175+ Non-Western Literature Recommendations To Diversify Your Academia, Organized By Continent + Country

dark academia literary works: a masterlist

Hello! I replied to this post on Reddit today, trying to compile all the dark academia books I could think of, and then thought that maybe all of you here might find it useful too, so here you go. It is a very, very broad list, a mix of classic and contemporary literature, and there is no set criteria besides having a dark vibe (this includes murder and crime but could just be the way it’s written as well) and portraying an academic setting, most of the time from the student’s point of view. I haven’t read all of these myself and so I can’t judge on quality, but hopefully this will inspire people to add on to it in the comments.

Here you go!

The Lessons by Naomi Alderman Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson The Secret History, Donna Tartt If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio Maurice by E. M. Forster The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Possession by A.S. Byatt The Truants by Kate Weinberg The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark Vicious by V. E. Schwab The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (tangentially related) A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro The Likeness by Tana French The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (coming out tomorrow!) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman Oleanna by David Mamet Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Other classics that are not Dark Academia in content, but which I would include in a list of the DA canon: The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer Shakespeare’s plays (Macbeth, Hamlet are good ones to start with) A Separate Peace, John Knowles The Bacchae, Euripides Greek tragedies (a good one to start with is Antigone, very popular and staged many a time) Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman Beat generation literature Jane Austen’s books (light academia, anyone?)

Dark Academia Books for Students of Politics and International Relations:

I mean, heck, I am no expert but my need to see this niche ass post is a lot so here goes.

The Prince: Machiavelli- do I NEED to explain this one. Its a seminal text in politics and political philosophy and when you listen to the ideas described in it they can sound a little crazy but once you read it you realise they are still crazy but grounded in something very real. Also its short as heck and an easy read.

Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace- Hans J Morgenthau. I had to pick this one up for my coursework last semester and I thought it would be a snooze fest but no. I was drawn in and I haven’t finished it since but I do plan to get back to it at my leisure.

The End of History and the Last Man: Francis Fukuyama- YES, I fundamentally disagree with Fukuyama on so many points. YES, it is still one of my favourite books of all time. it is a very riveting discussion of political philosophy, history and international relations. If you are interested in any of those topics, pick it up. You won’t regret it.

How Democracy Ends: David Runciman- captivatingly written, great arguments, and a very unique voice. Super relevant in today’s international political atmosphere and if you are interested in studying the rise of right wing authoritarian governments across the globe, this is a great place to start.

Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan- another one that I just feel like i don’t need to explain. Again haven’t read it fully yet, but its quite chill inducing and the basis for most of the contemporary discussion on state, liberalism, authoritarianism, rights and so forth. 

These were just my recommendations, and I by no means claim that they cover the entire gamut of the field. In fact, I would consider myself a noob still where texts relating to politics or IR are concerned, so feel free to give your recommendations and opinions as well!  

HUGE list of free (!!) books by black authors and revolutionaries. includes writings by toni morrison, james baldwin, assata shakur, angela davis, malcolm x, audre lorde and frantz fanon. 

No one is instantly a perfect student. It’s well known that ‘’perfect’’ studying requires some practice. Fortunately, there is a bunch of information available on this topic on the internet. In this way everyone can become a professional student.

1. Choosing the right study spot

Create a study space

Desk organisation

Study music (x) (x) (x)

Remove distractions

Study space guide

2. Being well equipped 

Studyblr on a budget

Organizing systems

How to stationery smart

Save money on stationery

School supplies shopping

Study apps everyone needs to use

Things you need in high school

Things that are useful in college

DIY school supplies

3. Getting focused

How to concentrate

Useful apps for focus

How to focus when a thousand things happen at the same time

Tips on staying focused

Academic goals

Getting started

4. Improve your handwriting

Handwriting goals 

Improve your handwriting (1) (2) (3)

