If you want a non-simulated memoir of someone's PhD, I highly recommend reading "The PhD Grind" by Philip Guo.. [0]

I read it in my last year of college. It was a page turner, and helped me think about whether I wanted to do a PhD.

[0] https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/g8mc1lniyf26opxtrqgna/pguo-Ph...