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Harry │ WhatHarryRead

@whatharryread

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Harry- a very slow reader 🐢
📚 Fantasy, Sci-Fi, fiction in any form tbh
📖 Current read: The Devils
📈 TBR live tracker: 181

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ONE 🥳 THOUSAND 🎉 FOLLOWERS 🍾!!!

Thats a bloody MENTAL number, and is incredibly humbling! I didn’t think that many people would vaguely care or hold an interest in my waffling about books- so THANK YOU ❤️❤️

One thousand people needs contextualising- it’s roughly 8 full Roharrim éoreds; 3.5 full year groups of Hogwarts students; a small Hobbiton neighbourhood; or, madly, the ENTIRE Night’s Watch. Unreal.

Given there’s 1000 people that vaguely hold interest, probably a long overdue bit about me:
- I’m 29, living in London and married to the LOML and my Bookstagram editor-in-chief Mel 👫🏻
- When not reading, my full time job is as a Physiotherapist 🏥
- I’m a big runner, and have done my first half-marathon this year with a time of 1:47:53 and have signed up for the Manchester Marathon next year 🏃‍♂️
- My wife and I love travelling- this year for honeymoon we visited South Africa 🇿🇦 and Mauritius 🇲🇺, and next year we are visiting Japan 🇯🇵 and South Korea 🇰🇷
- I’m a big Man City fan, and love Pep’s bald head eternally 👨‍🦲
- When not reading, I’m a big fan of board games and have been stuck on the Wingspan hype for so long it’s become a religion at this point 🦜
- Favourite films- Jurassic Park, Interstellar and Fellowship of the Ring 🎥
- Favourite books- Lonesome Dove, 11/22/63, The Hobbit 📚

Thanks for sticking around you wonderful humans xo by @whatharryread

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10 months ago

Lonesome Dove- the greatest book I’ve ever read. Nothing comes close.

So naturally, when the opportunity arose to own a special edition worthy of its royalty, I was hardly going to say no.

@thebrokennbinding have absolutely smashed this one. It’s a phenomenal piece of art and somehow feels entirely fitting for a book as beautiful, epic and unforgettable as Lonesome Dove.

My favourite book now has a physical edition that looks every bit as magnificent as the story feels. by @whatharryread

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3 days ago

📍 STARFIELD LIBRARY, Seoul

Perhaps the most iconic bookshelf in the world? It certainly makes a strong case for itself.

Starfield Library is an absolute spectacle- enormous shelves, thousands of books and a frankly ridiculous amount of height. It’s the sort of place every book lover will probably want to pilgrimage to at some point, if only to stand underneath it and think, “Yep. That’ll look good on Instagram.” Which, obviously, I did. I am nothing if not part of the problem.

Because in reality, it’s probably a little too busy, touristy and performative for anyone looking for an actual peaceful library experience. There were approximately 47,000 people taking photos, posing for photos, taking photos of people taking photos, and generally ensuring nobody was reading anything.

It’s less a library and more a very elaborate performance of being a library. But if you don’t mind crowds and being mildly overstimulated, it’s absolutely worth seeing for the spectacle.

I just needed a sit down in silence afterwards 😅 taken in Starfield Library by @whatharryread

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17 days ago

Some people label it as “concerning behaviour”, but genuinely don’t see what the issue is. by @whatharryread

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a month ago

📍 HAY-ON-WYE, (The World’s First Book Town)

Welcome to Hay-on-Wye: the world’s first book town, and quite possibly the place I was born to live.

A couple of months ago I visited with @timetoreadwithrob

With roughly 26 bookshops serving a population of around 2,000, there’s approximately one bookshop for every 77 people. Frankly, this feels like a very sensible way to organise a town. 😂

From the Hay Cinema Bookshop and Richard Booth’s huge second-hand collections, to specialist spots for poetry, children’s books, natural history, crime and pretty much every other niche you can think of, there are books absolutely everywhere.

We spent the day wandering through bookshops, and repeatedly saying “just one more” before inevitably finding another shop. Rob was exactly the kind of bad influence I expected him to be, and we both left with more books than our wives had authorised.

So many books. So little self-control. taken in Hay-on-Wye by @whatharryread

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a month ago

👨‍🚀 BOOK REVIEW

‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After a catastrophic dust storm forces his crew to evacuate Mars, Mark Watney is left behind, presumed dead. Alone, with limited supplies and no way to contact Earth, he has to use his engineering skills, ingenuity and sheer refusal to die to overcome one seemingly impossible problem after another.

