81 replies to this topic

[Phat Walda]

Hey guys, I'm new here, but I wanted to invite you to a kind of book club thing I'm doing with my husband Brendan. We're reading the books and reviewing one chapter per podcast, making predictions, etc. Brendan has never read the books or seen the shows, I have read them all and seen them all.

We would really welcome any thoughts you have on what we've said, points we're not totally clear on, or whatever else. Just one rule: NO SPOILERS. I will be moderating the comments, so if any spoilery comments come up I'm not letting them through, or I will edit the hell out of them.

We just started recording the podcast last week, but the first official post was today, as it finally went live on iTunes. We're trying to do one review per day, M-F. We'll see how we do with that.

Brendan is a little shell-shocked from bad fantasy novels, so it took some convincing to get him to read this, and I'm trying to get people to participate to encourage him to keep going. He has a tough time suspending disbelief sometimes too, and as someone who gets very engaged very easily I have trouble relating to that.

SO. The address to the blog where we're hosting the podcast and comments is www.unspoiledpodcast.blogspot.com, and you can listen from there or subscribe. The one that's up now (Prologue with the Others), counts as our Monday offering, and the next post will be Tuesday at 6:30 AM.

I'm going to be around a lot, because now that I'm rereading I keep seeing things that I want to talk about but I CAN'T because he hasn't read it yet. It hurts.

Anyway, thanks for your support (or not), and looking forward to some wild theorizing about Azor Ahai reborn.

[Phat Walda]

Episode 2 (Chapter 1, BRAN) is up! I can't wait till we get out of the introductory chapters and start getting into the real meat of the story. SO EXCITE.

[Xtopher]

Great idea, i´ll be listening to your podcast.

[Phat Walda]

Xtopher, on 24 January 2012 - 03:41 PM, said:

Great idea, i´ll be listening to your podcast.

Yay! Thanks for your support! Just recorded several more yesterday, and today the first chapter with Daenerys is out, one of my faves.

[Xtopher]

No magic stones just yet!

[Crown]

Brilliant idea, I'm listening the podcasts!

[Phat Walda]

Xtopher, on 26 January 2012 - 12:29 PM, said:

No magic stones just yet!

Ohmigod, he tries not to do it on the recordings so much, but he can be such a DICK about the "magical/fate" side of things. I'm really glad he's actually committed to doing this, he has to see it through now! And I think once he gets over himself he'll come to love it.

[Phat Walda]

Crown, on 26 January 2012 - 12:47 PM, said:

Brilliant idea, I'm listening the podcasts!

Huzzah! Thanks, guys!

[Crown]

Natasha Kingston, on 26 January 2012 - 01:10 PM, said:

Huzzah! Thanks, guys!

Haha, you're blessed with Brendan as an husband, I'm laughing my ass off. Wolverine-moose. What the fuck.

[Phat Walda]

Crown, on 26 January 2012 - 01:13 PM, said:

Haha, you're blessed with Brendan as an husband, I'm laughing my ass off. Wolverine-moose. What the fuck.

Agreed, he's pretty much the best. And he makes some pretty outstanding predictions.

[Crown]

I can't wait to hear his reactions to ...
A Game of Thrones spoilers:

Spoiler

... Arya's chapter in which Eddard is killed.
... Daenerys final chapter, in which the dragons are given birth.

A Clash of Kings spoilers:

Spoiler

... Catelyn's chapter, in which Renly is murdered by the shadow.
... Davos' chapter, in which Melisandre gives birth to the shadow-baby, to kill Cortnay Penrose.
... Daenerys chapter in the House of the Undying.
... Theon's and Catelyn's chapters, in which Bran and Rickon are 'murdered', and in which Catelyn hears about the death of her sons.
...Bran's chapter, the final one, in which the reader finds out he's still alive.

A Storm of Swords spoilers:

Spoiler

... Catelyn's chapter, the infamous Red Wedding chapter.
... Tyrion's chapter, the one where Joffrey is married to Margery, and killed.
... The epilogue, Catelyn's return as Lady Stoneheart.

