Might not be quite "hard" enough, but perhaps try the Interdepency trilogy by John Scalzi.

Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln child. Suspense. Enjoying it so far. It's the sequel to The Relic, and I'm liking this book a bit more than the first.

I enjoyed that trilogy, too.

I lived in MKE for 16 years. Keep the water softener, lol.

The Goonies and Pump Up the Volume followed closely by Indiana Jones (1&3) and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

Such a great movie. To add to the list...

It's Mega Maid, sir. She's gone from suck to blow.

Light speed is too slow. We'll have to go right to Ludacris speed.
Ludacris speed?!?
What's the matter Colonel Sanders? Chicken?

Nothing wrong with being in school with a more mature outlook. My first run at college, I pissed away a sweet academic scholarship and ended up dropping out after sophomore year. When I went back at 26, I was more prepared to put in the work and focus on what mattered (getting that degree). I basically had to start my college career all over, and while many of the general education classes I had to take were predominantly filled with younger students, the further into my program I got, the more post-bac and non-traditional students I encountered.
I let it bother me at first (felt like a failure, yadda, yadda). When I got over myself, I had a great time learning. I wasn't there to impress anyone - I was there for me. So you do you.

I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

Have you checked out "Fuzzy Nation", "Red Shirts", or the "Lock In" series? All fun stories by Scalzi in similar veins (Lock In is a bit more serious, but not like The Interdependency).

I used to assign segments of this book to students when I taught a Graphic Novel class. McCloud does a great job of explaining the medium using it as a vehicle throughout.

If you like books in a similar vein, "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" by Thomas Foster is a solid book to check out as well.

Such a good series. Hoping he finishes it someday...

Currently reading "The Kaiju Preservation Society" by John Scalzi. Lightweight, humorous sci-fi. Just recently finished "The Gentleman of Moscow" by Amor Towles, which is lovely storytelling if you enjoy character building. KPS is definitely a much different feel.
Depending on what you like to read, I would recommend both - but for different reasons.