Peninsula Reads! - A Game of Thrones discussion

Hey all, reading this book is a big committment. It is a long book but it is well worth the read. If you sign up for this and decide it's not fo you, don't worry about. Sometimes books don't speak to everyone. However, if you don't find the writing too far above your level, don't give up too soon. This can be a tough one to get into but is amazing once you get past that first wall.

Please start topics here if there is anything you'd like to discuss. Either continue on this thread or start your own for more specific conversation.

Yeah, I guess my problem with this one was the beginning. I am used to shorter series (2 or 3 books) and wasn't used to the deep legend and lore that accompanied these kinds of books.

I would also like to add that if anyone starts a discussion that is going to contain spoilers that the person add a [SPOILER] warning in the title, or something like that...

andy

Okay, so apparently I am supposed to inform you all that this book is a bit explicit. If you or your parents don't want you reading anything with a lot of violence, some sex, and a bit of incest..DONT READ IT!

Um....we need more people...spread the word. This book is amazing...i promise. Oh, and if you need a copy of the book, it is very likely i will be able to get one this weekend. let me know.

Excuse me but damn this book is good. I feel like I am watching a horror movie everyone time someone starts to make a mistake I scream inside! Page 480, I've got a ways to go...

I'm so glad you're enjoying it Andy!! Anyone else gotten started yet??

PS Spread the word about how good this book is. You can let people know that they have until the end of August to read it. Plenty of time! I want more than 7 people in my group.

I'm about to start it, after I finish a horrible schlocky book I never should have started. I expect TGOT to go fast, though, because I'm rereading it, and I'll have plenty of airplane time to relive all the twistiness of that book!

Can I invite my hubby into the group? He'd have plenty of interesting things to add...

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

I was surfing some rather... unique forums today and ran across a song of ice and fire discussion. Little did I know it was full of spoilers... So now im just to the start of ***SPOILER ALERT******SPOILER ALERT******SPOILER ALERT***everyone fighting and I already know that dany hatches 3 dragons and eddard stark gets beheaded at the end... how fun!

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***

Ah, but Andy you have no clue who else dies, and who comes back from the dead...There are more books and more twists ahead!!

Glad you're hooked! I've started reading it--too much turbulence on the plane to get far though. Can't wait till the final book comes out this fall!

That will not be the final book, but rather the fifth book....I have a feeling there will be quite a few more...

NNOOOOoooooooooo-o-o-o. I thought this was to be the last one, and the reason it is taking so bloody long to publish this one is that Martin had to tie all the loose ends together!

I'm a few chapters in, and although it's a very good read, I am very hesitant to continue because I know all the bad stuff that's going to happen to some really cool characters. If I knew that there would be an eventual happy ending (like in a 5th book!!) it might make it easier.

I'm disappointed!! From Wikipedia:

By May 2005 A Feast for Crows had become longer than A Storm of Swords and his publishers said they could not publish the book in one volume. They suggested splitting the book in two and releasing the volumes as A Feast for Crows, Volume I and A Feast for Crows, Volume II, but Martin was unhappy with this idea. After discussing the matter with his publishers and his friend and fellow writer Daniel Abraham, Martin decided to split the book by character and location instead. The published A Feast for Crows thus contained all of the characters in the South of the Seven Kingdoms, whilst the forthcoming A Dance with Dragons will contain the characters in the North, the Free Cities and in Slaver's Bay.

In a May 2005 statement, the author also said that this move now meant that the series would require seven volumes. Martin recognized that this decision could cause frustration among some of his fans.

Despite initial hopes of A Dance with Dragons being published quickly after A Feast for Crows, the writing and rewriting process for this fifth novel proved difficult. On January 1, 2008 Martin published an update on his website saying he hoped to have the book published in the autumn of 2008. In early 2008, publisher Spectra confirmed Martin's update, announcing that A Dance with Dragons will be released on September 30, 2008. [21] However, this date is only speculative: as of July 2008, Martin has not finished the book.

I finished the first one today at work... when I should have been working. Now I can move onto my other summer reading crap... NOT. I already bought the 2nd book and I'm going to start it as soon as I get home. I'm ready for the group meeting now :)

For those of you in the same boat as Andy, please make sure you make a mental note of where the first book ends and the second begins. We don't want any accidental spoilers coming up in discussion. Don't ruin it for everyone else :).