Fake calligraphy

How to calligraphy

Some banners

Some fonts to try out

5. Taking useful notes

Cornell notes

Outline notes

Alternative to flashcards

Taking notes in class

Or during a lecture

Mindmaps

Highlighting

Typing your notes

Flashcards

Feymann’s technique

Colour coding

Sticky notes

Annotating

Decorate your notes

2 notebook method

Taking notes efficiently

6. Creating an efficient study routine in your life

How to create a study habit

Public transport productivity

Prevent the curve of forgetting

Make the most of your day

Study snacks

Succeed at school

Effective studying

Improve memory

Last minute studying

10 best study habits

After school routine

7. Planning your studies

Scheduling studying masterpost

Promodoro method

Plan during your study breaks

Bullet journalling

Plan for multiple tests using a calendar

Use printables

Use your productivity wisely

Be more productive with a planner

7 ways to better organise your study time

8. Study strategies

Types of learners + strategies

Study skills for test taking 

Study strategies masterpost

SQ3R reading method

Tips for effectively studying

Finding your perfect study method

How to memorise

Studying in a group

Study from textbooks

Quizing yourself

Secrets of a straigt A - student

My other masterposts

Scheduling studying

Acing vocab lists

GUITAR SONGBOOKS

I’ve managed to collect a ton of official guitar songbook PDFs for various albums which are totally accurate and verified. I thought I’d make a masterpost for anyone who would like to use them! These links should send you to Google Drive and you can download them from there. :)

AC/DC - The Best Of

Alice In Chains - Dirt

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See

Audioslave - Audioslave

Blink-182 - Blink-182

Blink-182 - Enema Of The State

Bon Jovi - Crossroad

Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head (Piano)

Coldplay - X & Y (Piano)

David Bowie - The Best Of (Piano)

Ed Sheeran - + (Piano)

Ed Sheeran - X

Eric Clapton - The Best Of

Fall Out Boy - Folie A Deux

Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree

Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High

Foo Fighters - The Colour And The Shape

Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

Green Day - American Idiot

Green Day - Nimrod

Guns N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction

Guns N’ Roses - Use Your Illusion I

Guns N’ Roses - Use Your Illusion II

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night

Led Zeppelin - IV

Metallica - Master Of Puppets

Metallica - Metallica 

Metallica - St. Anger

Nirvana - In Utero

Nirvana - Incesticide

Nirvana - Nevermind

Nirvana - Unplugged In New York

Oasis - (What’s The Story) Morning Glory

Panic! At The Disco - A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out

Paramore - Paramore (Piano)

Paramore - Riot!

Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd - The Wall

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

R.E.M. - Out Of Time

Radiohead - Amnesiac (Piano)

Radiohead - The Bends

Radiohead - Hail To The Thief

Radiohead - Kid A (Piano)

Radiohead - OK Computer

Radiohead - Pablo Honey 

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

Silverchair - Frogstomp

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Soundgarden - Superunknown

Van Halen - The Best Of

3 Doors Down - The Better Life

online library so far:

margaret atwood

the brontës (the complete works is a MASSIVE file fyi)

anne carson

hélène cixous

bell hooks

clarice lispector

audre lorde

virginia woolf

compilations

feminist theory

academic writing (both books and articles)

everything here is in pdf format so you should be able to download and read it on any device. it’s slow going because i have a lot of epubs that i have to convert before uploading and the folders i’ve listed here are neither complete nor comprehensive, but it’s a start! 

✧･ﾟplaylists to help pass the time *:･✧

hi everyone! it’s been a while since i made a huge playlist masterpost, but i thought that right now when we’re all stuck inside wondering what to do with our time i would make a list of all my playlists. listening to music is so calming and definitely helps me pass the time…so enjoy! - cam

songs that remind me of a fashion show 

a mix of songs that remind me of driving down the coast 

a playlist dedicated to paris 

songs that inspire me 

a dreamy mix

songs to listen to when you feel carefree

a super fun workout/running playlist to keep you pumped up 

songs to listen to during golden hour 

a mix of songs to listen to on a sunny day 

a playlist full of songs that make me feel alive 

songs that remind me of my teenage years 

a study/coffee shop playlist to keep you calm 

songs to listen to on the weekend 

songs that make me feel like living in the moment 

a friday kinda mix !

songs that remind me of a warm spring evening 

a mix dedicated to nature 

my all-time favorite songs all in one playlist 

songs that remind me of flowers and sunshine 

a 12-hour long playlist of songs that make me feel nostalgic 

songs that remind me of going back to school 

my ultimate summertime playlist 

songs that make me feel like i’m in a movie 

upbeat songs to get ready to in the morning 

songs i’m currently loving & listening to right now

a playlist dedicated to italy and all its wonders 

songs that are soft and delicate 

a mix to listen to while watching the sunrise / sunset 

a playlist for a rainy and stormy day 

songs to listen to when you wake up ! 

another nature playlist because why not?! 

