In the land of Ingary, where seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, Sophie Hatter attracts the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste, who puts a curse on her. Determined to make the best of things, Sophie travels to the one place where she might get help – the moving castle which hovers on the nearby hills.

But the castle belongs to the dreaded Wizard Howl whose appetite, they say, is satisfied only by the hearts of young girls…

My Review:
I originally picked this up for my small children. The idea was to pre-read it to ensure that it was suitable to be read to them. It is. In fact, they will love it, just like I did. Diane Jones strings the reader along marvelously. You really do need to pay attention to the details, though; they’ll sneak up on you. What made this such an enjoyable read for me was the characters. Sophie, Howl, Calcipher, Michael, et al. are wonderfully fleshed out, thoughtful, and funny. I was sad to see the story end. It felt a bit like losing friends. I was, of course, familiar with Hayao Miyazaki’s animated version of the story, and though quite a lot is left out it doesn’t stray too far from the book. So anyone who likes the anime will like to book. I recommend it for both children and adults.