Anyone else reading?? Close to done??

I'm a few hundred in. I am remebering why this book was so amazing the first time around...and the second for that matter! :)

I did a lot of reading on the plane and I'm at the point where Sam takes the Black. I am really enjoying the book, but it's with a sense of foreboding.

interesting though, I checked out amazon for info on publish dates, and read through some of the discussions there. there are a few people that think the characters are cardboard and the writing sucks. Makes me wonder if they read the same books I did...Oh, and george has a website, and he's released three different chapters of Dance With Dragons--the Tyrion one is posteds, and it alternates one about Dany and one about Jon.

Done!

I really like how Martin rotates between characters and skips forward to see how an event in the previous chpater impacts other characters. It gives more of a sense of time moving along than if he chose one point in time and stayed there.

Fun ride, and I'm on to book 2 now...

I'm not trying to be rude, but if you are a member of this group and you aren't actually going to try to read it, can you leave the group. I've had groups with 27 people signed up and only 8 actually participated...why don't you just leave???

Anyway, I hope that everyone is reading or at least will be reading this. I know I've won over Andy and it would be nice to have a few more believers.

Happy reading.

God I love this book. Just finished and I wish I had the luxury of moving on to the next one like Andy and Sheri.

Anyone else reading?

DEAR LORD! I don't want to distract anyway away from reading Martin but I recently stopped in at Powells on my way to to southern California and was recommended Patrick Ruthfuss' The Name of the Wind. It quickly stole the wind from the sails of Martin's epic fantasy story. I have blown through all 700 pages in a little over 4 days. That's not to say this is a simple book to read, or even and easy book, I just enjoyed it that much. I mean, DAMN, I am sitting inside, on the couch, reading.. inside... a house.. a block away from a southern California beach.

Nichols: I noticed you have this one in your to-read. Change that now by goinging out and purchasing this one, and read it. Also: if you would like I could lend it to you when schools starts up again. The spine is pretty trashed because I had been laying in bed reading and folded over the pages. I never do this with a book, but this one seemed to require it. I do recommend owning this one though.

Cheers!

Ive already got it and it will be read. have no fear.

I'm halfway through the 2nd Martin book, and am still enjoying the ride. I'm picking up on details that I had forgotten about...but this time I'm a bit more analytical--the story is much more diluted with the addition of other characters' perspectives. Still good, but I see where Martin strayed from his original path and ended up having to expand the story.

I agree with Andy about Name of the Wind!! I read it a few months ago--incredible!! But I was really mad at my husband for telling me about it--now I have to wait at least a year for the next one!!

I guess Ruthfuss ahd written all three volumes and couldn't find a buyer. So he made it into a short story. It won awards, and an agent told him he should write a book...He gave the agent the book and got a call at 2 AM telling him to call a publisher first thing in the morning. The rest is history. But I don't understand why they need to space out the series so much.

hey did not get to read been super swamped with summer homework and summer job sorry makes me sad and sorry it took me so long to get to you

The only reason I can think of to space them out is to make sure they are as good as the first one, and to make sure people get time to read these books.

Gunnar...you still have 2 weeks...it's doable!

So when are we meeting? I have forgotten :)

The original plan was to meet next wednesday at 1:30, but I am willing to adjust if necessary. I'm not sure that anyone is actually reading since no one posts except for Andy Sheri and me.

I'm all big and important and work (and I have been on vacation for the past week) so I can't take any more days off from work. We can do a week day after 5 or 6 or we can do a weekend. Other than that I am kinda boned. Also: If it is a weekday and Tacoma is an easier option, I work downtown... we could do a lunch/chat or something. I work on 9th/commerce. Let me know :)

Okay, we'll reschedule so that Andy can come. But, is anyone else gonna show up?? Cause if not, I'll just find some time to talk with Andy. When I know what my soccer schedule looks like (hopefully very soon) I will set a date and time. It will either be this weekend or next week in the evening some time.

Peace.

woot. I'm pretty excited. I hope more people read it than me and you. Didn't miss alhheim read it? and did her son read it?

Maybe I'm just that cool...

Andy, you are just that cool...I'm just starting teh third book. Cam didn't though...he's chewing his way through the Honor Harrington series right now. (BTW Andy, Cam & I agree with you on Name of the Wind!)

So is it worth meeting if it's just the three of us?