log(book)
There are currently 155 reviews missing.
The last time I was up to date with reviews was 2022-01-31. Since then, 270/425 books (63.5%) have been reviewed. We'll get there … eventually.

Books by Diana Wynne Jones

Cover of The Lives of Christopher Chant.

The Lives of Christopher Chant

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1978 · last read 2022-11-19
★★★★☆
Chrestomanci was my first encounter with the phenomenon that is Diana Wynne Jones. I liked the books – they seemed to strike the tricky balance between whimsy, absurdity, and having an actual plot. I can still remember how Christopher starts going into other worlds, touching things to make them solid. It's a great image.
Cover of The Magicians of Caprona.

The Magicians of Caprona

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1980 · last read 2022-11-21
★★★★☆
Romeo and Juliet: magic edition! Feuding Italian families, throwing magic at each other and being delightfully temperamental. Add in nosy kids, moody teenagers, snarky cats and almighty matriarchs … yes, I really like this book. It's among my top books by Diana Wynne Jones, and that's saying something.
Cover of Howl's Moving Castle.

Howl’s Moving Castle

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1986 · read 2009-10-01
★★★★☆
This book confused me a lot when I first read it (to be fair: it is a confusing book). Then I watched the movie a year or two later, and I didn't connect it with the book at all. It only came to me slowly over the course of months that the two might be connected. It's so weird!
Cover of Charmed Life.

Charmed Life

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1977 · last read 2022-11-18
★★★★☆
Cat and Gwendolen felt real and the plot came back to me in no time. I keep loving how Diana Wynne Jones manages to not feel condescending towards children, but still make the adult world seem mildly incomprehensible and muddled. She does tone so well that I never even have to care about her plots. It's all just vibes. This book is part of the 2022 Backlog Incident.
Cover of Dark Lord of Derkholm.

Dark Lord of Derkholm

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1998 · read 2020-07-30
★★★☆☆
It has been over a decade since I read my last book by Diana Wynne Jones, but I'd like to think that I would have recognised this as hers by the playful prose and convoluted plot where you will miss half the fun if you blink. I had left this book on my reading list as a guaranteed good book, and after being so disappointed by Romanitas, I needed the palate cleanser badly.
Cover of Cart and Cwidder.

Cart and Cwidder

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1975 · read 2021-08-07
★★★☆☆
Neat YA book. Read this as comfort read and because you can't go wrong with Diana Wynne Jones, really. A group of teenagers thrust into political conflict, with a side of magic, by way of mythical music, handled by them as a wandering troupe. I didn't find the story particularly compelling (authoritarian countries bad, liberal countries good blah), but as always, Diana Wynne Jones absolutely delivers on characters and group dynamics.
Cover of Conrad's Fate.

Conrad’s Fate

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 2005 · last read 2022-11-22
★★★☆☆
Young Chrestomanci, as seen by outside eyes. Fun, but mostly fun if you have read any other book of the series. Gave me Doctor Who vibes, funnily enough.
Cover of Witch Week.

Witch Week

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1982 · last read 2022-11-20
★★★☆☆
Parallel England, where a teacher at a boarding school is accused of witchcraft. The inquisition is called and a terrified pupil has to look for a way out … It gets very dark very fast. Not my favourite Chrestomanci book, but still solid.
Cover of Drowned Ammet.

Drowned Ammet

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 1977 · read 2022-05-13
★★★☆☆
This is a very weird one for me. I generally vibe with Diana Wynne Jones, but this book? I don't know, it was fine but I constantly felt like I should hold onto lore in preparation for the other two books in the series, and somehow integrate this one with the previous book, but … I didn't know how, and the lore ended up feeling very un-sticky. The general story (aristocratic girl and idiot idealist revolutionary boy flee together) is alright, but the required "everybody is an annoying teenager phase" is something that I'm maybe just over, so it didn't work all too well for me, either. This book is part of the 2022 Backlog Incident.
Cover of The Pinhoe Egg.

The Pinhoe Egg

by Diana Wynne Jones · published 2006 · read 2022-11-23
★★★☆☆
The only Chrestomanci book my school library didn't have. Enjoyed it, showed cool development. Lots of recurring characters who work fine if you don't recognise them, but even better if you do. Christopher's children and their friends and the villagers ourside the castle. Fun! This book is part of the 2022 Backlog Incident.