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Just finished Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. The protagonist is an eighteen year old called Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three sisters, who live in the town of Market Chipping in the kingdom of Ingary. Because she's the eldest, she thinks she is doomed to fail and live a miserable life since in the land of Ingary, that's what people believe ("the eldest of three will never be successful"). As she is the eldest, she is resigned to look after her late father's hat shop making hats while her other sisters go live happy lives. One day, the evil Witch of the Waste (one of the most powerful magicians in all of Ingary) visits Sophie's hat shop, Sophie accidentally insults her, which led the Witch to put a spell on Sophie that turned her into an elderly lady. She goes to Wizard Howl in hopes that he can undo the spell. This is where the story really picks up.
I really loved the book, it's fun, it's exciting, I loved the humor in it. Excellent world-building and character development. Beautiful lyrical writing. And just the right amount of twists and turns. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys fantasy or is looking for an easy read.
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