Bekah and Jenna review “Howl’s Moving Castle” a YA novel-turned-Studio Ghibli masterpiece

Red Wine Reads

This week, we read Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Bekah joins me on this episode to discuss:

• Why there were way too many characters in the book that it muddled up the ending
• How Bekah became the biggest Studio Ghibli stan out there
• The many discrepancies between the book and the movie, and why in this case, the movie is better.

Open your book and press play on a podcast episode that will have you wondering where you can get your own fire demon.

Mentioned in the Pairings section of the podcast:

• DRINK: London Fog, Gold Fashioned
• TV SHOW - Slice of Life on Crunchyroll
• BOOK - Ella Enchanted, Good Omens, Matilda
• MOVIE - Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, The Boy and the Heron, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke

Quick Summary: In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

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Once you're done listening, hop onto our Instagram and TikTok @rwreadspodcast to give us your thoughts on the discussion and the book. We look forward to hearing from you!

* Disclaimer *

At Red Wine Reads, we want to engage in the stories of people from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. The value of books lies in the power of storytelling and sharing a range of perspectives. We don't want to just read what we know, we want to read stories that open our worldview. And in turn, that means getting into challenging, rewarding conversations. But we are not experts in any field — literature, race relations, politics, etc .— and we know that our reviews of these books come from a place of privilege. We encourage our community of readers to add to these conversations with their own thoughts, critiques, and questions. We want to open up a safe place for people. That being said, we also realize that getting into race, sexuality, gender, and other difficult topics can be triggering. We aim to include content warnings whenever they are applicable but we are not perfect. So as we continue to do our best, know you have the room to tell us when we can do better and even, if you want to, share resources with us. Let's learn, grow, and have fun together.