Recommend Books with Brains, Philosophy, and Cultural Depth 来点有智商，有哲学文化深度的书

1. 201 盘 The Meal on the Plate: The Execution Ground, They Watch You, They Remember 盘中餐：刑场——它们看着你，它们记得 Bo L Tang波l棠58k WordsCompleted The Meal on the Plate: The Execution Ground: They Watch You, They Remember 2Reads—Score—Shelves
2. 202 江 Chronicles of the Jianghu: Chaos in Botang 江湖册波棠乱 Bo L Tang波l棠Historical119k WordsCompleted Historical setting: Early Republic of China, around the 1910s to 1920s · What the era represents: The imperial throne has fallen, warlords carve up the country, and Western culture pours in. This is an age when the codes and honor of the “old jianghu” are gradually lost, transformed, and ultimately destroyed by the guns and schemes of the “new world.” The story of Bo and Tang is the most moving verse in this elegy. 3Reads—Score—Shelves
3. 203 糖 Candied Hawthorn Inn 糖葫芦客栈 Bo L Tang波l棠Fantastical Romance133k WordsCompleted Pure dialogue, a novel told entirely through lines of speech. The martial world can be a little bitter, so why not try a candied hawthorn? The first bite is tart, but the sweetness lingers. Another one, dear guest! Welcome to the Candied Hawthorn Inn! 11Reads—Score—Shelves
4. 204 课 Spring and Autumn in the Textbooks 课本春秋 Bo L Tang波l棠Modern Romance212k WordsCompleted Seasons in the Textbook A Republican-era classroom, with one teacher and several students [Volume One] First School Year (Autumn 1932–Summer 1933): The Beginning of Learning Opening Note: In the autumn of 1932, the ancestral hall in Qingxi Town opened its doors as a school. Five children walked inside. Over the next six years, they would see the whole world from here. A Poem for the Opening The ancestral hall’s threshold stands three inches high. The children lift their feet to cross, unawar 26Reads—Score—Shelves
5. 205 血 The Blood-Red Wedding Dress: My Five-Hundred-Year-Old Ghost Girlfriend 血色嫁衣我的五百岁女鬼女友 Bo L Tang波l棠Mystery214k WordsCompleted A female ghost in a blood-red wedding dress! A sinister plot that extinguished all humanity! A meeting five hundred years in the making: she came back in this life for you! Young Gu Linchuan secluded himself in Jiangnan to prepare for his exams, only to encounter Rong Qianlu, a five-hundred-year-old female ghost dressed in a blood-red wedding gown. Her family was slaughtered when she was alive, turning her into a vengeful spirit, but Gu Linchuan’s gentleness brought out her vulnerable side. The 10Reads—Score—Shelves
6. 206 主 Sacrifice the Protagonist to Heaven! Boundless Magic? 主角祭天！法力无边？ Bo L Tang波l棠95k WordsCompleted Sacrifice the Protagonist to Heaven! Boundless Magic Power? 3Reads—Score—Shelves
7. 207 情 Record of the Illusory Sea of Love: The Great Void Livestream 情天幻海录太虚直播间 Bo L Tang波l棠Ancient Romance479k WordsCompleted The Illusory Realm of the Great Void, by the shores of the Sea of Love. Fairy Jing Huan had been staring blankly into a water mirror for three days. What it reflected was not her peerless beauty, but the countless scenes of the mortal world: office workers scrolling through their phones on the subway, middle-aged men and women haggling at matchmaking corners, livestreamers crying, “Brother, love me!”, and exhausted wage slaves staying up late making PowerPoints until they went bald... “Such mudd 3Reads—Score—Shelves
8. 208 饕 Gluttony’s Execution Ground: Crime and Punishment at the Bottom of the Food Chain 饕餮刑场——食物链底层的罪与罚 Bo L Tang波l棠60k WordsCompleted The Gluttonous Execution Ground: Crime and Punishment at the Bottom of the Food Chain 2Reads—Score—Shelves
9. 209 蛮 The Savage Era: The Legend of Tang Yan 蛮荒纪元：棠焱传奇 Bo L Tang波l棠Historical87k WordsCompleted The Wilds Era: The Legend of Tang Yan 4Reads—Score—Shelves
10. 210 杀 Slaughter Kindergarten: Killergarten 杀戮幼儿园——Killergarten Bo L Tang波l棠78k WordsCompleted Killergarten 4Reads—Score—Shelves
11. 211 大 The School of Mind in the Ming Dynasty 大明心学 Qingyuan Xiyu清渊汐语Historical251k WordsCompleted This is a sweeping historical novel starring Wang Yangming. The story begins with Wang Yangming’s birth in 1471, the seventh year of the Chenghua era, and ends with his death aboard a boat in Nanan, Jiangxi, in 1529, the seventh year of the Jiajing era. Spanning fifty-eight years, the novel paints a vivid, panoramic portrait of the extraordinary life of one of the Ming dynasty’s greatest figures: the omens surrounding his birth, his youthful ambitions, his enlightenment at Longchang, his campai 1Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The Ming Dynasty's philosophy of mind was truly enlightening.

