After
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
Lindy West
- pace
- prose
- structure
- bleakness
6 of 6 directions open
More like it
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Bad Feminist
Roxane Gay2014
A collection of essays exploring pop culture, politics, and the author's personal experiences. It examines the contradictions of modern feminism.
Same wry register, still memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

- pace0prose0bleak0
Year of the Tiger
Alice Wong2022
A collection of essays, interviews, and graphics documenting the life of a disabled activist. It covers art, food, and political advocacy.
wry → earnest, still memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak0

- pace0prose0bleak0
This Is How
Augusten Burroughs2012
A collection of essays offering unconventional advice on personal crises. The author uses his own history of trauma to frame his suggestions.
wry → sardonic, still memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak0

- pace0prose0bleak0
The Princess Diarist
Carrie Fisher2016
The author revisits her teenage diaries kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie. She reflects on her affair with Harrison Ford.
Same wry register, still memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak0

1 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose0bleak-1
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 memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Denser prose
- pace-1prose+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.
wry → meditative, still memoir
pace-1·prose+2·bleak-1

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

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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·bleak0

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
wry → meditative, still memoir
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

- pace-1prose+2bleak+2
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.
wry → bleak, still memoir
pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2
To recover
- pace0prose0bleak-1
Bad Feminist
Roxane Gay2014
A collection of essays exploring pop culture, politics, and the author's personal experiences. It examines the contradictions of modern feminism.
Same wry register, still memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

- pace0prose-1bleak-1
Carry On, Warrior
Glennon Doyle2013
A collection of personal essays about marriage, motherhood, and recovery from addiction.
wry → warm, still memoir
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace0prose-1bleak-1
Unfinished
Priyanka Chopra Jonas2021
The actress details her childhood in India, her time in American schools, and her transition from pageantry to a global film career.
wry → earnest, still memoir
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace0prose-1bleak-1
The Pioneer Woman
Ree Drummond2011
A city woman moves to a remote cattle ranch after falling in love with a cowboy. She details her transition to country life and farm chores.
wry → warm, still memoir
pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

- pace0prose0bleak-1
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 memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak-1

Faster
- pace+1prose-1bleak-1
Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake
Frank W. Abagnale
A teenager poses as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer to cash millions in fraudulent checks. He evades the FBI across several countries.
wry → playful, still memoir
pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1
- pace+1prose0bleak+1
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
Jon Krakauer
A journalist recounts the 1996 Everest disaster. He details the logistical failures and the storm that killed several climbers.
wry → tense, still memoir
pace+1·prose0·bleak+1
3 more ↓ ↑
- pace+1prose-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.
wry → earnest
pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

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

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

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

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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·bleak0

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-2prose+2bleak+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.
wry → sardonic, still memoir
pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

- pace-2prose+2bleak0
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.
wry → meditative, still memoir
pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

- pace-2prose+1bleak0
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.
wry → elegiac, still memoir
pace-2·prose+1·bleak0
Heavier
- pace-1prose0bleak+2
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 memoir
pace-1·prose0·bleak+2
- pace0prose-1bleak+2
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, still memoir
pace0·prose-1·bleak+2

3 more ↓ ↑
- pace-1prose0bleak+2
When Rabbit Howls
Truddi Chase1987
A woman and her ninety-two distinct personalities document her history of severe childhood trauma and her journey through therapy.
wry → bleak, still memoir
pace-1·prose0·bleak+2

- pace0prose+1bleak+2
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.
wry → bleak, still memoir
pace0·prose+1·bleak+2

- pace0prose0bleak+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.
wry → tense, still memoir
pace0·prose0·bleak+2
