Good (Physics) Reads!
Here are some of the top physics books (in no particular order) discussing the theoretical aspects of physics! I have also used lots of textbooks to help me self-study, but these are just good books that I really enjoyed.
Before the Big Bang by Laura Mersini-Houghton: This book is AMAZING, 10/10! Prof. Mersini-Houghton writes an amazing book about a theory she developed that seems to explain the origin of our universe before the Big Bang as part of a big multiversal landscape, and she even has collected some physical evidence to support it. You simply need to read it!
The God Equation by Michio Kaku: Believe it or not, I was lucky enough to find the book autographed by Michio Kaku, one of the fathers of string theory himself, in a bookstore in Michigan. My computer won't let me submit the picture at the moment, though. The book itself is very fascinating and deals and the idea of uniting General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. It's good food for thought but nothing insanely interesting. If you are newer to physics then this is a great way to jump in the pool of all of physics ideas.
Einstein's Fridge by Paul Sen: I was never really interested nor cared to learn about thermodynamics before reading this, but I decided to give this compelling book a shot. It starts off a little slow with the origins and takes a very long-winded route of describing thermodynamics' basics. However, after that, we see thermodynamics applications in quantum mechanics and black holes! Pretty good book overall.
Something Deeply Hidden by Sean Carroll: While I myself don't particularly side with any quantum mechanics interpretation (a little bit too philosophical and speculative for me), this is an excellent book in promoting Hugh Everett's many-worlds interpretation (MWI). Mr. Carroll also makes great arguments to discuss the faults in the standard Copenhagen interpretation. This is an excellent book that I highly recommend.
Lost in Math by Sabin Hossenfelder: Ms. Hossenfelder does a great job of pointing out the faults in modern physics, and how physicists are becoming too distracted with more aesthetically pleasing theories, rather than theories that actually describe nature. This may be the result of the lack of new physics discoveries as well. She also points out the biases and other problems in academia that are plaguing physics. I definitely recommend this book, as it will change the way you view science.
In fact, the other day I was writing an article for this site about the beauty of math, but then after a paragraph, I stopped writing and realized that while math is indeed very powerful and the foundations of our entire world and current physics, its beauty cannot misguide our observations (it had been a while since I read Lost in Math, but suddenly the book's message re-occurred to me). As a result, I never published that article, and it will make sense as to why once you read this book.
Quantum Ontology: A Guide to the Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics by Peter J. Lewis: While this book is a little more in-depth, Mr. Lewis does a very excellent and in-depth discussion, chapter by chapter, comparing the different elements of different interpretations of quantum mechanics, and ties in the implications of quantum mechanics to philosophy. I highly recommend this book for a deeper understanding of the different interpretations of quantum mechanics, and especially if you are interested in the intersection between quantum mechanics and metaphysics/philosophy.