The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Romance that Changed the World

You Never Forget Your First

Alexis Coe2020

A biography of George Washington that focuses on his domestic life, health, and flaws. It uses a modern, skeptical lens on his mythology.

elegiac → wry, still biography

pace0·prose0·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.

elegiac → meditative

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

Antifragile

Nassim Nicholas Taleb2012

A philosophical exploration of systems that thrive under stress and disorder. It argues against fragility in economics and personal life.

elegiac → reflective

pace-1·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.

elegiac → mysterious

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Wielding a Red Sword

Piers Anthony1986

An Indian prince avoids an arranged marriage by accepting the supernatural office of War. He wields a sword that draws him into a conflict in Hell.

pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Speaking for Myself: Faith, Freedom, and the Fight of Our Lives Inside the Trump White House

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

The former Press Secretary recounts her time in the Trump administration. She describes daily operations and her defense of the president's policies.

elegiac → earnest

pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Redshirts

John Scalzi2012

Low-ranking crew members on a starship realize they are disposable characters in a sci-fi television show. They attempt to escape their fate.

pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

elegiac → playful

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

elegiac → playful

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

Poke the Box

Seth Godin2011

A short manifesto encouraging readers to start projects and take initiative. It argues that the greatest risk is staying in place.

elegiac → earnest

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

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.

elegiac → meditative

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-2

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.

elegiac → mysterious

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-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.

elegiac → dreamlike

pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Adolf Hitler

John Toland1976

A detailed chronological account of Hitler's life based on interviews with his associates and previously private documents.

elegiac → clinical, still biography

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1

Escape from Camp 14

Blaine Harden2012

The biography of Shin Dong-hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean political prison camp known to have escaped.

elegiac → bleak, still biography

pace0·prose0·bleak+1

Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland

Christopher R. Browning

A clinical study of how middle-aged German reserve policemen became mass killers in occupied Poland. It uses trial records to track their actions.

elegiac → clinical, still microhistory

pace-1·prose+1·bleak+1