I love that Hell seems to be a sideshow compared to the torture of academia.
User Profile
Hiya! I'm also hostux.social/@mattk for talking about more than books
This link opens in a pop-up window
Matt K's books
2025 Reading Goal
Success! Matt K has read 21 of 20 books.
User Activity
RSS feed Back
Matt K commented on Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their …
Matt K started reading Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their …
Let’s go to Hell next!
Matt K finished reading The Wager by David Grann
On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on …
Glad to be back from this voyage
Matt K reviewed The Wager by David Grann
On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on …
A horrible journey to no good end
3 stars
We are shoved onto a wooden world unwilling, tasked to thieve from Spanish mine ships.
Old sick men are dragged onto ships in terror as they know they will never survive to set foot at home.
Most people die as the sea and hunger and madness devour them.
Nothing is gained along the way. Some make it back.
I was hoping for something as insanely captivating as Killers of the Flower Moon but here the story is one of deciding constantly to steer into death and … dying.
Matt K wants to read Katabasis by Rebecca F. Kuang
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld.
Grad student …
The hard cover has gorgeous edge printing and a lady in the bookstore gushed to me about the author
Matt K wants to read The List by Mick Herron (Slough House, #2.5)
Dieter Hess, an aged spy, is dead, and John Bachelor, his MI5 handler, is in …
Slough house 2.5
Matt K wants to read Dead Lions by Mick Herron (Slough House, #2)
Next slow horses book
Matt K quoted The Wager by David Grann
On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on …
Cheap watched the incoming invalids, many of them so weak they had to be lifted onto the ships on stretchers. Their panicked faces betrayed what everyone secretly knew: they were sailing to their deaths. As Reverend Walter ac-knowledged, "They would in all probability uselessly perish by lingering and painful dis-cases; and this, too, after they had spent the activity and strength of their youth in their country's service."
— The Wager by David Grann
They staffed a ship with old invalids who couldn’t get away. Imagine being put on a ship to know you’re going to die out there and never make it home
Matt K started reading The Wager by David Grann
On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on …
If it is half as good as killers of the flower moon I'll be happy
Matt K stopped reading The Sandman by Lars Kepler (Joona Linna #4)
Mikael knows him as The Sandman. Seven years ago, he was taken from his bed …
Not til I get through book 3
Matt K started reading The Sandman by Lars Kepler (Joona Linna #4)
The Sandman by Lars Kepler (Joona Linna #4)
Mikael knows him as The Sandman. Seven years ago, he was taken from his bed along with his sister. They …
Matt K finished reading Carnality by Lina Wolff
Meta murdered the form
3 stars
This was fun and funny but was very very self-conscious the whole time.
There is so much going on.
A whodunit mystery novel. A tale about family. A big loving pastiche of both of those. A novel about the rules of good mystery novels. A meta tale outside the tale of the author’s perception of their story. A lotta fourth wall breaking. Mini stories of how each family member kills someone.
This author is swinging for the parking lot! These bites are a bit big for them to chew though. The breezy tone and the constant chatter to the reader kept me from loving anyone enough to fear or care.
I thought of The Unworthy - i finished it recently. It was shorter but only had a few elements - it’s a brutal story told through hidden diary entries. And you care. Augustina Bazterrica gives you a focus to care …
This was fun and funny but was very very self-conscious the whole time.
There is so much going on.
A whodunit mystery novel. A tale about family. A big loving pastiche of both of those. A novel about the rules of good mystery novels. A meta tale outside the tale of the author’s perception of their story. A lotta fourth wall breaking. Mini stories of how each family member kills someone.
This author is swinging for the parking lot! These bites are a bit big for them to chew though. The breezy tone and the constant chatter to the reader kept me from loving anyone enough to fear or care.
I thought of The Unworthy - i finished it recently. It was shorter but only had a few elements - it’s a brutal story told through hidden diary entries. And you care. Augustina Bazterrica gives you a focus to care about and leaves you wondering.
This is fun! But so scattered that it’s easy to breeze past the truly awful elements and not feel them.
Matt K finished reading Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
Soon to be a tv series on HBO and reads like one.