LitQueuelitqueue

After

Random family

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc2003

5 of 6 directions open — nothing heavier

More like it

1 more ↓

  • Fairyland

    Alysia Abbott2013

    A daughter describes being raised by her gay father in 1970s San Francisco. The book ends with the onset of the AIDS crisis.

    bleak → elegiac, still coming of age

    pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    bleak → meditative

    pace0·prose+2·bleak-3

  • The Gulag Archipeligo 1918-1956: An Experiment In Literary Investigation I - Ii.

    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

    A history of the Soviet forced labor camp system based on survivor reports and the author's own imprisonment. It documents state-run repression.

    Same bleak register

    pace0·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-3

To recover

bleak → playful

3 more ↓

  • A Veiled Deception

    Annette Blair2009

    A vintage shop owner investigates a murder during her sister's wedding preparations to clear her family's name.

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-3

  • It Starts with Us

    Colleen Hoover2022

    A single mother navigates a new relationship with her first love while managing a jealous ex-husband. The story alternates perspectives.

    bleak → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-3

  • Assistant to the Villain

    Hannah Nicole Maehrer2023

    A woman takes a job as an administrative assistant to a local villain to support her family. She manages his office while ignoring his evil deeds.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-3

Faster

3 more ↓

  • American Kingpin

    Nick Bilton2017

    This account follows Ross Ulbricht as he builds the Silk Road dark web market and the federal agents who spend years tracking him down.

    bleak → propulsive, still true crime

    pace+2·prose0·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → earnest

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → tender

    pace+2·prose-1·bleak-3

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.

    bleak → meditative

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-3

  • 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.

    bleak → mysterious

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2

  • 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.

    bleak → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak-2