I read this book 10 years ago, and thought that I remembered it, but I really didn’t. I think I was confusing it with one of the author’s other books. I’m surprised that I didn’t remember more, as I’m also the eldest of three sisters. ( )

After re-reading Howl's Moving Castle, which I turned out not to have remembered practically at all, I decided to read the sequel. I had not read it previously, possibly because it did not seem to be much of a direct sequel. I decided to read it, and Howl and Sophie do eventually appear.

I loved the new characters and different type of fairytale world. It reminded me a bit of The Horse and His Boy in the Chronicles of Narnia, where the book starts out with a character in a very different place, but it does give some information on your main characters from the previous books eventually. ( )

I am in love with this book and Diana Wynne Jones' writing.

I was already a huge fan of the Ghibli movie, but the book (as expected) has so many more layers and characters to add to the story!

The entire tale about the fate of an elder sister, younger sister, middle sister... It's awesome. I've read this book a long time ago but I carry it in my heart. ( )

The one word review for this one is easy - delightful. At the very beginning of the book, the Hatter family loses their father and the family hat shop is taken over by their stepmother, Fanny. Oh no, an evil stepmother story, right? The three Hatter sisters, Sophie, Lettie and their youngest half-sister, Martha have their fates in Fanny's hands. Fanny sends two of the girls off to be apprentices - Lettie to the baker and Martha to a witch of good reputation. Sophie gets to stay home and work in the hat shop, which is kind of what she wanted anyway.

The book takes place in the land of Ingary, partially in the town of Market Chipping, partially in other towns, as the moving castle can access multiple places at once. Almost immediately, Sophie encounters the Witch of the Waste and then soon after, Howl and the moving castle, along with his apprentice and fire demon, Calcifer. Howl is a gadabout ladies man, but there's likely more to him than that!

The action mainly centers on Sophie and as you would expect from the title, the moving castle. This was very well done, pleasant to read and did not feel very YA. It is a little simplistic, but not too much and people are not always what they seem, in a good way. ( )

I love this book. It's my second time reading it and this time it's for a local book club. The characters are much more unique than in the Ghibli movie (which is still amazing, don't get me wrong), and it is somehow comforting and cozy, while also having an undercurrent of dread and confusion. My only quibble is that the ending felt abrupt and more of these revelations could have been used to build up the climactic events. But it's still a delightful read. ( )