Books like Smoke gets in your eyes

A morbidly funny, unflinchingly honest peek behind the curtain of the modern death industry that somehow leaves you feeling more alive. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Smoke gets in your eyes.

macabre
contemplative
surprisingly warm
visceral

01
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?
Caitlin Doughty
A delightfully macabre and surprisingly cheerful exploration of the messy, fascinating realities of what happens to our bodies after we die.
Shares:
- macabre
- wry
- candid
02
From Here to Eternity
Caitlin Doughty
A darkly funny, deeply respectful global tour of how we care for our dead that leaves you feeling surprisingly comforted about your own mortality.
Shares:
- wry
- confronting mortality
03
Kitchen Confidential
Anthony Bourdain · 2000
A profane, adrenaline-fueled plunge into the chaotic, sweat-soaked underbelly of the culinary world.
Shares:
- irreverent
04
We are Never Meeting in Real Life
Samantha Irby
A wildly funny, unapologetically messy romp through the indignities of adulthood and the human body.
Shares:
- wry
- candid
- irreverent
05
Working stiff
Judy Melinek
A fascinating, unflinching, and surprisingly warm look behind the morgue doors that strips away the Hollywood gloss of forensic science.
Shares:
- wry
- candid
06
Stiff
Mary Roach
A delightfully morbid, laugh-out-loud funny exploration of the bizarre and noble things our bodies do after we die.
Shares:
- macabre
- wry
- irreverent
07
The art of memoir
Mary Karr
An illuminating and cathartic exploration of how we shape our memories and how our memories shape us.
Shares:
- contemplative
08
Secondhand Souls
Christopher Moore
A hilariously macabre romp through San Francisco where the afterlife is just another bureaucratic nightmare managed by lovable misfits.
Shares:
- irreverent
09
A Street Cat Named Bob
James Bowen
A tender, grounded memoir about the life-saving power of an unexpected feline friendship on the streets of London.
Shares:
- candid
10
Dark Archives
Megan Rosenbloom
A fascinating, respectful descent into the macabre intersection of medical history and rare book collecting.
Shares:
- macabre
11
Gulp
Mary Roach
An unforgettable, taboo-breaking tour through the surreal and fascinating mechanics of the human digestive system.
Shares:
- irreverent
12
How not to die
Jan Garavaglia · 2008
A morbidly fascinating, tough-love guide to staying alive, delivered straight from the autopsy table.
Shares:
- wry

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