This was just the comfort read I needed. Like Howl’s Moving Castle, this is an utterly charming read. Diana Wynne Jones makes chores magical—parents might want their children to read this. The addition of magic to the mundane is deftly handled here.

The book includes Google Earth coordinates so you can check satellite images and street views as you read along. In this age of increasingly limited unmapped and fully off-the-grid locations, it’s heartening to know that there are still places that hold mysteries and fascination.