LitQueuelitqueue

After

Postcards from the Edge

Carrie Fisher1987

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

1 more
  • Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

    David Sedaris2004

    A collection of autobiographical essays focusing on the author's eccentric family, his upbringing, and his adult life in France.

    Same sardonic register, still humor

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more
  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    sardonic → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    sardonic → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    sardonic → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

To recover

3 more
  • Going Cowboy Crazy

    Katie Lane2011

    A woman travels to a small Texas town to find her secret twin sister and is mistaken for her by the local residents and her sister's ex-flame.

    sardonic → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Marrying Mr. Wrong

    Claire Kingsley

    Two rivals wake up married in Las Vegas and decide to stay together to help their respective careers.

    sardonic → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • Hot Number

    Carly Phillips

    A sports publicist undergoes a physical makeover to shed her tomboy image. She attempts to catch the attention of a professional ballplayer.

    sardonic → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

Faster

3 more
  • 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.

    sardonic → 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.

    sardonic → playful

    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.

    sardonic → playful

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

    sardonic → meditative

    pace-2·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.

    sardonic → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    sardonic → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

3 more
  • 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.

    sardonic → bleak

    pace0·prose-1·bleak+2

  • Twelve Years a Slave

    Solomon Northup1853

    A memoir by a free Black man from New York who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He details twelve years of labor on Louisiana plantations.

    sardonic → earnest

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Hiroshima

    John Hersey

    The book follows six people in Hiroshima during and after the atomic bombing. It records their movements and physical symptoms.

    sardonic → clinical

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+2