Story by Lilly Parsley, Carlee Hite and JaKayla Brown
Photos by Carlee Hite
Illustrations by Sydney Higdon
Photo illustration by Lilly Parsley
Tali Topics is a monthly series where staffers share their tastes on recent media they have enjoyed.
With the stress of finals approaching and the end of the semester shining like a light at the end of the tunnel, it can be difficult to remember to take time for yourself and unwind.
If you’re looking for a break, Talisman’s got you covered! In our second monthly installment of Tali Topics website writers Lilly Parsley, JaKayla Brown and website visuals editor Carlee Hite recommend some of their current favorite things.
So sit back, relax and read on to see what your next obsession might be. While you read, take a listen to a playlist on Spotify curated by the staff!
Book: “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo
Lilly Parsely
Considering the COVID-19 pandemic left us all quarantined, bored and searching for hobbies, middle school became a formative time for my literary tastes. “Six of Crows,” a 490-page young adult novel by Leigh Bardugo, entered my 13-year-old brain and never quite left.
According to Bardugo’s website, Six of Crows is the first installment of a dark fantasy duology which served as a spinoff to Bardugo’s “Shadow and Bone.” Both series are set in a magical world full of “Grisha,” or humans who can manipulate matter.
While “Shadow and Bone” is a beautiful display of worldbuilding and political warfare, I find “Six of Crows” to exceed all expectations I could have had for a continuation.
The atmosphere of the book is what truly draws me into the world of “Six of Crows.” The novel opens in the Barrel, a criminal underworld in the fictional city of Ketterdam.
The Barrel is dark, gritty and full of gamblers and gang members looking for trouble. I often picture Ketterdam to be a grotesque mix of Edinburgh, Scotland and Las Vegas, full of cobblestone streets and vice.
The novel follows my favorite book character, Kaz Brekker. Brekker is a 17- year-old criminal prodigy, gang leader and owner of the Crow Club, a gambling house. He has to rely on a cane, with a severe touch aversion and a thirst for revenge that fuels almost all of his actions. His backstory often left me grieving along with him, and the complexity of his character is beautifully awful.
Brekker, who is the epitome of morally grey, is offered a job on a heist that will make him richer than he can imagine. He recruits a team of teenage criminals, thieves and outcasts to complete the job. In the job, they have to travel to the hostile country of Fjerda to infiltrate the Ice Court, a military fortress that has never been compromised.
Brekker and his inner circle of “crows” are undoubtedly the highlight of “Six of Crows” for me. The six characters are the blueprint for a found family, and their protectiveness and banter take Bardugo’s novel from “good” to “great”. I particularly adore the romantic undertones and unconventional love portrayed between the characters.
Although the novel is classified as young adult, the violence and “Peaky Blinders”-esque atmosphere make it feel anything but childish. “Six of Crows” is a beautiful creation of dark fantasy that has kept me coming back to immerse myself in Bardugo’s masterpieces since middle school.
If you’re like me and love heists, gunfights, plot twists and a cast full of morally questionable characters who are doomed from the start, your new favorite book might be waiting.
Series: “The Pitt”
Carlee Hite
At this point in the semester, you have likely heard classmates, friends or even strangers talking about the new medical show “The Pitt,” and I am here to tell you that they should, in fact, be talking about it.
The first two episodes of “The Pitt” were released on Jan. 9, 2025, with new episodes airing weekly until the end of season one. The entire season revolves around one day in a Pittsburgh emergency room. Each episode is matched with the hour in the shift. The first season is 15 episodes long and covers 7 a.m. to 9 p.m, according to the show’s page on IMDb.
The main character of the story is Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, who is played by Noah Wyle. Wyle is known for his other roles in NBC’s “ER” and TNT’s “Falling Skies”, among others. Dr. Robby is the chief attending of the day shift and head of the emergency department at an overcrowded and underfunded hospital in Pittsburgh.
The hospital is a teaching hospital, which means that throughout the season, Dr. Robby is training new intern Trinity Santos and medical students Dennis Whitaker and Victoria Javadi.
We’re also introduced to a plethora of other characters, including Charge Nurse Dana Evans, one of my favorite characters, as well as Dr. Melissa “Mel” King, Dr. Frank Langdon, Dr. Cassie McKay, Dr. Samira Mohan, Dr. Jack Abbott and more. Dr. Abbott is the night shift attending physician in the ER, but makes several appearances throughout both seasons.
Season one has an abundance of different reasons people are in the ER. It includes overdoses, teen pregnancy, psychiatric issues, drowning and more. The season also has a twist, which I will not reveal because you just need to go watch it yourself.
This might sound like a lot. But remember that patients appear in multiple episodes, which gives time for each key patient to get their screen time.
The second season is no exception. Season two takes place on the fourth of July, and you should expect fireworks incidents, overheating, sexual assault and more. Also, keep your eye out for a new character or two introduced this season.
What sets this show apart from other medical series is its ability to show not only the medical grit and gore, but also personal topics within the main characters. Some of these include burnout, addiction and PTSD.
If you’re looking for a show to binge between studying for finals, the final episode of season two dropped Thursday, April 16. All in all, you should just watch “The Pitt.”
Drink: 7 Brew
JaKayla Brown
I’m no coffee connoisseur, but the drive-thru craze 7 Brew has built definitely deserves the hype. I’m always looking for a place that gives me more than just caffeine, and that is 7 Brew 100%.
My first real introduction to 7 Brew was on my way to work about five weeks back. You know the kind, running late, half-awake, and already over the day before it begins. A friend suggested I swing by, promising it wasn’t “just another coffee place.” I was skeptical, but I went anyway.
What I didn’t expect was what happened while I was waiting for my drink. The cashier struck up a conversation with me. Not the usual “how’s your day?” small talk, but something completely random: “What’s your favorite vegetable?”
It caught me off guard. I remember laughing a little, trying to come up with an answer that didn’t sound boring. But that moment stuck with me. It was so simple, but so different. In a place designed for speed, they took a second to make it personal. It didn’t feel scripted; it felt real.
From there, everything else just added to the experience. Music playing, upbeat workers and the kind of energy that you don’t usually get from a drive-thru window.
7 Brew is centered around quick service, high energy and a menu that goes way beyond your typical coffee order.
Honestly, one of the biggest draws isn’t even the coffee; it’s their energy drinks. They also have slushes, smoothies, teas and shakes that are bright, customizable and honestly kind of addictive. They give you that extra push without feeling like just another gas station option. There’s something fun about picking flavors, mixing combinations and ending up with something that feels completely your own.
If I had to pick a favorite part, it would be the way 7 Brew leans into individuality. Whether it’s the endless drink combinations, the random conversations, or the energy of the staff, there’s this underlying message that being a little different isn’t just okay. It’s the point. Honestly, that’s refreshing.
It’s easy to write off places like this as just another trend, but there’s something deeper going on. In a world where everything feels rushed and impersonal, 7 Brew manages to slow things down, without actually slowing anything down at all.
Now, it’s become one of those spots I find myself returning to, not just for a drink, but for a reset. There is just something so nice about an aesthetically pleasing drink to brighten your day.
If you and your friends are looking for something quick yet meaningful, 7 Brew might be worth a stop.