LitQueuelitqueue

After

The Gift of Fear

Gavin de Becker1997

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

Same clinical register, still true crime

1 more ↓

  • Sociopath

    Patric Gagne2024

    A woman diagnosed with sociopathy recounts her childhood and her efforts to build a life while lacking traditional empathy.

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Righteous Mind

    Jonathan Haidt2012

    A social psychologist examines the intuitive origins of human morality. He explains how these instincts drive political and religious divides.

    clinical → analytical, still psychology

    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.

    clinical → dreamlike, still psychology

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

  • Memoirs of my nervous illness

    Daniel Paul Schreber1955

    A German judge documents his elaborate delusions and theological theories during his confinement in a mental asylum.

    clinical → elegiac, still psychology

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak+2

To recover

3 more ↓

  • Smokin' Seventeen

    Janet Evanovich2011

    A bounty hunter investigates bodies found in her boss's lot while choosing between three suitors. The story follows her daily mishaps in New Jersey.

    clinical → playful

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Martian

    Andy Weir2011

    A man does arithmetic to stay alive on Mars. Problem, attempt, result, repeat.

    clinical → wry

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Gifts of Imperfection

    Brené Brown2010

    A guide to living through the concepts of courage, compassion, and connection. It focuses on embracing vulnerability to achieve self-acceptance.

    clinical → earnest, still psychology

    pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

    clinical → propulsive, still true crime

    pace+1·prose0·bleak0

  • 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.

    clinical → earnest

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

  • 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.

    clinical → tender

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

Slower

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.

    clinical → meditative

    pace-2·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.

    clinical → 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.

    clinical → mysterious

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

Heavier

Same clinical register, still true crime

3 more ↓

  • Under the Banner of Heaven

    Jon Krakauer2003

    This account links a 1984 double murder to the history and evolution of Mormon fundamentalism.

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • Columbine

    Dave Cullen2009

    A journalist reconstructs the 1999 school shooting using police records and the killers' journals to debunk common myths.

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2

  • A Stolen Life

    Jaycee Dugard2011

    Jaycee Dugard recounts her 18-year kidnapping and captivity in a backyard shed. She describes her daily survival and raising her two daughters.

    clinical → earnest, still true crime

    pace0·prose0·bleak+2