This is an absolutely brilliant read. Weir has created an unbelievably tense, stressful and bleak survival story, yet somehow woven it together with dark humour and an enormous amount of personality. Despite the frankly appalling odds of survival, Mark is such a charming narrator that you can’t help but completely back him in his fight to stay alive.

One thing I really love about Weir, having now read both this and Project Hail Mary, is his ability to sustain a first-person story with such a tiny cast. There’s very little dialogue or interaction for large portions of the book, and I can imagine that claustrophobia being incredibly difficult to write well. Weir absolutely excels at it. Mark’s personality carries the story, even when he’s essentially talking to himself for pages on end.

It’s tense, dramatic, funny and relentlessly inventive- somehow making engineering problems genuinely exciting. A top, top sci-fi read.

Id rate this one 4⭐️, and only really because I’m comparing it to Project Hail Mary, which I remember as being virtually flawless. The science here occasionally felt a little too sciency for me, although it’s still impressively digestible, whereas I remember PHM making some of its more complex ideas feel slightly more accessible. But that’s a very relative criticism, because this is still an absolutely brilliant book. If anything, reading it has made me realise that I probably should have given Project Hail Mary 5⭐️.

I genuinely can’t believe I left it this long to finally read it. by @whatharryread

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a month ago

⚔️ BOOK REVIEW

‘Wrath’ by John Gwynne

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The war in the Banished Lands reaches its climax as Nathair holds three of the Seven Treasures, bringing Asroth and his demonic forces ever closer to the mortal world. With Corban captured by the Jotun, the fate of the Banished Lands hangs in the balance.

I’ve now read all of ‘The Faithful and the Fallen’ and ‘The Bloodsworn Saga’, and I can confidently say TFatF is the superior series- and Wrath is probably Gwynne’s best book.

Wrapping up something this huge, with so many characters, factions and moving parts, is no small ask. Somehow, Gwynne absolutely nails the landing.

This is probably his most mature book yet. Yes, there are enormous battles and plenty of bloodshed, but they’re balanced by some genuinely beautiful and heartfelt moments. It’s also a brutally bittersweet ending, with characters meeting fates that are both deserved and deeply unfair. The sense of “but at what cost?” makes the stakes feel incredibly real. I’ll be sending Gwynne the therapy bill.

My only criticism is that the final battle becomes a little oversaturated- there are only so many variations of he stabbed, they died, blood went everywhere before I started wondering if everyone could just have a sit down. A few too many last-second rescues also became predictable, and I think a little restraint would have made the biggest moments hit even harder.

But overall? A hugely satisfying conclusion to an epic series. The Faithful and the Fallen is Gwynne’s magnum opus, and Wrath is a fitting culmination of everything he built across four enormous books. I’m so glad I invested the time into this series, and this nails John Gwynne as a leader of modern fantasy. by @whatharryread

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2 months ago

Me: “I’ll wait until I’ve finished this series before buying anything else.”

Also me: makes another completely unnecessary trip to Waterstones.

I’ve been firmly imprisoned in the Banished Lands for the last few months, courtesy of John Gwynne, but apparently that hasn’t stopped me making my obligatory pilgrimages to Waterstones and guiltily extending the TBR 😶

These are a few of the hardbacks I’ve picked up recently. Assuming ‘Wrath’ doesn’t leave me requiring emotional rehabilitation, one of these will be next…

Which one should get promoted to the top of the pile? 👀 by @whatharryread

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2 months ago

📍 MUJE BOOKS, Gyeongju

Muje Books was one of those places you don’t plan to find.

Tucked away in Gyeongju’s Hanok village along Hwangnidan-gil, it felt like the sort of bookshop you simply stumble across if you’re willing to wander. And I’m very glad I did.

I couldn’t read most of the books or handwritten signs, but it reminded me that bookshop cosiness seems to cross international borders. The language may change, but the feeling doesn’t. Warm lighting, quiet corners, carefully curated shelves, and that unmistakable sense that someone has poured a lot of thought into creating the perfect place to read.

There was a small English-language section with a few classics, but what I enjoyed most was seeing Korean literature take centre stage. So much felt familiar, yet completely different at the same time.

