Game of Thrones: Read Along

[Tien]

Can we cope with another read along / buddy read?

I promised myself that I'd read Game of Thrones by end of the year and it's approaching FAST!

I'm thinking December -I know, I know, you guys are probably thinking, the worse time of the year for a Read Along but I just need a buddy to push me on this, anybody?

[Adrienne]

Tien wrote: "Can we cope with another read along / buddy read?

I promised myself that I'd read Game of Thrones by end of the year and it's approaching FAST!

I'm thinking December -I know, I know, you guys are..."

Okay. I could do this, probably. I've tried to read it twice and I keep telling myself that if I just commit to it, I would like it. I'll read with you.

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

That book has been on my TBR for SO long. Even though I always say yes and then manage to mess up.....I'm saying YES!

[Tien]

yay, I have 2 buddies! woo hoo!

Let's get our copy ready for 1 Dec; I'll do a schedule thingy soon :)

[Tien]

I've had a look though on ebook version and it seems that there is no easily identifiable chapters... ie. chapters are divided by character names and they are repeated with no other unique identification (arrgh!!) so, I've decided that we'll just go by approximation.

Let's do approx 30% per week starting 1 December and then we'll hopefully finish the book by NYE...

You'll just have to approximate your 30% on your own edition. Hope that's okay, can't wait!!

[Adrienne]

That makes it much less daunting. Doable, even.

[Tien]

yay! I need to finish off quite a number of books this month so I can read GoT with clear conscience ;p

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

Sounds great, Tien. Looking forward to it. :)

[Tien]

My Kobo advised me that I have read 21% of the book and have 9.8 hours to go ;)

(view spoiler)[I just wanted to go...

Aaaarrrgggwwwwghhh... NOT the direwolves! And those girls! I wanted to scream, "NO!" though just managed to restrain myself as I was on the train, on the way to work.

Am wondering though, now whether this means an even GREATER wedge between the 2 girls. I've feeling that it is the way it'll go on though what I want is for a closer bond ;p but that ain't gonna happen!

Reckon one will die, sometime... maybe not in this book (no, I've no idea whether this is true but I've been told LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of characters die so... reasonble assumption? (hide spoiler)]

[Tien]

have you seen that pic where the books are tabbed each time a character is killed?

[Bea]

Tien wrote: "have you seen that pic where the books are tabbed each time a character is killed?

"

LOL!

Looks like what I do to set up short reading stints in a book I hate!

[Tien]

Bea wrote:
LOL!

Looks like what I do to set up short reading stints in a book I hate!"

Hhmm, wonder if you could do something similar with Les Mis? um, not about dying characters but maybe each time Hugo goes off on a tangent or when characters drink wine? ;p

[Adrienne]

Okay, so I've started. The first time I read it, I had to quit after about 150 pages because something unpleasant happened. I won't tell you what and give it away. But I understand that it won't be the last unpleasantness. I'm ready this time.

[Tien]

Adrienne wrote: "Okay, so I've started. The first time I read it, I had to quit after about 150 pages because something unpleasant happened. I won't tell you what and give it away. But I understand that it won't ..."

Do you know how to do the spoiler thing, Adrienne?

You can tell me, I think I may have passed it already? I'm at 25% (I'm a faster read than I thought it would!?) -am reading ebook so can't tell what exact page I'm on.

I am dreading the rest of the unpleasantness in the book though. Thankfully, I'll be taking breaks in between with hopefully more pleasant books, ha ha ha

[Adrienne]

Oh! I didn't even think of the spoiler hider thing. I don't know how to do it.

It was the part where they killed Ghost, the wolf. I really liked that wolf.

[Tien]

Adrienne wrote: "Oh! I didn't even think of the spoiler hider thing. I don't know how to do it.

It was the part where they killed Ghost, the wolf. I really liked that wolf."

ooh, they killed him? um, you're not mixing it up with another wolf, are you? Ghost is Snow's wolf...

The spoiler thing is like this (remove all underscores):

<_spoiler_> type your text here <_/_spoiler_>

[Adrienne]

I really thought it was ghost, buy is been a couple of years so I could be wrong.

Thanks for the tip!

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

Tien wrote: "have you seen that pic where the books are tabbed each time a character is killed?

"

My son refuses to read the books for that very reason. He says every time he starts to like a character the person gets killed off, lol. At any rate....I am starting today and hope to catch up soon. :)

[Adrienne]

Looks like I was wrong. I've passed where I WA before and Ghost is alive and well. So far.

[Adrienne]

I got the first third read! It's not going as quickly as I'd hoped. I guess I don't read as fast as you, Tien.

[Tien]

Adrienne, I had a feeling that it was just fast because I read on an e-reader and it might have counted the cover & table of contents etc in their % count... oh wells, we are reading approximately around the same, I hope :) I've started on the second week's reading this morning though it might have to be interrupted tomorrow so I can read another book for a blog tour that's coming up hard & fast, eeek!

On another note, how are you guys feeling / liking this multiple characters / POVs? I'm not liking it too much, I don't think. There are just way too many and each with their own agendas so I'm all torn up about it. I prefer mine with a handful of characters / POVs max.

[Nicole R]

I am not reading along with you guys, I have already read AGOT, and in fact just finished the fourth book, A Feast for Crows.

I hope you enjoy this book! I am not a huge fantasy reader but I absolutely LOVE this series! It is so smart, and the political aspects are intriguing...

