Ubuntu LTS is based on Debian Unstable branch, funnily. So you can probably try Debian Testing or Unstable branches, if Stable is too hardcore for you. I daily drive Bookworm Stable on 2 machines and it is fantastic. I use it with a few Flatpaks and Appimages.
The XZ malicious package did not get pushed to Stable branch, which is one of the reasons why I prefer updating late rather than being an idiot obsessed with consooming updates released 5 minutes ago. I always wait for updates, vet them, read forums and changelogs before hitting the green button.