My favorite read on this topic is Consciousness Explained by Daniel C. Dennett

He's a philosopher who has spent a lifetime thinking about this problem, informed by the latest science of the day. Plus he's an excellent, lucid writer. He is a materialist, optimistic about being able to have as-satisfactory of an explanation of consciousness in the future as we do for life (no "élan vital" needed).

https://www.amazon.com/Consciousness-Explained-Daniel-C-Denn...