This Is How

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman

Lindy West

A collection of essays regarding body image, feminism, and internet culture. The author recounts her life as a writer and activist.

sardonic → wry, still memoir

pace0·prose0·bleak0

Either/Or

Søren Kierkegaard1992

A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

sardonic → meditative

pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

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.

sardonic → meditative, still memoir

pace-1·prose+2·bleak-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.

Same sardonic register, still memoir

pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

Everything Beautiful in Its Time

Jenna Bush Hager2020

The author reflects on the lives and deaths of her grandparents, including a former President and First Lady. It is a series of personal essays.

pace-1·prose-1·bleak-1

Tuesdays with Morrie

Mitch Albom1994

A journalist reconnects with his dying college professor for weekly lessons on life. They discuss aging, regret, and love as the professor declines.

sardonic → tender, still memoir

pace-1·prose-1·bleak-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.

sardonic → earnest, still memoir

pace0·prose-1·bleak-1

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.

sardonic → 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.

sardonic → tender

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-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.

sardonic → playful

pace+1·prose-1·bleak-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.

Same sardonic register, still memoir

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.

sardonic → meditative, still memoir

pace-2·prose+2·bleak0

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.

sardonic → elegiac, still memoir

pace-2·prose+1·bleak0

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.

sardonic → bleak, still memoir

pace-1·prose0·bleak+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.

sardonic → bleak, still memoir

pace0·prose+1·bleak+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.

sardonic → tense, still memoir

pace0·prose0·bleak+2