This is primarily for me to keep track of what I've read for leisure in recent memory, in descending order. Some books have collapsible descriptions, ranging from a small blurb to rambling paragraphs. Anything prior to 2024 won't be listed, however those books (primarily Sartre and Genet) are fondly remembered nonetheless.
Anything I purposefully abandoned also won't be listed since there's no chance that I'll finish them...
If you are interested, here is a scanned collection of quotes I've written down from books in my commonplace journal. The images are hosted externally, so be aware that they take a bit of time to load.
2025
Though I consistently finished more books in December of 2024 alone (so far), I've actually read more books this year.
October
2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke
Oh... I love seeing Hal slowly become himself again... I'm so curious on how this would've panned out if Dr. Chandra didn't wipe his memories of his psychotic break.
And the end! When Dave saves him from the Jupiter supernova! How confused and scared Hal is... The parallels to be drawn between that and Dave having to let Frank's body go into the abyss of space when Hal wouldn't open the Pod Bay door... The fact that even though Dave is now an incorporeal being, he still desired companionship, and found that in Hal... Oh, I love these two so much.
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
I think my appreciacion of the book heigtened tenfold when I watched the movie. To get the full experience, you need both. The lobotomy scene (Dave disconnecting HAL's logic center) was so powerful, and the minute differences between each are so interesting... I don't think I'd be nearly as sympathetic towards Hal if I didn't read the book first.
One thing that sticks out to me in particular is the differences of what transpired after Frank's death. The way Hal acts in the book towards Dave is, for lack of a better word, almost possessive? I'm not sure. There's something to be said about how cagey he gets when Dave talks about reviving the survey team.
August
Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen
Unbelievably funny. The first time that a ~400 page book captivated me enough for me to finish it in less than a week.
July
April
January
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
They fucking blew up.
So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish by Douglas Adams
This is the lamest one out of the HHGTTG trilogy. The beginning was really strong but it lost me in the end. I tried so hard to like Fenchurch but I just couldn't.
2024
I didn't read much this year until I got rid of my smartphone... Then I just wouldn't put books down for about four weeks or so. It was very exhilirating!
December
Probably the most I've read in a month... ever.
Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
So awesome. This is one of the best examples of wonderfully done hard sci-fi.
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Surprisingly funny and wonderfully morbid... I finished it in a day and a half. I can certainly see the influence that Vonnegut's writing had on Douglas Adams.
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
This is required reading.
The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe by Douglas Adams
This is the best one out of the HHGTTG trilogy.