Notable Quotable: Sarah J. Maas (#170)

"'You could rattle the stars,' she whispered. 'You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That's what scares you most.'"
     --Throne of Glass

Notable Quotable: Brian K. Vaughan (#169)

"I hated being twelve. Back in '65, I just wanted to grow up fast so everything would finally be good, you know? But the truth is, life was actually way better back then. Turns out, the older you get... the more everything just turns to shit."
     --Paper Girls, Vol. 1

Notable Quotable: Meredith Jaeger (#168)

"Margaret looked at the ring on her finger. 'Gran gave me this before we boarded the ship. It's the most special thing in the world to me. I'll never take it off, Hanna. No matter how hungry I am."
     --The Dressmaker's Dowry

Notable Quotable: Kasie West (#167)

"I get too self-conscious. Especially about things that mean a lot to me. I feel like if I hold things close, never share, then I never give anyone the opportunity to judge me."
     --P.S. I Like You

Harry Potter Moment of the Week #113

hosted by Uncorked Thoughts and Lunar Rainbows Reviews.

Favorite Hogwarts painting.

I absolutely love Sir Cadogan.  He's ridiculous and entertaining, always good for a laugh, but he means well.  I love that he's so into his job in Prisoner of Azkaban when he replaces the Fat Lady as entryway to Gryffindor tower. I also love that he pops in just about any random painting he can find. He's always looking for danger and ready to protect anyone and anything, even though he's a painting.

Six of Crows

by Leigh Barduo
published: Henry Holt and Company, 2015
pages: 462

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price -- and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...                                                                       
A convict with a thirst for revenge           A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager                                           A runaway with a privileged past            A spy known as the Wraith                     A Heartreader using her magic to survive the slums                                   A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes                                                                                                                                                                           Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction--if they don't kill each other first.     

This book. Oh, this book is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The writing is incredibly rich and immersive. It's beautiful, witty, and caught me off guard at the right moments. I savored it for as long as I could and then a switch flipped and I had to know what happened. I ended up reading the last 100 pages in one go. I am currently debating on whether or not I should wait to pick up the sequel right away. As it stands, I went to the bookstore the morning after I finished Six of Crows to buy Crooked Kingdom.

The characters thrive at the heart of this novel. Because the book is told from multiple perspectives I was nervous about being able to tell them apart. However, I had nothing to fear. Each character was very distinctive, well rounded and fully formed characters. Their backgrounds were woven into the story seamlessly and I cared for all of them, which can be hard to do when there are half a dozen main characters. They might all be criminals, the scum of the slums, but as Kaz puts it, they wreak of decency.

The pacing of the novel was unbelievable; there was not a single moment that I felt bored or like the story was moving too slowly. Every moment built on another, it was just the right amount of crazy action, character development, and world building. I love that we're never quite sure what's going to happen next: what's a part of the plan and what's improv. A book that keeps me guessing is a book that keeps me interested.

There is some discussion about whether or not you need to read the Grisha Trilogy before reading this book. I am here to say that it's not necessary! I have not read the Grisha Trilogy and I'm sure it gives more context for the story, but Leigh Bardugo does a great job of making this book a self-contained experience.

I cannot wait to read the sequel! Thank you Leigh Bardugo.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

          5 Stars