[Adrienne]

I don't mind the changing POV. I am glad the name of the chapter indicates whose POV weare reading from so I can take a second to remember who it is. I've read books that don't even give you a chapter break when they change character.

I have felt like some of the writing is clunky. Mostly it's really good, but a couple of times I've thought, "That would have been better this other way."

[Adrienne]

I'm on page 450, now. I think Lysa Arryn poisoned her own husband because he was going to remove her son. I'm calling it, now.

[Tien]

Hmmm, you've read way ahead of me, Adrienne....

That's a tough call! I haven't met Lyssa yet so I'll keep mum for now.

I'm actually finding it hard as I seem to be dragging myself to read the book. I just don't feel like I want to know what happens next because whatever it is, it won't be pretty, ugh!

Trying to think of why I'm not really liking this and feeling really bad about it :p I think it's because it's just not clear about who's good or bad or if there's good or bad and therefore, I don't know who's side I'm on or who I should cheer for. That's probably the issue for me since I can't tell who I'm for! I know I'm very black and white type of person, especially in fiction, lol

Sounds like you're enjoying your second try reading this, Adrienne :)

[Adrienne]

I'm definitely getting further. And I'm doing better keeping everyone straight.

I think my biggest problem with it is that it is so much reading that I don't have time to read the other books I need to finish, so I am a little irked with it. I've almost finished this week's goal, so I'll have time to work on my Lost 2013 goal, my book club book, my Mt. TBR books, the back issues of the New York Times Book Review, Bookmarks magazine,and the library books that are piling up.

[Tien]

Err... that's a lot of work to DO! ha ha ha, most of my review books I've yet to read have been sitting there for a month or two so whilst I'm feeling a little guilty, it's kinda faded a little since it's been so long, oops! I still intend to read & review them though just... um, when I can make it.

[Tien]

Adrienne wrote: "I'm on page 450, now. I think Lysa Arryn poisoned her own husband because he was going to remove her son. I'm calling it, now."

I see what you mean, Adrienne!

(view spoiler)[I shuddered when she suckled her boy, err... WHAT?!? (hide spoiler)]

No wonder he turns out like that!

I'm really liking Daenarys, she's turning out to be really strong. Can't say that I care about any other characters that much -I don't think I'm made for such political / intrigue books :( It's too stressful for me!

[Adrienne]

Tien wrote: "Adrienne wrote: "I'm on page 450, now. I think Lysa Arryn poisoned her own husband because he was going to remove her son. I'm calling it, now."

I see what you mean, Adrienne!

[spoilers removed]
..."

I know, right!!!??!!

Anyway, I finished it last night. The last 200 pages just flew by.

I liked Daenarys and Khal Drogo, although there wasn't much to him. I actually kind of liked Tyrion Lannister. It's like that line from Pirates of the Carribbean: "You can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. It's the honest ones you have to watch out for."

[Tien]

lol, love that line!

Good on you for finishing, Adrienne. I'm, on 90% so I am on track though am putting it down for a review book so will finish it next week.

I've got to say that I'm not really enjoying it as others do. I'm certainly not raving about it. and erm, now it has really dawned on me that bit people say about don't get attached to a character because they get killed! Arrgh, just frustrating! lol

To begin with, I was really annoyed with Sansa but now I'm looking forward to reading her story -hoping that she'll turn out to be a strong one. err, now that I'm getting attached to her, she'll probably get killed soon, eep!

I'm not sure about reading the rest of the series, what about you, Adrienne?

[Bea]

I have GoT on my TBR list but, since my husband talked me into watching the TV show, I am not sure I want to read the book. I wonder how close the TV version is to the book.

BTW, Tien, I am making headway on Les Mis. I set myself 10 pages a day and so far am sticking to it. Only 600 more pages to go!

[Tien]

Bea wrote: "I have GoT on my TBR list but, since my husband talked me into watching the TV show, I am not sure I want to read the book. I wonder how close the TV version is to the book.

BTW, Tien, I am making..."

I'm considering on watching the tv series - though from convo with hubby about what he's seen and what I'm reading (with one particularly gross-ness in my mind), the tv series didn't actually go there and people do say that the book goes a lot deeper etc [as always with books & screen adaptations]

And... good work on Les Mis, Bea! You're about halfway now, aren't you! Not long to go ;)

[Adrienne]

I'm not totally against reading some more in the series, but I won't jump right on it, yet. It messes with my sense of self-worth when I can't read a book really fast.

[Tien]

Adrienne wrote: "I'm not totally against reading some more in the series, but I won't jump right on it, yet. It messes with my sense of self-worth when I can't read a book really fast."

I know exactly what you mean! That's probably why I need to take the chunksters one at time so I don't get too depressed looking at all other books I'd really want to read

[Tien]

so I finished - it seems of the 9% I had left included 4% of appendix, preview etc... lol, could've finished it last week but oh wells.

My thought is that I didn't mind the book. Enjoyed the ride somewhat -good to be taken to places unexpected though not necessarily enjoyed but whilst I'm curious about following a few characters, I can't really be bothered about the rest so it might take me a while before I'd even pick up book 2, methinks. Maybe at end of next year ;p

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

Love this series! I think it's great that George R.R. Martin is not afraid to kill both good guys and bad guys off. It's such a novel concept to me!