12. 212 直 Livestream: Teaching Kids to Write Essays and Be Good People 直播：教孩子写作文，学做人 Ouyang Miguo欧阳米果235k WordsCompleted Writing compositions is easy! This book shows parents how to guide their children in writing and in learning how to be good people. Drawing on traditional Chinese thought, it explores methods and techniques for parent-child education. 59Reads—Score101Shelves

    Reader note

    I recommend reading this book.

13. 213 钢 Steel and Sunflower 钢与葵 Ripples of a Dream梦的涟漪Eastern Fantasy1.4M WordsOngoing This is a serious, dark-toned epic fantasy set on an imaginary continent. It features multiple protagonists, intricately interwoven plotlines, and a profound world. Its many elements include historical realism, political intrigue, steampunk, Cthulhu, mystery, and character growth. It is a slow burn, but never drags. Welcome to a world that belongs to no heroes. Here, pure light does not triumph over darkness. Instead, faith and fate clash in a bloody struggle. Supernatural powers are not blessin 271Reads9.2Score239Shelves

    Reader note

    I highly recommend this niche fantasy book. It features multiple main characters, multi-dimensional character development, and a writing style that blends romanticism and realism, offering philosophical reflections on life through a fantastical story.

14. 214 天 The World Is Falling Apart: Escape from Tumu Fortress and Flee for My Life! 天崩：逃出土木堡，亡命狼居胥！ Book Silkworm书蚕虫Historical450k WordsOngoing [Survival of the Fittest] [No System] [Political Intrigue] He transmigrates into Zhu Qizhen. He is emperor for just one day, before being forced to flee into the snowy north. The Battle of Tumu is riddled with unanswered questions. First, he has to stay alive. Only then can he think about anything else... 11Reads—Score—Shelves

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    No system, no knowledge of history. He transmigrated to this world on the night of Tumu Crisis, killed Wang Zhen, reigned as emperor for only a day, sent his double south to be captured, and led three thousand remaining soldiers north into hunger and cold. Snowfields, blizzards, starvation, wolf packs… No cheat codes, only survival in dire straits. Meanwhile, Zhu Qiyu in the capital, watching the empty treasury, defending the borders with Yu Qian. Two parallel storylines, one overt, one covert. This is the Ming Dynasty's toughest bone, its coldest blade.

15. 215 重 Reborn in the World of In the Name of the People 重生人民的名义世界 Author Chen Ran作者陈然Male-Channel Fanfiction406k WordsCompleted Chen Ran is reborn into the world of In the Name of the People. The story begins with him as Secretary Dakang's secretary. The pacing is slow and understated, and Chen Ran is somewhat ahead of his time in his thinking. He stays out of political struggles and focuses on developing the economy. 15Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Rare articles on officialdom and political intrigue

16. 216 造 The Creator's Taboo 造物主的禁忌 Xiu Ji休济Sci-Fi & Apocalypse1.1M WordsCompleted (This book has been years in the making and revised over a hundred times. From the first volume to the last, it will tell one complete, expansive story, with a large cast, suspense, and a touch of brain-teasing mystery. From time to time, the author will offer summaries or hints in the author's notes.) A creator's greatest taboo is making a life more perfect than their own! The gods created humanity and shackled it with birth, aging, sickness, death, memories that slip away like sand, and endles 238Reads9.0Score161Shelves

    Reader note

    This book is so profound!

17. 217 从 From Pangu to Puyi 从盘古到溥仪 Wang Weisheng王尾生Historical3.0M WordsOngoing [A Tomato-style Records of the Grand Historian + a blessing for audiobook listeners + grounded in historical sources + told with the flair of a novel] [Also known as From Pangu's Creation of the World to the Last Emperor's Abdication] A million-character epic spanning from Pangu's creation of the world to the last emperor's abdication. This isn't a mindless power fantasy: it combines historical authenticity with an engaging, nuanced touch. The book tells the whole story of Chinese history, from 615Reads8.3Score130Shelves

    Reader note

    [Tomato Edition of the Records of the Grand Historian + A Boon for Audiobook Listeners + Based on Historical Materials + Novelistic Writing Style] A multi-million-word epic from the creation of the world by Pangu to the abdication of the last emperor, without fabrication or padding, offering both historical truth and delicate interest. The book covers everything from the abdication and conquests of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the hegemony and turmoil of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han; from the elegant spirit of the Wei and Jin Dynasties to the prosperous era of the Sui and Tang Dynasties; from the bustling city life and battlefields of the Song and Yuan Dynasties to the palace intrigues of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, finally concluding with the desolate figure of the last emperor leaving the stage of history, telling you the story of Chinese history from beginning to end.

