re: GOT Book vs. television series question: Non spoilers (hopefully)

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Honestly, if the book takes you a day or a year to year to read, if its a good book it doesn't matter

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This is a very good point. For some, their reasoning for skipping the book is so they can finish by the start of the next season of the show. IMO, if you are cutting it close, it would be more enjoyable to DVR the show and finish the books all the way through so that you can enjoy the best media for the story.

Also, towerofthehand.com has a feature that allows you to put how many books you've read and will automatically remove any information past the viewer's reading point.

To me it depends on your objectivity; that is how well you maintain the distinction between the books and the TV show because they are significantly different after season 1. If you do decide to catch up on the books before watch season 2 then I strongly suggest the following mantra: the books and the TV show are different animals, do not get pissed when the stripes in the show don't match the corresponding animal in the books. My conclusion was that the show actually made a few improvements over the books but overall the books have been better.

I have a buddy who is humoring me as I talk about where I am in Book One. He won't spoiler things, but I do bounce ideas and theories off of him -- not for confirmation, but to clarify everyone's strategy.

I'm near the end of the book, and I still don't get the Lannister strategy. It seems like its destined to fail in the long run unless I'm missing something or there's a massive deus ex machina, which I don't think there will be. They are just biting off more than they can chew, I think.

For someone bitchin about belle being an a-hole you shoukd take a look in the mirror. I didnt insult anyone , you did.

But if you say I went to East Ascension again Ill hunt you down and end you.

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I'm on a Kindle, so I don't know how far I am, but I'm close to the end of Book One. Anyway, trying to be vague-ish, but I'm at the point they seize the throne. Things are looking good for them, but by my count, they have alienated every other House, who should go to war to dispute their claim. Littlefinger made his move "to prevent war", but that was silly, as his move virtually assures civil war. I don't see how they can hold the throne with the entire continent aligned against them. Sure, they are disorganized right now, but how long will that last? I see no way they can hold the throne without flipping a House to their side, and I see no viable contenders. Robert's House (whose name I can't spell -- sorry), the Starks, Tully, and Arryn for sure should fight to the death to unseat them. The other Houses aren't really aligned with Lannister, and they have no vested interest in their success. How much do you have to bribe them? And you can't just have them sit out, you need them actively engaged in your side to counter the alliance against you that you created.

Just how I view things as they sit right now. They need Conquest by Marriage to unite their House with another or else they are fighting on too many fronts.

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It's pretty awesome. It does suck there's no one to speculate with. I'm at a point no one else is. But I love trying to figure out schemes and motivations.

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So again. Back off Belle.

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You're being awfully melodramatic about an opinion. Sorry if it offends you that I think skipping a book in a series isn't very smart, but it just isn't. Especially this one (given some things left out of the shows that will be a big deal later on due to character lineage, for the sake of non-spoilers I won't go any further). The OP asked the question and he got an honest answer. FTR I wouldn't recommend it for movies or TV series either. Nowhere did I make a "blanket statement" about anyone's life. I just don't think you start a series of anything like books, movies, TV shows, etc. in the middle. And if it's a time issue then you read what you can when you can.

Truth be known it takes Martin about 10 years to write a book so you could be an incredibly slow reader and probably still get them done by the time Winds of Winter comes out. And no I'm not calling the OP a slow reader before I get accused of that as well.

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I see no problem skipping the first book as long as he has the intentions of going back to it after he has finished the series. I can't fault him for wanting to get past SOS before the 3rd season of GOT starts.

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My only drawback to not reading them in the order they should be in is the spoilery part I mentioned that obviously is a cornerstone of stories told in later books and theories you develop from reading. I hated that they left that out of the show because I would've rather seen the slow build of that theory. I think it's important to read before going forward in the books. Especially with the Reeds being in the books earlier than the show at this point.

I also think it helps you understand and flesh out the characters better. I watched the first season then read the books after (just out of not knowing about the books until then). It
helped me at least.

Like I said though, it's just an opinion. FTR the OP was talking about skipping not one but two whole books. That's crazy. I just feel pretty strongly that you can't skip whole books in this series. Especially multiple books. I figured we're all adults here and that the OP could handle that.

I'm with Belle.

Read the 1st book. I dont understand why you wouldnt want to.