Hello Everyone! Hope you all are doing great.

There are book series you somehow skip for years, even when you swear you’ll get to them eventually.

For me, Harry Potter was one of those.

I’ve known about it for so long. I’ve watched the movies, heard people talk about the books, seen the characters and quotes everywhere. So yeah, I know about Hogwarts and, all the big, recognizable stuff around the series. But I never actually sat down and started reading the books.

Until now.

About two weeks ago, I finally decided it was time to start properly. I ordered the first one, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. It took around two weeks to show up, in addition to it finally arrived today.

It’s honestly a bit weird holding it. Harry Potter has been part of modern pop culture for ages, so even before reading, you feel like you already know in today's society. Still, I’m curious to see what it’s actually like to read the original story, with no movie shortcuts.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤

For anyone who somehow doesn’t know the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the first book. It starts with Harry as a young boy living a pretty miserable life with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Then things start shifting, and he discovers he’s got more going on than he ever realized, and, that the space of has way more in it than he was told.

And, then, of course, Hogwarts happens.

That’s about as far as I want to go with the story, mostly because it’s already so well known. I don’t want to turn this into a summary.

I’ve already watched the movie, so I know some of the major moments. But reading it should feel different. Movies have to squeeze in everything into a couple of hours, so smaller scenes , conversations get cut, shifted, or changed. Books have more space for all that stuff, the little details that usually just brush past on screen. That’s what I’m looking forward to.

𝐀 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

I kept telling myself I should start reading Harry Potter. I’d see the books in stores or online, and I’d think, I should get these one day. But that “one day” kept turning into “some other day.”

Eventually I just stopped delaying , ordered the first book. I didn’t want to buy the whole series at once either. My plan was simple in my head. Start with book one, see if I actually enjoy the series, and only then collect the rest slowly.

For now, I’m just happy I finally started. And, nearly 300 pages feels like a pretty comfortable first book size. After reading The Count of Monte Cristo recently, which is about 1,300 pages, this Harry Potter book looks almost tiny. In a good way. It makes me think, Yeah, I can finish this. Nice feeling.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

I went with the hardcover version. I’ve been getting a little more into collecting physical books, and if the price makes sense, hardcover is usually the one I pick. This one cost me 1,050 PKR, around 4 USD. For a nearly 300 page hardcover, I thought that was decent.

It also arrived in really good condition, which I always worry about when ordering books online. You can see pictures before you order, but the real condition doesn’t show up until you open the package. Thankfully, no major problems here.

The cover looks really nice in person too. It has that classic fantasy vibe, and I like the dark blue. It already feels like it belongs on a shelf with the other books, so ye, I’ll probably end up buying the other six eventually. My wallet already seems to know.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬

One odd thing about starting Harry Potter this late is that I already know a lot. I’ve watched the movies, seen discussions online, and there are references everywhere. So I’m not going in completely blind.

Still, I think that makes it more interesting in its own way. I want to see what’s different in the book. Which scenes get expanded. What little details don’t make it into the movie. Also honestly, I want to spend more time with the characters. Books make you feel closer, just because you’re stuck inside the story longer. You get their thoughts, their conversations, and those small moments that a movie might skip.

I’m especially curious about how Harry, Ron, and Hermione are written on the page. I’ve known them through the movies for years, so it’ll be interesting to meet them again, but in a slightly different way.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

I also like the idea of starting a long series. It’s not just one story you read & move on from. There’s more waiting, and you get attached to the characters, learn the landscape of, and keep going book after book. That’s probably why I kept wanting to start Harry Potter for so long. It’s beyond just about a famous title. It’s about finally jumping into a whole series that so many people grew up with.

Coming to it later than a lot of readers doesn’t feel like a problem to me. Books don’t really expire. A good story can sit on a shelf for years and still be there when you’re finally ready. No rush.

𝐒𝐨... 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐆𝐨

Now the journey is actually starting. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is sitting on my desk, waiting for me to open the first page. I’m curious how quickly I’ll get through it. Almost 300 pages isn’t intimidating, especially compared to some of the massive classics I’ve been picking up, but I still want to take my time.

I don’t want to treat it like something I have to get through fast. I want to enjoy it. Maybe I’ll love it. Maybe parts will feel slow. And yeah, knowing how this usually goes, I might end up ordering book two right after. That feels pretty likely.

For now, I’m just glad I stopped saying I’ll start Harry Potter someday and, actually did it.

One book down from the seven book journey, we, technically I haven’t finished it yet. But at least book one is here. Now I just need to turn the first page.

Anyway thats it for this post. Please do give your reviews in the comments section below. I would really appreciate it :)

I'll be back with another one soon. So do follow me if you want to stay updated. Till then, Stay Happy and Stay Hydrated.