"Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there."

"If a painting really works down in your heart and changes the way you see and think and feel, you don't think, 'oh I love this painting because it's universal' 'I love this painting because it speaks to mankind'. That's not the reason anyone loves a piece of art. It's a secret whisper from an alleyway. Psst, you. Hey kid. Yes, you."- Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch

I read this last summer and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a huge fan of To Kill a Mockingbird so it was nice to have the chance to revisit some of the characters. While the book has been critiqued for ruining the character of Atticus, I think the it both complicates his character (which is a good thing) and also complicates the racial narrative in To Kill a Mockingbird for the better. Racism is not black and white and GSAWM serves to demonstrate this

"Know yourself and go in swinging."- Patrick Ness

One of the best contemporary YA novels I've read this year! It is a very quick read and has characters that will stick with you long after you've read the book. I definitely recommend this novel! Have you read this book yet?!