Books like Theft by Finding: Diaries: Volume One

A voyeuristic, darkly funny peek into the messy, unvarnished notebooks of a master observer finding his voice. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Theft by Finding: Diaries: Volume One.

voyeuristic
intimate
quirky
melancholic

01
A Carnival of Snackery
David Sedaris
A sharp, misanthropic, and deeply funny sampler of human absurdity recorded over nearly two decades of shifting cultural tides.
Shares:
- voyeuristic
- wry
- cynical
02
Best of Me
David Sedaris
A masterclass in observational comedy that invites you to laugh at the absurdity of human nature before quietly breaking your heart.
Shares:
- wry
- self-deprecating
- observant
03
Don't Get Too Comfortable
David Rakoff
A bitingly funny, Wildean grand tour through the absurdities of American overconsumption and the special circle of gilded-age hell we've built for ourselves.
Shares:
- cynical
04
Wow, No Thank You.
Samantha Irby
A laugh-out-loud, unapologetic ode to the exhaustion of getting older, leaving the house, and having a human body.
Shares:
- intimate
- wry
- self-deprecating
05
Shrill
Lindy West
A hilarious, battle-tested manifesto for taking up space and refusing to apologize for it.
Shares:
- wry
06
Broken
Jenny Lawson
A wildly funny, deeply vulnerable plunge into the chaotic reality of living with severe mental illness.
Feels:
- chaotic
- cathartic
- warm
07
Furiously Happy
Jenny Lawson
A wildly tangential, laugh-out-loud manifesto on fighting crippling depression with weaponized absurdity.
Feels:
- chaotic
- uplifting
- empathetic
08
Vacationland
John Hodgman
A hilarious, painfully self-aware stroll through the haunted forest of middle age and the unforgiving beaches of New England.
Shares:
- melancholic
- wry
- self-deprecating
09
Born standing up
Steve Martin · 2007
A quiet, analytical masterclass on the grueling, lonely mechanics of becoming a legend and the grace of walking away.
Shares:
- intimate
- wry
- self-deprecating
10
The girl with the lower back tattoo
Amy Schumer
A raucous, surprisingly vulnerable late-night conversation with your funniest, messiest friend.
Shares:
- intimate
- self-deprecating
11
Food
Jim Gaffigan
A hilarious, unapologetic love letter to the worst foods in the American diet, delivered with the timing of a master stand-up.
Shares:
- self-deprecating
12
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:
- intimate
- wry
- self-deprecating

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