in which natale fangirls

And the thrilling saga continues!

2. A BOOK YOU’VE READ MORE THAN 3 TIMES

If I am to be perfectly honest, I have read a numberless amount of books more than three times. Having said that, I think the book I have read the most in my life is Howl’s Moving Castle by the impeccable Diana Wynne Jones.

 

I LOVE THIS BOOK.

I do not know how to articulate what I love so well about it. First of all, Diana (I call her Diana because I like to pretend we are best friends) perfectly satirizes the fantasy genre, while still crafting a story that fulfills all one’s fantasy needs. We have Sophie, the mousy eldest daughter so unaware of her own ability that she does not even realize when she enchants things; Howl, the slithery scoundrel of a wizard who’s too busy with his hair to see what a good person he is; and a myriad cast of other characters that are just as zany and magical and unexpected. Basically, Diana takes all the best troupes of fantasy fiction and blends them into a hilarious mess of an adventure.

But wait! Despite being in a land of magic, Diana creates characters that are still quite real and relatable. Sophie, for example, is an inspiration to me. At the beginning of the story, Sophie hides within her family’s hat shop, letting her sisters and (not so wicked) stepmother go and experience life outside their little town. She doubts her abilities so much that she convinces herself she is better off cursed as an old woman. Though being turned into an old woman is not exactly ideal, the curse ultimately frees Sophie and proves that the most powerful curses are the ones we put on ourselves. Howl, too, (despite all his Byronic, drama queen-ness) can be so very human and it is just absolutely wonderful.

AND THE HUMOR. Oh, how I laugh when I read this book! The comedy, I will say, is very British and will not be everyone’s cup of tea (get it? tea? cuz, you know, the Brits drink lots of tea … anyway) but, as a self-professed Anglophile, I grin and cackle constantly throughout. (The banter between Sophie and Howl and Calcifer gives me life.) Diana’s so darn clever and always seems to know exactly what to write. Plus, anyone who can make drunken candor comical is okay in my book.

I really, really, really love this book.

I don't even know how many times I've read it.

"I assure you, my friends, I am cone sold stober."