Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: Book Review

Happy 2017! I figured to start the new year with a massive current fave.

Want a terrifying fact? It's been more than a year since my (our) last book review post, which was for Dorothy Must Die back in October 2015. Now to fix that!

Six of Crows and its partner in crime (the second half of its duology), Crooked Kingdom, are masterpieces. To break it down to whatever might make you pick up a book: the plot, the worldbuilding (*swoon*), the quotability, the characters (*double swoon*), and the amazing fandom, all of them are amazing and cinammon roll-y.

The plot: A thrumming heist story full of twist after twist, reveal after reveal, triumph over triumph. It's almost impossible to put down; it starts with a bang and ends heart-wrenchingly but hopefully.

The worldbuilding: Taking place in a gritty low fantasy city resembling Amsterdam in the nineteenth century. Realism, well-built infrastructure both in and out of the narrative, and the intriguing system of the Grisha Small Science (what others might think of as magic).

The quotability: Here are just a few favorite bits:

• “It's not natural for women to fight."
  "It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.” 
• Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?"
  "Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.
  "Gun to the back?" said Jesper.
  "Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.
  "You're all horrible," said Matthias.
• "Why does it matter?”
  “I don’t know!” Jesper said angrily. “Maybe I liked your stupid face."

There's just so much quality banter and everyone loves/hates each other and they're just all amazing.

The characters: Personally, they're my favorite part. I present the following:

• A former acrobat, stolen as a slave, sold as an "indentured servant," now the best spy in the city and ready to fight for her life and her friends
• A young man who's immensely secretive about his past, who's risen to his title of "Dirtyhands" among the grittiest gangs of Ketterdam by ruthless crime and grudging respect
• A girl who can turn people's bodies against them, a trained soldier in Ravka's army, far from her home
• A still-loyal soldier of Fjerda, Ravkans' enemy, imprisoned miles from his nation and battling allegiances
• A sharpshooter with a gambling problem and a longing for trust
• An innocent demolitions expert who is ACTUALLY A CINNAMON ROLL (Calm down, Citali)

The fandom: As fandoms go, the SoC/CK fandom is still pretty small and amazing. Also we have... like... amazing fanartists? Like the actual angel who drew this Inej and Wylan sketch:

 

Source: http://jell-illustrations.tumblr.com/post/151790166629/more-six-of-crows-stuff

The genre: It seems to bridge genres: young adult fantasy, with a tinge of LGBT+ fiction, as well as a heist narrative, combined with an action plot full of twist after twist. Each of the main character simultaneously makes the reader adore them and hate them. Each plot twist elevates the plot and keeps the reader completely engaged--the book is virtually “unputdownable.” It’s also followed by an, if possible, even better sequel (Crooked Kingdom) and preceded by a trilogy, letting readers who are hooked dive even further into the author’s worldbuilding.

This series is just So! Good! Agh!

Happy reading!
~Citali

"Possession is forbidden": How Fandoms Look at Love

"Attachment is forbidden. Possession is forbidden. Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is essential to a Jedi’s life. So you might say, that we are encouraged to love.” Star Wars

"I realized, I minded." The Hunger Games

"'You are going to marry another man. How dare you come here--demanding to know of my son--as if you had a right?' 'No right perhaps--except the right of loving him.'" Emily of New Moon

From a galaxy far, far away, to a dystopian future in a not-too-far-off United States, to Victorian Canada, three fandoms all seem to, in part or totally, describe love as a possession by someone else. Of course, the girl-power enthusiast in me immediately rejects this: how can love be at you and not with you? Is that how love, the most powerful and innate emotion of human nature, works?

(This is just a little rage post I threw out there.)
~Citali

A FANGIRL GOES TO THE HARRY POTTER STUDIOS: Part The Beginning Of The End

The Hogwarts Express has long since left for the year, but I'm here with the very end of this trio of literary tourism posts! 

The amazing Knight bus! From the hall to the Express and to the backlot. After riding the double-decker buses in London and being thrilled with simply being on the second story, I would be so thrilled on the third story of this thing... 

So this is the Dursley house with all these letters. Of course they weren't suspended by wires when they were filmed; it's just for display. There's something haunting in a really cool way about that display. 

