Book Review (sort of): A Game of Thrones

I’m still trying to figure out why it took me 11 weeks to read A Game of Thrones.  Yes, it’s a long book, but George R.R. Martin certainly keeps things moving.  The story is gripping, the characters are fascinating, the whole freaking world feels richly weighted with detail.  It’s a great read, and I’m definitely planning on continuing the series.
So why did it take 77 days?  Granted, I’m a slow reader.  In elementary school, when we would practice faster reading because it was supposed to improve retention … well, that never worked for me.  And so without shame, I claim it completely:  I read slowly.  And I enjoy it.  It gives me a chance to pay particular attention to the writer’s language.  Sometimes I will go back over sentences or paragraphs because the writer is teaching me a new way to express an emotion.  So, there are definite benefits involved.

I might be a lumberjack
or a sea captain,
but actually
I'm a bestselling authorPlus, I’m rarely reading one book at a time.  That is due to my distractibility.  There’s always a new book to discover, and ooh, that cover grabs my attention, and oh, that’s a writer I haven’t read before, and wait, there’s a new book by one of my favorite authors, and that’s a subject I never thought about before so maybe it’ll be fun to learn that bit of history … In other words, I’m a curiosity hound, always tracking after something new.
So, back to A Game of Thrones.  This isn’t so much a review of the book, other than to say it’s wonderful.  And the ending scene makes me drool with envy (as a writer). 
I haven’t seen the TV series, which certainly looks compelling.  But I’ve been known to watch popular series long after their initial run.  In other words, I’m a late arrival to the Buffy fan club, and I still need to watch Firefly.  Back in college I watched the original Doctor Who and more recently I’ve been watching the new series (except now my Netflix subscription has ended).  So, I probably won’t get to Game of Thrones until it’s available on DVD at the local library. Pull up a throne and
I'll tell you a bloody good tale
So, despite how long it took me, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.  Many kudos to Mr. George R.R. Martin.  My only question is … Is there any chance of a happy ending?