A lot of memes that I saw on Tumblr were under the umbrella of what I would call “shitposts” — short, low-quality jokes that you could assume the author spend five seconds max thinking about before they posted. That was about as long as I would spend reading them, too, before either reblogging or scrolling further down my dashboard. But sometimes, from these low-quality memes, you could find the most oddly intense and even profound lines. This phenomenon wasn’t limited to Tumblr, though it’s probably the place most known for it. Inspiration can come from strange places and, even out-of-context, many of these intense meme quotes hold up on their own. Below are some of the best intense meme quotes I’ve seen, along with a book recommendation that offers a similar feeling. These recommendations range from fantasy to paranormal romance and dark academia, but each one is as thought-provoking and engaging as the quote with which it’s paired. Looking for personalized book recs? Check out Tailored Book Recommendations (TBR), a service that pairs readers with professional bibliologists who can help you find your next read based on what you’ve loved in the past. —personsonable Following his disgraced filmmaker father’s death, Jack Corman would prefer to push away everything that reminds him of the past. But when Jack visits the childhood home he inherited, he discovers that the creatures from his father’s cult film The Shadow Glass are alive—and their world is in danger. —retroowl8 —sketiana —anarchetypal —Justin McElroy —@horse_ebooks After her father’s untimely death, former cartography PhD student Nell Young revisits his old office at the New York Public Library where she was fired seven years ago. But when she discovers a rare map among his possessions — the same map that led to her firing — she unravels a series of secrets linked to her father’s past. —spillywolf —lucentgallivanter