18. 218 焚 Sunburn 焚日 Clear Spring in the Desert沙漠清泓Eastern Fantasy493k WordsOngoing Burning Sun tells the story of a protagonist born into a humble family. As a young man, he stumbles upon an opportunity that draws the suspicion and schemes of various powerful factions. Fortunately, a benefactor takes him under their wing, and he narrowly survives several brushes with death. After returning to his hometown, he gathers his strength and revives his fallen clan, guarding a stretch of territory against enemies from beyond the realm. When several nations join forces to invade his ho 3Reads—Score—Shelves

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    7. Who understands! Ye Feng, the male lead in "Burning Sun," is so captivating. He saves the Ye family from imminent collapse, and with the youthful spirit, he shatters countless conspiracies. His rise to power is both thrilling and exhilarating! The fantasy cultivation plot is engaging, the story is coherent with numerous plot twists, the characters' choices are relatable, and there are no mindless, mindless moments. Highly recommended to follow along without worry!

19. 219 认 Cognitive Shock: 50 Masterpieces That Turn Fate Around 认知暴击50本神作的逆天改命书 Time Read 8时阅8777k WordsCompleted As the author of Cognitive Shock: Books That Change Your Fate, Inspired by 50 Masterpieces, I’d like to share some thoughts with you. Have you ever felt that you’ve read countless books, yet your life stays exactly the same? It’s not that knowledge is useless. Most of us simply read at a basic level, passively taking in information. This book is a record of my journey out of that rut. I used to believe that any reading was beneficial, until reality gave me a harsh lesson. I’d read shelf after s 93Reads6.6Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Perhaps this is what you need.

20. 220 鱼 Aquarium Civilization 鱼缸文明 Century Snowman世纪雪人Sci-Fi & Apocalypse180k WordsCompleted The Dark Forest theory has never been just about shooting and hiding. There's another, more terrifying possibility: we're fish kept in a fishbowl, forever unable to leap out and see the observers beyond it. A hypercivilization silently watches humanity in its fishbowl, purely for entertainment. We press onward through the darkness. Stay content, and all remains as it is. Break through the walls, and hope is slim. Stay content, or break through the walls? A sweet dream, or a despairing reality? 2Reads—Score—Shelves
21. 221 这 This Kid Can Turn Invisible 这小子会隐身 Yang Chai Zhu洋柴主Urban889k WordsOngoing [Rural Folk Abilities + Culinary Arts + Global Wonders + The Unorthodox Path to Wealth + Passionate Heroism] Ever felt a sense of closeness to someone you have never met? Do you find yourself staring at the stars whenever you feel hurt or wronged? Yang Dashi, a country boy from the mountains, retired from the army with a heavy heart to raise money for his terminally ill mother’s medical bills and step into the real world. Instead, his brothers betrayed him and his lover humiliated him. Heartbrok 87Reads8.6Score113Shelves

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    What is the relationship between the folk "soul-summoning ritual" of western Hunan and dark matter? Is there dark energy influencing the success of a thousand-year legacy? This novel focuses on the creation, development, operation, food preparation, and marketing breakthroughs of a well-known Chinese catering chain brand. It also includes some interesting and reasonable superpowers (such as invisibility and a keen sense of smell) and cutting-edge technologies (dark matter, soul information, etc.), Survival rules, and insights into the protection of love and relationships of the working-class protagonist, Yang Dashi, to help promote the brand's development.

22. 222 道 The Sorrow of the Dao Tribulation 道劫之殇 let Rainlet雨Eastern Fantasy899k WordsCompleted This is a slow-paced cultivation story, so please don't read it if that's not your thing! It's a story meant to inspire reflection, so please don't read it if that's not your thing! “I seek neither immortality, invincibility, nor transcendence. This isn't one of those cultivation wish-fulfillment stories with warped values, mindless characters, or lowbrow content. Insight and opportunity are left to the reader to interpret; the focus is on elaboration. No System, no transmigration, no rebirth.” 51Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It's intelligent and insightful. A very traditional and positive cultivation novel.

23. 223 对 Sorry, I Have a Romance System 对不起，我有情圣系统 Wandering Lemon流浪的柠檬Urban104k WordsOngoing "Southeast Asia" "No Harem" "Realistic" “I chased after her for three years. I just couldn’t afford a house that cost 11,000 yuan per square meter, and I even ruined my family...” “Now, just when she’s finally entered the adult film industry, you insist this is an illicit relationship.” “How would I not know whether this love is real?” —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    You can try it; the system message is an illusion.

