A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

I finished the 4th book the other day. Part of the club. The club of people who know what happens.

I had this actual conversation last week:
me: "I just finished the 3rd book this morning."
Stepho: "Oooh I'm most of the way through the 3rd book. Something just happened oh my god!"
me: "I think I know the thing you're talking about."
Stepho: "It's kind of like the thing that happened in the first book!"
me: "I definitely know the thing you're talking about."

So everybody else that I ever talk to, finish reading already so I can stop being mortally afraid of speaking in spoilers accidentally.

Several of my friends are currently having the same experience I did, of it being impossible to put these books down. It's hard to make time for stuff like laundry, sleep, feeding yourself, etc when you don't know how that battle is going to turn out. Or if that person is going to make it to wherever they're trying to get to safely. The suspensework is just horrifyingly effective.

Doug said that after the party last night he went home and drunk-read for an hour. Then woke up this morning and read it all again because he had forgotten it all.

So these books are good, and you've been warned. When we next see you with 4 day stubble and bloodshot eyes, speaking of how you "must needs to eat soon, you forgot to this morning" we'll know why. We of the club will just nod and be like, "where are you at? ohhh yeah that was a good part."

It's chock full of ethical choices. It's a goddamn kaleidoscope of conflicting loyalties and enumerations on whether the ends justify the means. Plus knights on horses and kings on thrones and sailors on ships and dragons and zombies and magic and betrayal. Ooooh the betrayal, it hurts.

So read it already, and then you can come to the Song of Ice and Fire trivia night I'm going to host.