Dementor and inferi CGI and model stuff! Can you imagine wearing that Inferi backpack? 

The HP artists are amazing... look at this full model of a merperson's head.

It's the breathing model of Voldemort and as creepy as anything it moves. 

Tarantara, it's Diagon Alley! 

I always rather thought this shop was underrated? In the original Pottermore, you could buy phials and things from it that served no real purpose, although clearly they would have been needed for potions? Pity.

The books are so pretty I want to go insiiiide!

The "architect of Hogwarts" surrounded by the four animals mascots of the Houses. Completely a movie invention; there is no "architect" character in the books. Part of me is a little bit bitter; if Rowena Ravenclaw made the extremely important moving staircases and her House is responsible for one of the four towers, why is the eagle facing the wall?

This is entire rooms full of concept art: sketches, colored pictures, paper models. This is a house-elf suit of armor. How cool is that? There were so many sketches on the walls, it was hard to see them all. 

Here's the iconic (movie-iconic) bridge model!

And then. It hits you. It's dark, and there is clearly one thing in the center. It's Hogwarts. It's Hogwarts, and it's huge. It's magic. 

What I would give for a wand so I could apparate back there and see it all again. 

But it never truly ends. We are Book Eight. 

Happy reading!

~Citali

Questions About Books, Reprise

So! Over a year ago (and oh my goodness, it's been a year) Citali and I answered a questionnaire of sorts about our literary preferences. I'm going to do them again, if only to catalogue my (dubious) character development.

1. Favorite childhood book

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A.Milne

2. What are you reading right now?

Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore.

4. Bad book habit?

Forgetting to use bookmarks. All the time.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George, Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Daughters of Ruin by K.D. Castner, and My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

Nah.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

Just one, usually.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

Um... yeah. I've been thinking about books in terms of diversity and political undertones a lot more lately.

9. Least favorite book you read this year so far?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?

Dang, that's a hard question. Uh. It's either Gemina or The Hammer of Thor.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

Most things, actually.

13. Can you read in the car?

Noooooo.

14. Favorite place to read?

Curled up somewhere (a bed, maybe, or a sofa) covered in blankets and warm. But that's probably just my Winter Aesthetic (TM).

15. What is your policy on book lending?

As long as they give it back in good condition. Actually, I once let a friend borrow my Goblet of Fire and she returned it with the cover taped back on. :/

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Only if they're older books. If they're relatively new I'd rather keep them neat and pretty.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

No, not really. I used to have to do it for school, but not anymore. I just think it's too sloppy.

18. Not even with textbooks?

See #17.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?

...English? I can't read any other language, anyway, so...

20. What makes you love a book?

Fleshed-out characters, worldbuilding, humor, diversity.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?

 Look up.

22. Favorite genre?

Fantasy. I've started to read more sci-fi, though.

23. Genre you rarely read but wish you did?

Mainstream, probably. Or realistic fiction.

24. Favorite biography?

 Boy Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

Nope.

26. Favorite cookbook?

Yeah, I don't do cookbooks.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.

28. Favorite reading snack?

 Hmm. Good question. Next question.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?

Mehh. I tend to lean towards fandom in terms of book critiques.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?

If I don't like something, you bet I'm going to complain about it.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?

Latin!

35. Favorite poet?

C. Dale Young is amazing.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?

It honestly varies a lot these days.

37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?

 Not too often.

38. Favorite fictional character?

How do I pick just one? It's impossible. However: not to be dramatic or anything, but I would actually die for Cisco Ramon.

39. Favorite fictional villain?

 Can I say Kaldur'ahm from Young Justice? I mean, he's not /quite/ a villain, but... oh, fine. Eobard Thawne/Harrison Wells, The Flash.

41. The longest you’ve gone without reading?

Not very long.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.

 The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. The sheer density of it put me off a bit. I might try it again sometime.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?

Absolutely nothing.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?

 The Lord of the Rings trilogy was absolute GOLD. GOLD, I tell you. The Martian was pretty good, too.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?

Percy Jackson, probably. Maybe Eragon.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?

