Howl's Moving Castle is one of the best anime movies I've ever seen.  I have recently discovered it was based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones, and even has two sequels, which you can be sure I will be reading soon--Castle in the Sky, and House of Many Ways. 

The story begins with Sophie Hatter, an eldest daughter, who is bored with running her family's hat shop.  After accidently offending the Witch of the Waste, she is turned into an old woman.  Ashamed of her appearence she runs away, and finds herself working as a cleaning maid for the the Wizard Howl.  She discovers that Howl's spirit servant,...