I've recently picked up a book titled "What is Life" by Paul Nurse- and i'm surprisingly intrgued by it.
The book mainly revolves around cells and what they consist of, as well as the how and why of their functioning, and takes a detailed look at what chemical compounds, processes and mechanism are at play in order to "power" a large organism like a human - amongst other things.
It really is that sorta book a seasoned reader could read in one go, although some parts of the book can be a bit complicated to get at the first read!
All-in-all though, the author really managed to keep a balance in regards to what he's trying to explain with the amount of context and details provided, creating a compact- yet detailed and straightforward book which is mostly easy to read and comprehend.
I picked it up for a small price (used) and can wholeheartedly recommend it!
It's by-far not the most detailed book in regards to biology as a whole, nor on cells per se, but it manages to learn the reader something about a complex topic in a short (and interesting!) read - something not many books are able to!
If cells and their complex inner worlds, their function and their broader influence on complex organisms interest you, then you should give this book a read ‼️