 Hmm. I spent 999 rupees once, but I haven't been to too many bookstores since then.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?

Occasionally, when I've never heard of it or I'm dubious about the quality of its content.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?

If they're inappropriate or cringey or Problematic.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?

 Kind of? I mean, I try to keep my bookshelf neat, but it doesn't work out that well. Of course, that's mostly my fault, but still.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?

 Look, I will /never/ give away a book unless I really detest it.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?

 The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I got it for a birthday present last year, but I've just kind of been putting it off. I'm not sure how much I'll like it, is the thing.

52. Name a book that made you angry.

...Dark Disciple by Christie Golden. Well. Not angry, as such, just disappointed. I expected a lot more from it, and it was an entertaining read, but honestly? Asajj Ventress deserves so much better than a pitiful death for the sake of True Love (TM).

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?

 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I mean, I didn't expect to /dislike/ it, either; I was just kind of neutral about it. Now that I've read it, though, it's actually pretty good.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?

 DC's Teen Titans series. It was nothing great, and the awkwardly misogynist costumes put me off. Also: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

55. Favorite guilt-free pleasure reading?

Fanfiction. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So, what do you guys think of my ~literary evolution~? How has this past year changed your literary preferences?

Happy reading, and happy holidays!

Willow

Willow Does NaNo

So. November is coming up, and y'all know what that means.

("No, we don't, Willow. Educate us, Willow.")

NaNoWriMo is almost here!

For those of you new to this blog, National Novel Writing Month -- aka NaNoWriMo -- is a project during the month of November in which aspiring writers attempt to churn out 50,000 words within the month. I know. Yikes.

I've done Camp NaNoWriMo before, with word count goals of a meager 15,000 each time, but this is my first actual NaNo. I'm nervous and excited at the same time.

Here's the thing, though: I feel like this experience is going to be very different from my previous attempts.

Why, you ask? Well.

When I did Camp, all I had to motivate/help me were a few enthusiastic cabinmates, my own inspiration, and the ever-wonderful Citali. Amazing as they are, they weren't quite enough to catapult me to success.

This time, it's a fully fledged NaNo, and I'm in a completely different environment. I've changed schools, and the one I currently go to? Has a NaNoWriMo club, Facebook group and all.

That means: twenty-something people my age working on the same project that I am, maybe encountering the same pitfalls, always encouraging and helping each other out.

Aww, yeah. This should be good.

Having a group of people to work with-- one that encompasses more than just Citali (sorry, dear) -- is going to be immensely helpful. Already we're having meetings, discussing how to plot properly and tips and tricks about characterization.

This month, I know that if I falter, if I lose track of where my story's going, I'll have someone to back me up, get me back on track.

I have a good feeling about this.

Happy writing!
~Willow

Willow Liveblogs "World's Finest"

Hi, you guys! Sorry I've abandoned you! But never fear, I'm baaaack~ and I have a liveblog for you! As some of you might know, I've recently (well, relatively recently, anyway) become a DC Comics fan. The first DCTV show I watched was The Flash, and I adored it. (How could I not? The main character is literally just a nerd who occasionally goes "nyoooooooom".) When Supergirl arrived on Netflix, I was like, "AWWW YISSSS" and immediately got started. This is me liveblogging the crossover between Supergirl season 1 and season 2 of The Flash. Here be spoilers, etc. etc. Anyway. Here we go!

W: I... Don't Like Siobhan, but at least Winn's not pining anymore.

W: Kara, poor baby. It's okay.

W: Casual Lucy in charge, yessss.

W: Cat. Cat. Caaaaat. How do I love thee.

W: That's The Flash's theme music and there's a red blur omg omg omg

W: "I-- Nope! I'm--" Oh, Barry. Never change, honey.

W: Speedy red dORK

W: Dorks i n t e r a c t i n g. I'm dead.

W: I /love/ the music of this episode. Casual insertions of the Flash theme --> my jam.

W: Okay, so confession: I watched The Flash before I watched Supergirl. And I actually watched this crossover before I started Supergirl. (Yes, I know, I know, don't judge. This is me liveblogging my rewatch.) Anyhoo.