24. 224 菜 Vegetable-Based Powers: Conquering the Universe 菜之异能，玩转宇宙 Wen Ni文泥Urban708k WordsCompleted The apocalypse is here, and I’ve awakened the most useless vegetable-based ability? Watch me trade fruit and vegetables for a villa and use spirit plants to save the world. A gentle campus beauty treats my wounds, and her fiery best friend takes a knife for me... But is all of this actually part of a mastermind’s shocking scheme? Watch this nobody turn the tables and become the one and only true god of the apocalypse. 10Reads7.7Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The philosophy of supernatural abilities, the philosophy of martial arts, the philosophy of life, and the philosophy of nature are all woven into one book. Please read "The Supernatural Abilities of Vegetables: Playing with the Universe".

25. 225 全 The Entire Universe Is a Hallucination Only I Can See 全宇宙都是我一个人的幻觉 No Future, Living in the Past Forever没有未来一直活着过去Sci-Fi & Apocalypse1.7M WordsOngoing This book's style: an unconventional god-abandoning story, resistance to the rules of the entire universe, imagination unleashed by awakening in a virtual world, godlike access to consciousness, no saintly protagonist, ruthless and decisive action, cold political maneuvering, chilling details that reward close thought, everyday urban suspense, awakened ones at odds with the world order, no System or cheats, a long-running ensemble chess game, an uplifting core, an expansive world, growth through 11Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This book is a masterpiece among suspenseful and mind-bending works. Read it at your own pace, don't let your brain crash. The world-building, philosophical depth, and the chilling, thought-provoking experience make it a game-changer. It blows all other suspense novels out of the water. Those who know, know. Bar none. 🤔 [Added to bookshelf][Added to bookshelf][Original novel reader] 🤭

26. 226 全 Only 500 Words Left in the Book: Your Comments Are Its Lifeline 全书仅剩500字，靠你评论续命 Beth Littlegrass贝丝小草Modern Romance185k WordsCompleted [Rule-based kills + strong interaction + trope subversion + raising a child + everyone thinks the protagonist is a god] Main tags: #WildImagination #Comedy #RulesHorror #TropeSubversion Additional tags: #MindReading (Actually, She Can See the Comments) #AdorableKid (A Little Brat with a Black Heart) #Livestream (Sort Of) #UnhingedFiction #Fourth-Dimensional Calamity When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the “Discarded Draft Recycling Station,” with only 500 words left in the entire book. If m 2Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Tomato Novel Philosophy

27. 227 盟 The Mengjin Crossing 盟津渡 Facing South from the Mountain朝山南Historical267k WordsCompleted Also known as The Awakening of the Ferry Boy. Wu Heyuan, a young man from a Yellow River ferry crossing, suffers the massacre of his entire family, and his younger sister goes missing. After delivering a letter to the Weishui Alliance for a mysterious stranger, he becomes Jiang Shang’s disciple and embarks on a path of political intrigue. When his sister is trained to become an enemy nation’s assassin, when his beloved tastes poison to save him from the brink of death, and when his master gives —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I recommend this book. Everyone in the cast is incredibly intelligent, and the story is quite profound; it's worth savoring.

28. 228 希 Greek Mythology: Goddess of the Hearth 希腊神话：灶火女神 Goddess Themis忒弥斯女神Eastern Fantasy1.3M WordsCompleted [The forgotten goddess of the hearth breaks free from the chains of “family”] Amid the clamor of the gods, Hestia is little more than a backdrop to the myths, her name synonymous with being “overlooked.” Born the eldest daughter of the gods, she is known for always yielding and stepping aside. She gives everything to guard the sacred hearth of “home,” yet no god has ever truly cared about the woman beneath the flames. She lives for her family, yet her family forgets her. She embodies [home], 148Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    This is a Greek mythology fanfiction, quite detailed, which matches your title. I hope you like it, and could you please leave a five-star review to support and encourage the author? [Crying][crying][crying]

29. 229 爱 Love You, Old Me! 爱你老己！ The Fiery East冒火的东方Modern Romance2.0M WordsCompleted Only those who know how to love themselves can benefit others. Three women make a show, but what about twelve? Every person has their own unique cracks and their own light. In Love Yourself, Old Me!, we see how this community of women supports one another and grows together, and how each finds healing and direction while running a bookstore, a spring teahouse, and a coffee shop. Love Yourself, Old Me! is a slow-burn masterpiece that lingers in the mind, a rich, multi-protagonist drama, and a swe 25Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    A great novel with intelligence, emotional intelligence, philosophy, psychology, art, culture, and depth!

Other lists with The Meal on the Plate: The Execution Ground, They Watch You, They Remember