I apologize if this post sounds vague or is posted a lot. I really just want to be able to find a good book and dive right in. But I don't need it to be a huge tome that'll take me forever to get through. It has to be engaging but also obviously well researched and thorough. I'll take any suggestions you can think of.
The likes of /u/celebreth and /u/legalaction and /u/toldinstone (who has a YouTube channel of his own) have compiled an AskHistorians Booklist about Ancient Rome.