Few things, since I recently have finished Season 1 and enjoyed it a great deal, even dubbing it my new "LOST".
That aside, will I enjoy the books at all? I tried reading the LOTR books and could not get into them. The only thing I've really gotten into reading wise over the past few years other than some Pro Wrestler Biographies as been Harry Potter, and I didn't even get into that until after the Deathly Hallows book was out. I however enjoyed those a great deal.
As a Kid I was an avid reader, and it was not uncommon for me to read a couple books a week. (usually Goosebumps).
I am very curious about the books though, and have found the first book as an audiobook (which I assume to be based on Season 1 of the TV show).
I'm not sure how the audiobook is different, but It's all I can use right now. I plan to listen during downtime in my graveyard shifts at work. I dont have money till Friday and our local library is closed for remodeling. Nobody I know has said book etc etc etc.
So few other things
Do the books adapt well?
Assuming I do like the books, should I read them all before the Season on TV, or should I do what I planned out and watch a season, then read that seasons book. (of course then I might be reading them forever.)
Is this audiobook gonna be much different than just reading it? I intend to get a real book ASAP, this is only a temp solution.
You should at least try them out, yeah! I don't know about the audiobooks, but I hear good things about them. The show covered like 60% of the first book - not the first 60%, but it skips over lots of interesting stuff because of the time constraints and such, so I'd recommend reading the first book rather than skipping over to the second. The show does stay 90% faithful to the books, so if you get bored by reading something you've already watched, it wouldn't be terrible to start with the second, I guess.
I think they're a lot more "readable" than Tolkien, who can be rather dry at times.
The books are really good. They're a lot more accessible than Lord of the Rings. I mean, they have their flaws, but I'd definitely say give it a shot. Warning: there will be a lot of talking and backstory and such, but it should be easier as you.
Almost everybody I have ever talked to loves the books AND the show, and while the books are better, they won't make you hate the show (at least so far) and they'll make a lot of things in the show more enjoyable when you see the relationships and the foreshadowing and such.
You've watched one season, read the one book and see how you feel. I mean, I'd suggest reading them all, but if you don't enjoy it, obviously don't keep up.
as you already know from watching the show, it's not your usual fantasy fare and it's fairly grounded on politics and relationships
reading the books lets you in on some of the intricacies of those things and the characters themselves as they're written through the POV of the characters
of course, there's still the standard world-building that comes with the genre but it's interesting stuff and GRRM's prose isn't as plodding as JRRT's (not until the fourth and fifth books anyway >_>)