W: Dude. Dude. Dude. Winn and Cisco would be /such/ good friends it's not even funny.

W: "Barry... is from another universe!" their faces argh they're so cute and Winn's reaction

W: These interactions are my bread and butter tbh. Winn is so psyched about this, and James is just "Whut", and Kara just wants ice cream.

W: lowkey (highkey) jealous James. Don't worry, Barry's got an Iris waiting for him.

W: I love Cat Grant. That is all.

W: ugh Siobhan again but w/e. Hoo boy. Soul destroying, eh?

W: giRL DON'T DO IT *Siobhan does the thing*

W: Awww, Cat. You do care.

W: SUPERHERO TEAM UP AWWW YEAH

W: Oh. Alex + J'onn reference. Sads.

W: Ah. Supervillain team up as well, then.

W: Quality James/Lucy platonic interactions! Yayyy.

W: Reckless Kryptonian golden retriever is reckless.

W: Winn is crushing on Barry so hard rn.

W: B a n t e r.

W: oh nooooes.

W: Y'know, it's weird to see /Barry/ being the mature one for a change. Nice, though.

W: Subtle piano Flash theme in the background. I love.

W: Oh. Oh. I just realized: when he says, "Me too," not only is he saying that he's glad he met Kara, he's also implying that compared to what he faces back home, this is... nice. Idyllic, maybe. Relaxing.

W: She knows Winn's name now. #characterdevelopment

W: Epic battle no. 2. Here we go.

W: "Hey, Sparky. Shrieky. Hi!" also casually feminist Barry is my jam

W: Okay, Livewire's powers are actually really cool???

W: Kara! Property damage!

W: Saved by the power of Friendship. Sorta.

W: Oh, Cat. How wrong you are.

W: "Girl of Steel"/"Scarlet Speedster" noice

W: Even Barry ships Karolsen. Hey, I bet Kara'd ship Westallen too.

W: Lookit ma supernerds, huggin' and havin' fun.

W: KAROLSEN KISS THIS IS NOT A DRILL THIS IS NOT A DRILL

W: Oh, shoot, what happened?

~the end~

So!

Pros of this episode: nERDS interacting, Karolsen getting together, endless fluff and banter, Cat Grant being perfect as usual

Cons of this episode: not enough Lucy Lane, anticlimactic final battle, too much adorableness

Happy watching!
~Willow

November NaNoWriMo 2016: The Prologue

It's October which means it's almost November which means several things: it's officially fall, we can get out boots and sweaters and hot chocolate, and of course NaNoWriMo (2016) is coming up! This will be my second year and I am as excited as anything!

Good luck with final NaNo prep to anyone who's a Planner! Happy writing to everyone come November!

Happy writing,
Citali

A Long-Winded Love Letter to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

So.

I read it.

The "it" I'm referring to is, of course, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the script of a recent play in London. It's Rowling-approved and officially canon, and ever since it came out it's been a source of extreme controversy within the fandom.

I, myself, quite liked it.

This is actually the second post on this blog about The Cursed Child. Citali wrote one already (go read it! It's far more eloquent than I could ever be), but I actually disagree with her opinions somewhat, so here I am. This post's probably going to be less coherent and more rambly, so you've been warned.

The book's in script format, so it's like (as quoted from one of my friends) reading Harry Potter on fast-forward. That, and the fact that the plot wasn't quite as stellar as we've come to expect from Rowling, explain why it's gotten less-than-great reviews from those who've read it.

However.

The Cursed Child is so, so important in that it acknowledges the characters' flaws and traumas. Lily and James and Rose are exactly what their parents wanted, perfect friendly happy Gryffindor children, not a care in the world, their parents' perfect legacy, but Albus? Oh, Albus. Albus Severus Potter: Slytherin, friendless, tormented, lonely. Albus, who so desperately wants to be more than just Harry Potter's loser son, Albus whose only friend is the son of Draco Malfoy, Albus who doesn't understand his father, whose father doesn't understand him, who isn't sure what to do about it and--

this is important, here. Not everyone is Harry Potter, who came to school and built a Golden Trio. Not everyone is Harry Potter, who stepped into the Wizarding World and became the youngest Seeker in a hundred years. Not everyone is Harry Potter, the golden child, the hero, the star, the Boy Who Lived.

