suggest me a book that uses story as a vehicle for big ideas, moves fast enough to keep my ADHD brain hooked, and leaves me thinking for weeks

i’m a very picky reader and i’ve been trying to get back into reading.

here’s what I’m looking for:

i need something that’s genuinely gripping from the first few pages. i can’t push through slow beginnings no matter how much people swear it gets good. short chapters or natural stopping points help a lot. but I also need substance underneath the momentum.

my favorite books are ones where the story is almost a trojan horse for philosophy, psychology, or big existential questions. such as: Sophie’s World, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Song of Achilles, Call Me By Your Name, Yes Daddy. stories that pull you forward but leave you sitting with something long after.

i gravitate toward: identity and becoming, desire and transformation, mythology, philosophy of mind, consciousness, what it means to be awake to your own life.

i struggle with: books that are relentlessly dark without payoff (DNF’d A Little Life and Heart’s Invisible Furies), books that start slowly, and anything that feels emotionally manipulative rather than earned.

i read physical books with no consistent reading window (as i’m busy) so something i can pick up for 20 minutes and still feel pulled back to matters a lot.

what’s the book that fits all of this?

*i tried to do my own search and came up with Piranesi, which i already ordered and arriving soon. i’m also interested in the Count of Monte Cristo, Giovanni’s Room, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, and GEB. would love to have some inputs on these. thank you! 🫶