0·bleak+2