This book, I think, focuses so much on stepping out of legacies and shadows. It takes Albus and Scorpius (and even Rose, to some extent) and says, firmly, "No. We are not our parents." Who would've thought, nine years ago, that there would be a tolerant Malfoy and a prejudiced Weasley?

I like this book because it forces you to confront the fact that its characters are imperfect, are scarred. That Harry Potter (the Chosen One, the one who killed the Dark Lord) is afraid of the dark. That Dumbledore made a hideous mistake in choosing to keep Harry with an abusive family (and wasn't reading that incredibly cathartic?). That Amos Diggory, all these years later, is still aching because his son was written off as merely "the spare." Rose Granger-Weasley, daughter of a Mudblood and a blood traitor, turns her nose up at Albus because he's friends with a Malfoy.

(I'm not saying The Cursed Child is perfect. It isn't, especially plotwise. I'm just saying that it's worth reading, because it delves into what Rowling didn't. )

Another thing. As we well know, Harry Potter suffers from a lack of diversity, both racially and otherwise. The Cursed Child (the play, I mean) cast Black actresses to play both Hermione and Rose Granger-Weasley. (!!!!! I know, right? So great.) In addition, although it's been confirmed that the late, the great Albus Dumbledore was in fact gay, he's the only canonically LGBTQ+ character in the Wizarding World thus far. Dare we hope Cursed Child is taking the first steps to change that? Nothing is stated explicitly, but. Reading the book, Scorpius's and Albus's interactions feel very much like the first steps towards romance. I'm gonna be honest with you: I ship it.

(Didn't I tell you it was going to be rambly? Hopefully it made sense.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Anyway. If any of you have read it, feel free to tell us what you thought of it!
Happy reading, as always.
~Willow

A FANGIRL GOES TO THE HARRY POTTER STUDIOS: Part Pictoral

Happy summer-is-ending, void-that-is-the-Internets-and-readers-or-dearth-thereof!
Maybe I should just introduce every post like that from now on.

Let's go ♫ sailing off to London ♫ again now, back to the wonderful Harry Potter studios in Leavesden!

**Book, tour, and movie spoilers ahead. Protego!**

The tour, you could say, has three parts (though wouldn't it be *metaphorically significant* if there were seven?): two soundstages and the back lot in between. The first soundstage focuses on sets and props, from the tiny (Harry's cupboard) to the huge (the Great Hall). The backlot is outdoors; the displays there are the outdoor props like the beloved Knight Bus. Finally, the second soundstage features the art and special effects, from the beautiful concept artists' images and models to the creepy masks or suits of special-effect characters like Aragog or Griphook.

Greetings from the Ford Anglia and huge pictures of the major actors! That's Alan Rickman and Tom Felton (Draco's face hidden by Ford Anglia). I think I just let the fangirling fill me up here, and I just stood around with my mouth open. It's already on a grand scale, and there are only a few set pieces out in the lobby.

The first (and smallest) set is right off the lobby; it's Harry's cupboard. It was amazing to see this right off the bat; it's icon and simple and a little bit heartbreaking. Again, it was only the beginning.

Possibly the most of me you'll ever see in a photo, this is my hand as we were standing in line. Buzzing with fangirling excitement, it was the most cheerful line we saw in England, and probably the most cheerful line in the world. We were all very excited, and I just love the Potterhead fandom.  C'mere, you guys. I had a blue pen with me, and I was seriously considering writing "I solemnly swear I am up to no good" or "#RavenclawPride" or "Ravenclaw is blue and bronze" on my hand. I didn't, though, partially because there were simply just too many slogans I wanted. 

There are just no words. No words. No words for the sheer reality and magic and size and scale of the Great Hall. There's a reason it's the first thing on the tour past the doors. Every visitor to the studios must say it, but this place just wows you. It's the best feeling in the world, that mixture of shock and awe and excitement and it's happening, it's happening, I'm here. Of course, this isn't the only place you can feel that, but it was truly magical. It stayed with me the whole time. 

