Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

This is a book that I have reread countless times and continue to be in love with. The novel follows Sophie Hatter, the eldest daughter of three who lives in the town of Ingary. In this world, like in many fairy tales, the eldest daughter does not have much expected of her, so she resigns to the quiet life of running her family’s hat shop. However, her life is turned upside down when the Witch of the Waste puts a curse on her. In search of a cure, she searches for the infamous Howl, the wizard who lives in a moving castle and is said to eat the hearts of young girls. She stumbles upon the castle and strikes a deal with Calcifer, Howl’s fire demon. He tells her that he can lift her curse if she can free him from Howl. This is a tale of mistaken identities, magic, dramatic wizards, and a dog– all of which make Sophie’s goal of lifting her curse more difficult. The plot follows the the adventures of Howl, Sophie, Calcifer, and Michael (Howl’s apprentice), all wonderfully written characters who are sure to win over any reader. Diana Wynne Jones’ novels are always beautiful, and this book is as charming as the rest. Jones’ skillfor creating an engaging world and lovable characters shine in this award winning novel. Howl’s Moving Castle has been adapted into an Academy Award-nominated movie as well, which is a stunning animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Even if you have seen the movie, I highly recommend reading the book because the plot and character have key differences. If you are looking for something to read after finishing this book, I suggest reading the other two novels by Jones, House of Many Ways and Castle in the Air, which exist in the same universe and include the characters of Howl’s Moving Castle. This book is good for all ages!