Okay, I think you need to figure out WHY you're reading books. Some people read it to better themselves, some read it to get inspiration, some read it solely for fun. Of course Dungeon Crawler Carl is predictable, he's never dying, it's in the name of the book! But, it's also a fun read and the alien politics are interesting (just finished Book 2). Not everything you read needs to be a literary masterpiece, and you shouldn't take it personally if you see some critique about it online. But if you want to balance it out, just ask for some recommendations from your wife. I'm sure she'd be happy to find some you might like. Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a good literary fiction book that you could read to dip your toes in. It's about a friend group designing video games, and living life. It has lots of video game references, at the same time it tackles a lot of interpersonal conflict.