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