a monday playlist to make your monday more enjoyable 

my springtime playlist 

songs that are bittersweet 

my girl power anthems playlist 

for the daydreamers 

songs that remind me of the spirit of traveling & exploring 

a mix to listen to before bed 

songs to listen and dance to in your kitchen 

a super fun 70s playlist 

relaxing songs for a sunday 

songs that remind me of wintertime 

for people who love the east coast 

for people who love the west coast 

a mix of lo fi beats 

songs to listen to in your car at night 

fresh finds (new songs every monday!)

the ultimate sing along playlist 

an indie playlist 

the perfect road trip / daily commute mix 

a super studious playlist to keep you extra focused 

songs that remind me of the beach 

a mix of songs to listen to when you’re j chillin

songs that remind me of a trip to outer space !

listen to this when you’re in love 

songs for stargazing…

the perfect autumn playlist 

songs that make my heart flutter 

a mix of carefree & happy tunes 

the grooviest 80s playlist around 

a mix of golden oldies 

listen to this if you like rap / r&b 

another workout playlist !

a mix of fun, upbeat songs to dance to 

a playlist inspired by call me by your name

a coming of age playlist 

a mix of songs that deserve more hype 

songs for all the main characters out there 

a mix inspired by the king harry styles

songs that make me feel angelic 

a dark academia playlist 

a spooky halloween mix !

a playlist inspired by dystopian novels

a special cottagecore playlist 

a light academia playlist

songs to listen to while looking at the moon

Transition Words For Your Essays

Transition Signals:

Transitions are words and phrases that connect ideas and show how they are related.

To repeat and ideas just stated:

In other words,

That is,

To repeat,

Again,

To illustrate an idea:

For example,

For instance,

In particular,

To illustrate,

In this manner,

Thus,

To announce a contrast, a change in direction:

Yet,

However,

Still,

Nevertheless,

On the other hand,

In contrast,

Instead of,

On the contrary,

Conversely,

Notwithstanding,

In spite of this,

Time:

At once,

In the interim,

At length,

Immediately,

At last,

Meanwhile,

In the meantime,

Presently,

At the same time,

Shortly,

In the end,

Temporarily,

Thereafter,

To restate an idea more precisely:

To be exact,

To be specific,

To be precise,

More specifically,

More precisely,

To mark a new idea as an addition to what has been said:

Similarly,

Also,

Too,

Besides,

Furthermore,

Further,

Moreover,

In addition,

To show cause and effect:

As a result,

For this reason,

Thereafter,

Hence,

Consequently,

Accordingly,

Conclusion:

In short,

To conclude,

In brief,

On the whole,

In summary,

To sum up,

a crash crash course on the golden age of hollywood

to state the obvious, this is not meant to be a be all end all guide. it’s just a start for people who wanna know more about some of the essentials of the era. there’s plenty of people and movies i didn’t include but at least now you can listen to vogue and understand all the references.

Duke, could you recommend some books that are just... odd? I know that I'm not specific whatsoever. :(

Some extremely odd suggestions off the top of my head: 

Octavia Butler, Dawn (this book is insane, lots of alien sex, good luck)

Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood’s End (will fuck you up for a while)

Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (a historical fiction/fantasy cinderblock well worth getting immersed in)

Glenn Duncan, I, Lucifer (blasphemous, filthy, and funny as hell)

Jennifer Egan, The Keep (one part family drama, one part fantasy, one part who the hell knows what)

Mark Andrew Ferguson, The Lost Boys Symphony (music and time travel)

Hermann Hesse, Steppenwolf (inexplicable magical-philosophical something)

Jack Kerouac, Big Sur (dude decamps to isolated cabin to struggle through DT, gets interrupted by Neal Cassady)

Jonathan Lethem, Chronic City (stoner art heists, escaped tigers, astronaut ghostwriters, and more)

Jack London, The Sea Wolf (one part high-seas adventure, one part queer romance in deep Victorian denial)

Walter Tevis, The Man Who Fell to Earth (bleak but one of my favorite underrated sci fi novels, also a traumatizing movie by Nicholas Roeg)

Iris Murdoch, Under the Net (a madcap romp through London/Paris featuring a kidnapped movie-star dog)

Ignazio Silone, Bread & Wine (half adventure novel, half political treatise, only 200 pages)

Laura Van Den Berg, The Third Hotel (a short, strange book that asks more questions than it answers)

Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions (a hilarious burlesque of American culture)

Daniel Wallace, Extraordinary Adventures (one part rom-com, one part whodunit, one part wtf)

David Wong, John Dies at the End (campy comic horror)

Hope something here catches your eye!