On the Fourth Day of Christmas

My very first blog post here (baring my intro post) was about Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones.  It is one of my favorite books, as evidenced by the incredibly battered copy I still read.  I’m not giving that to you.  It’s mine.
But, what I am giving you is the third in the Howl series, House of Many Ways.  
Charmain Baker is a very respectable girl; her parents have made sure of that.  She has been protected from disagreeable things like laundry, cooking, or magic.  However, instead of getting to spend her summer reading and trying to get a job as an assistant to the Royal Librarian, her Aunt has volunteered her to look after a wizard’s house.
Great Uncle William, more properly the Royal Wizard Norland, has had to go away for his health.  He’s left Charmain with detailed instructions and a map to his rather unusual house.  At first glance there are only two rooms, but if you step through from the front room to the kitchen and turn left before your foot hits the ground you’ll find yourself in a long hallway of bedrooms.  Turn a different way and you might be in a basement of the royal palace.  Turn another way again and maybe you’ll be in the kobold caverns.
But Charmain’s adventures don’t stop there.  She also has to deal with Great Uncle William’s new apprentice, a charming dog named Waif, and her new job as assistant to the Royal Librarian, who happens to be the crown princess.  Then there’s a witch named Sophie, a fire demon, a terrible child named Twinkle of all things, monsters, and all manner of unrespectable things!
All in all, I love this book almost as much as I love Howl’s Moving Castle and that is a great deal indeed!

To enter this contest just leave a comment below telling me about your favorite hobbies as a kid.  The contest will run until December 21.
To win a copy of His Majesty’s Dragon leave a comment here by December 18th.
To win a copy of Rot & Ruin leave a comment here by December 19th.
To win a copy of Wednesdays in the Tower comment on this post by December 20th.