One of my favourite touches was the handwritten recommendation cards throughout the shop. Instead of impersonal shelf labels, there were personal notes, summaries and recommendations that made the whole place feel like it had been built by readers, for readers.

And yes… I also signed the guest book. If I suddenly see a mysterious surge in Bookstagram followers, you’ll know my master plan worked. One signature closer to my Bookstagram millions 📚🇰🇷 taken in Gyeongju, Korea by @whatharryread

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2 months ago

🏜️ BOOK REVIEW

‘True Grit’ by Charles Portis

⭐️⭐️⭐️

After her father is murdered by the outlaw Tom Chaney, fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross sets out to bring him to justice. Refusing to let anyone stand in her way, she recruits the grizzled, one-eyed U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, and together they venture into Indian Territory on a dangerous pursuit of vengeance.

I’d already seen the 2010 film adaptation, and it’s one of the films that really sparked my love of the Western genre. It was about time I read the novel, and whilst I enjoyed it, I don’t think the book alone would have had quite the same impact on me.

Mattie is undoubtedly the highlight. She’s fiercely intelligent, stubborn and wonderfully self-assured, and her relentless negotiation with the horse trader early on is one of the book’s standout moments. Portis injects plenty of dry humour into her narration, making her an endlessly entertaining protagonist.

My biggest criticism is simply that the book is over too soon. The pursuit of Tom Chaney felt surprisingly brief, with a few convenient turns that made the resolution arrive a little too easily. I appreciate that the story is told as Mattie’s recollection many years later, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the balance was off- almost half the novel is spent preparing for the journey, only for the climax to come and go very quickly.

As a result, I never felt the characters were given enough room to breathe. Even some of the story’s biggest moments lacked the emotional impact they should have had because I wasn’t as invested in the cast as I’d hoped. I also found Mattie’s narration occasionally wandered off on tangents just as I wanted the story to press on.

That said, it’s easy to see why True Grit has become such a classic. The dialogue is sharp, Mattie is unforgettable, and its influence on the Western genre is undeniable. I may prefer the film, but I’m still very glad to have finally read the story that inspired it. by @whatharryread

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3 months ago

🏰 BOOK REVIEW

‘Ruin’ by John Gwynne

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As war engulfs the Banished Lands, Nathair discovers the devastating truth behind the prophecy he has helped fulfil. With the fate of the realm hanging on the legendary Seven Treasures, Corban, Maquin and their allies must each choose what they’re willing to sacrifice as the God War finally begins.

After feeling like Valour was largely laying the foundations, Ruin is the payoff. This is the crescendo: relentless battles, huge revelations, and the brutal escalation I’d been waiting for. The God War is finally here… and ironically, Ruin is exactly how this book left me feeling. I am… not okay. 🥲

The pacing is a huge improvement. Every storyline feels purposeful, the plot constantly moves forward, and there’s a real sense that everything is converging towards something enormous. Some POVs still appealed to me more than others (someone please give Maquin a hug- the man has suffered enough), Camlin remains an absolute legend, and Corban really comes into his own here, becoming a far more compelling protagonist.

The ending is simply monumental. I genuinely don’t know how Gwynne finds the confidence to make some of the character decisions he does. If you thought the endings of Malice or Valour were brutal, this is on another level entirely. No spoilers, but I honestly have no idea how he’s going to wrap this series up in Wrath after the trail of devastation he’s left behind.

It’s not quite a 5⭐️ from me only because a couple of storylines- particularly around Dun Crin- didn’t grip me quite as much, and I felt a few previously standout characters were a little underused.

That said… I am absolutely ready to be emotionally brutalised by ‘Wrath’. John Gwynne, I trust you. I also fear you. by @whatharryread

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3 months ago

HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH🥳😍🍾👏🏻🎂🎈

(Yes I have a life sized cutout of Sir David at home. Consider it a shrine in a house of worship to this beautiful being)

100 years of this absolutely magical man. A true national treasure, a gentle giant, and one of the most inspiring voices our world has ever known. The only man I admire enough to own a life-sized cutout of. Completely normal behaviour, obviously.

Feeling very proud of my growing collection of Sir David’s books today- some already read, others patiently waiting on the TBR- but every single one is magical, enlightening, and utterly captivating. No one tells the story of our planet quite like Sir David.

A national treasure, a gentle giant, and the only author who could probably release a 700-page book on moss and still have me reading it like a thriller 🌍📚 by @whatharryread

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5 months ago