Sometimes it pays to go back to a series you’ve given up on. We all have those books we’ve ditched part way through. Some weren’t a good fit, some just weren’t the book you needed at the time and some had so many characters to keep track of that you sent the book back to the library in a fit of frustration. I have experienced all of the above.

A Game of Thrones was a series that I gave up on. I first read A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin seven-and-a-half years ago and really enjoyed it so I proceeded to the second book, Clash of Kings, but ended up giving up because I couldn’t keep track of the numerous characters. So … many … people! I was frustrated and not enjoying the experience so I figured GOT and I weren’t meant to be and moved on.

Enter The Game of Thrones TV series. After my husband and I finally finished watching the series in November 2019 (and were no longer living under the constant threat of spoilers), I received a beautiful set of the books from one of my sons for Christmas. It was time to read the entire series – I just hoped I wouldn’t get stuck on all the characters.

A big high five to HBO! Watching the TV series helped me keep track of who was who and if I got confused about a character, I’d just Google the name and up would pop a picture of the actor to aid my memory. I enjoyed getting back into the crazy lives of Tyrion (my fav), swoon-worthy Jon Snow, Daenerys and the gang. There are lots of characters to love, and so many that I loved to hate. I ended up enjoying this no-holds barred, edge-of-your-seat fantasy read even more this second time around.

Please don’t let the massive page count scare you from picking up this compelling, action-filled series. If you’re not averse to violence, sassy bedroom scenes and enjoy fantasy with healthy doses of deception, questionable alliances and eyebrow-raising dalliances, then you’ll want to see what all the fuss is about with this super popular series. You can find the series at WPL in many formats: Print, DVD, eBook and eAudiobook.

— Laurie P.