LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food

Jennifer 8. Lee

5 of 6 directions open — nothing to recover from

More like it

1 more ↓

  • A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

    Anthony Bourdain

    The author travels across the world to find the perfect meal. He describes local food cultures and the realities of international travel.

    playful → wry, still food writing

    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.

    playful → meditative

    pace-1·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.

    playful → dreamlike

    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.

    playful → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

Faster

3 more ↓

  • 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.

    Same playful register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • 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.

    Same playful register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • 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.

    playful → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

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.

    playful → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • 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.

    playful → 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.

    playful → dreamlike

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

Heavier

playful → clinical, still journalism

3 more ↓

  • And the Band Played on

    Randy Shilts1987

    A journalistic account of the early AIDS epidemic. It tracks the spread of the virus and the political response from 1980 to 1985.

    playful → earnest, still journalism

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3

  • My War Gone By, I Miss It So

    Anthony Loyd1999

    A journalist reports on the Bosnian War while grappling with his family's military legacy and a personal addiction to heroin.

    playful → bleak, still journalism

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+3

  • Missoula

    Jon Krakauer2015

    A journalist investigates several sexual assault cases at the University of Montana. He follows the victims, the accused, and the legal process.

    playful → earnest, still journalism

    pace0·prose0·bleak+3