You could start with book three. But there is a lot of information the show has left out. So, you'll probably want to talk to folks/read up on the stuff you've missed.

My recommendation would be to start with book one. Yes, it's some rehash, but the stuff you've missed (the stuff the show has left out/changed) is so worth experiencing for yourself. I strongly recommend reading the books from the beginning.

If you're going to read the books, read them all. HOWEVER.....

I've read all the books, and now frankly wish I hadn't. Seriously, the show is so well done, the only thing that sucks is knowing what's going to happen. Especially this season, since the third book is the best of the bunch.

There is a ton more info in the books, and they could help in understanding better the motives of the players. That being said, the books are looong reads.

If time/speed is an issue, go the audiobook route. Roy Dotrice's narration on the first three are fantastic.

I'm a hardcore audio book guy (listen on my commute), but I already have a pretty big queue. Good to hear about the voice though, I'll keep that in mind. I do balance audio book vs. read myself, and one of the big decision points is the narrator.

I'm less inclined to read now than I was when last season ended for this very reason. :D The wait after season 2 seemed excruciating; less so with the latest preview from HBO.

I might be just a crazy fanboy of the books, but to me, the show doesn't do the story justice. What makes ASOIAF such a masterpiece is the endless myriad of details that all fit together like an amazing, huge puzzle. It's mind-blowing how GRRM could have thought of everything he did. It should be impossible for a human being to have such an imagination, but he somehow does.

Sure, the broad strokes of the show still create an interesting and intriguing story and it is rather enjoyable, but shit, man, the books are like a million times better.

Read book 4.

The narration without Dotrice sucks and sucks hard.

So I've been reading the Century Trilogy by Ken Follet; Fall of Giants and Winter of the World are the two that he's released. I came to a conclusion:

GRRM has ruined books for me.

The entire time I'm reading I'm just waiting and trying to figure out how the next beloved character dies or when someone seemingly benign or even benevolent turns into an evil sonofabitch (and vice versa). Hey wait...that doesn't happen.

What? You can do that? You can have a book that doesn't make you flip backwards 3 pages and re-read it just to make sure that the "What the ****" moment you just had actually transpired?

It's different and somewhat refreshing to read an involved, 'adult' book where I don't get the feeling that the writer is openly antagonistic towards his readers. Follet does a hell of a job and it just couldn't be any different from GRRM.

I like Follet quite a bit, but I've fought through Fall of Giants, it just wasn't as interesting as most of his other work.

It's completely different. I don't generally care for Follett, but these have such a strong historical lean to them that I'm fascinated by them. I want to read the Pillars of the Earth series as well.

One can only hear "WWI happened because an Austrian prince got shot" so many times before the simplicity of the whole thing drives you !@#$ing insane. Then you read Fall of Giants and you're just relieved that not everyone in the world is content with giving 10 second history lessons.

If you want to make any of those feel like light reading, pick up "The Longest Winter" by Halberstam. Once you get through that thing, reading the dictionary feels easy. I finally gave up on reading it and listened to the audio (my best friends grandfather was a contributor and is quoted several times; great man. He signed my copy and gave me an addendum to the book before he passed a couple years ago).

I've never had to fight a book harder than that one and I think it's the only time the book actually won.

If you do decide to jump into book 3 (my wife did, so it's possible), you will need to get someone to explain the main differences from the show to the books. Biggest one is Ramsay Bolton who has not been introduced in the show yet, but plays a major role in Book 2.

But more than that, this is a spoiler thread, so if you have not read the books, you should stay the hell out of this thread so you don't get spoiled on some major events that are caually mentioned throughout this thread. There is a non-spoiler version somewhere that would be better for non-readers to discuss these things in. Seriously, you don't want to be in here!

To me, that's just overblown Stephen King crap - too much shit, too little substance. IMO, the books have strayed way too far from the core characters.

I haven't read any of The Century Trilogy. I've done Pillars of the Earth, and and I have World Without End in my queue to read. Big fan.

I couldn't make it through Fall of Giants. Connie Willis' Blackout/All Clear was so much better.

Pillars of the Earth is much better. Jack Daws is a fun WWII read and I really liked Lie Down with Lions about the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.