It's the teachers. It's the sorting hat. It's the House mascot lamps. It's uniforms from every house, from first year all the way up to seventh. It's the Hogwartsians amongst us.

We reluctantly moved out of the Great Hall, because there was so much more to explore! The Yule ball outfits were stunning (ha, ha, Ron) from his disastrous dress robes to Cho Chang's beautiful dress (Cho is one of my favorites. Again, Ravenclaw pride!)

Then we moved on to costumes and wigs. This head with two Uncle Vernon mustaches pinned onto it was immensely entertaining to my strange sense of humor. That's a greenscreen glove for Dumbledore's dead hand underneath it, by the way.

More wigs! The long blonde one on the stand is Luna Lovegood's, another of my favorites. Quirky Ravenclaws for the win, of course! Her hair is beautiful, as is everyone's.

There are tables of wigs, there are shelves with more, there are racks of fancy clothes, there are matching shoes that I've never noticed watching the movies. And this can only be a fragment of the movie magic. Isn't that amazing?

It's a tiny rendition of Lupin's classroom! And the only lesson he cinematically taught! Merlin, I love that teacher... and Snape in Neville's grandmother's clothes. I mean... who doesn't?

When you see the Gryffindor boy's dormitory, you're standing a little bit under the roof of it. You look up at the timbers Daniel Radcliffe and Devon Murray and Alfie Enoch and Matthew Lewis and Rupert Grint looked up at, the timbers Harry and Seamus and Dean and Neville and Ron looked up at. It really is cozy.

What can I possibly say about the wands? They're all there. It's amazing. You can see which characters' wands really match them: Dumbledore's elder wand, Bellatrix's claw, Voldemort's terrifying bony thing. Other wands are plainer, like Ginny's which is the second from the right here. I rather wish hers had shown a bit more of her personality, but it's beautiful all the same.

It's the Gryff common room, with the Prisoner of Azkaban costumes! This place is the coziest thing possible, with so much detail, from the paintings on the walls to the door to the stairs up to the Gryff boys' dorm.

Lupin. Tonks. Sirius. I love how they're stood so that it looks a bit like an Olympic gold, silver, and bronze pedestal. This is only partly because it means Tonks is gold, Lupin silver, and Sirius bronze. Although I love them all; this isn't quite my ranking order, either. It would probably be Lupin, then Tonks, then Sirius in my book, but Lupin and Tonks are close in rank.

Beloved Alan Rickman, and less-beloved Snape. The potions classroom is scarily detailed.

It's Dumbledore's office! Look at all those Headmasters. Dumbledore's the washed-out figure in the bottom right.

This is a cage with all the Goblet of Fire props. Look. At. That. It's insane.

The beautiful and iconic, if nonliterary, clock from Prisoner of Azkaban. It's huge.

A big look at a ton of large practical props, with the greenscreen area in the background. I love the Ravenclaw moving staircases. 

The beloved Weasley Burrow. There are things here that actually move (mechanically), it's amazing.

It's the Hogwarts Express! Look at this scarlet glory. It's beautiful. I wish I were on there come this September first.

Everything from the Yule ball costumes up to this point were in this big main hall. Before I went aboard the Express, though, I just had to stop and take one picture looking back.

Hogwarts trolleys, each belonging to a different student distinctively. This is Luna's of course. Check out that aqua footlocker! 

In a cabin at the end of the express. All was well. (Don't talk to me about Cursed Child!)

This gave me so many feels... it's his broken glasses. From fifteen years ago, can you believe?

I promised myself I'd only make very important images very large; I'm getting carried away. But just you look at all these paper goods! I want those textbooks...and all that is just beautiful.

What wouldn't I give to visit a bookstore with a shelf like that? 

I'll end this post here. Don't worry, I'll pop you all off to the rest of the tour (we'll go to all destinations, just nothing underwater, haha) later! 

A big thanks again to people who put up with long-winded and philosophical or pictoral posts. Especially to those people who put up with posts who are also the people who took me on this trip! And especially to Lauchlan for the travel blog format. Thanks for understanding.

Happy imagining!

~Citali