Getting into philosophy – looking for readable book recommendations

I want to seriously get into philosophy. Even though I’m from India, I somehow feel more drawn toward Western philosophy – it feels more grounded and “real” to me, at least right now.

My interest started accidentally when I read Man’s Search for Meaning, which really stuck with me. After that, I read Siddhartha, Tuesdays with Morrie, Sophie’s World, The Stranger, and The Midnight Library.

To be honest, I don’t fully get the hype around Siddhartha and The Stranger. I didn’t enjoy them as much- I couldn’t really understand the ending of Siddhartha, and The Stranger felt too absurd for me, like the core idea could’ve been conveyed in much fewer pages. That said, I know that’s just my personal take.

I really enjoyed Sophie’s World while reading it, but it introduced so many philosophers that now I barely remember half of them 😅

Now I’m looking for good philosophy books that are both understandable and enjoyable. I tend to struggle with:

– Very heavy or academic language

– Extremely long books (300–400+ pages)

So I’d really appreciate recommendations for clear, beginner-friendly philosophy books- ideally shorter ones or well-written “gems” that are meaningful without being overwhelming.

Thanks in advance!