vivakresh's reviews
541 reviews

Fixer by Edgar Kunz

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

One of the best things I’ve ever read 

Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning by Peter Beinart

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Reading this book is like reading my own brain set down in type, but more organized and articulate. 

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon

challenging funny informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.0

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Read on the plane. Nice easy read, like watching a period movie. 

Running Fiercely Toward a High Thin Sound by Judith Katz

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Mazaltob: A Novel by Blanche Bendahan

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Interesting to learn about the culture but have to take everything with a grain of salt because of when it was written. Experimental for its time!

Data Mind: Poems by Joanna Fuhrman

adventurous dark funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

5.0

Smart, funny, surreal, and relevant. Amazing book!

Kantika by Elizabeth Graver

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Humans by Matt Haig

hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Fairly entertaining, but reads like a children’s book, and the premise and much of the novel was very predictable (been done before many many times). Also way too much exposition — simple takes on the human condition littered with cliches and  empty quotes. 

The Black Prince by Iris Murdoch

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A masterpiece, obviously