And just the political games in A Feast of Crows. Nothing major in there I can think about, except for the finale of the book. I myself started reading A Dance with Dragons a week ago, I'm now at around page 300, so I can't comment on that book for now.

Holy fuck, I wish I had someone that close to talk about the books. I'm jealous.

Edited by Crown, 26 January 2012 - 02:03 PM.

[Phat Walda]

Crown, on 26 January 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

I can't wait to hear his reactions to ...
A Game of Thrones spoilers:

Spoiler

... Arya's chapter in which Eddard is killed.
... Daenerys final chapter, in which the dragons are given birth.

A Clash of Kings spoilers:

Spoiler

... Catelyn's chapter, in which Renly is murdered by the shadow.
... Davos' chapter, in which Melisandre gives birth to the shadow-baby, to kill Cortnay Penrose.
... Daenerys chapter in the House of the Undying.
... Theon's and Catelyn's chapters, in which Bran and Rickon are 'murdered', and in which Catelyn hears about the death of her sons.
...Bran's chapter, the final one, in which the reader finds out he's still alive.

A Storm of Swords spoilers:

Spoiler

... Catelyn's chapter, the infamous Red Wedding chapter.
... Tyrion's chapter, the one where Joffrey is married to Margery, and killed.
... The epilogue, Catelyn's return as Lady Stoneheart.

And just the political games in A Feast of Crows. Nothing major in there I can think about, except for the finale of the book. I myself started reading A Dance with Dragons a week ago, I'm now at around page 300, so I can't comment on that book for now.

Holy fuck, I wish I had someone that close to talk about the books. I'm jealous.

I KNOW, RIGHT? I mean, it's awesome to do the reread with him but part of me wishes it was ME reading for the first time. (Except I couldn't do it one chapter a day, it would kill me.)

Yeah, everything you said is stuff I'm just like, "OMG can we get there already I want to see you freak out"

[Xtopher]

you should record his actual "live reactions". you know, taping without him knowing you are recording while he reads those specific parts...

i bet we get to hear a couple of book tosses through the window and some memorable curses.

[Xtopher]

just listened to the Dany chapter. Man, this guy CAN GUESS! everything is spot on. when i read that chapter i was like "oh ok, savages... barbarians, lets move on" and this guy even guesses their life style and their purpose.

ps. Skyrim does rule.

[Phat Walda]

Xtopher, on 27 January 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

just listened to the Dany chapter. Man, this guy CAN GUESS! everything is spot on. when i read that chapter i was like "oh ok, savages... barbarians, lets move on" and this guy even guesses their life style and their purpose.

ps. Skyrim does rule.

He got a lot of his guesses pretty close to right, until we recorded the chapter when Bran falls. Then I just tried to keep a straight face as he said, "I think that Bran will go to King's Landing and they will try to kill Ned but they'll get caught, etc. etc". I remember when I had that much hope. GRRM, you hate joy.

[Xtopher]

i remember hoping for something like that as well, but one of the things that i like about this book is that u cant expect anything good to happen, its always worst case scenario.

its George "worst case scenario" martin, or
Its George "WCS" Martin.

[Xtopher]

...and now that you´re trying to pronounce the names rightly, im pretty sure "Rhaegar" is pronounced "Ray Gahr", i heard GRRM saying his name in an interview. Although "Rager" sounds cool too, lol.

[Crown]

Xtopher, on 27 January 2012 - 05:20 PM, said:

...and now that you´re trying to pronounce the names rightly, im pretty sure "Rhaegar" is pronounced "Ray Gahr", i heard GRRM saying his name in an interview. Although "Rager" sounds cool too, lol.

I'm going with Ray Gahr.

[Phat Walda]

Thanks, I wish that there was a pronunciation guide in the back or something. Most are pretty straightforward but there are a couple tricky ones.

[Seed]

Man I'm missing out!  I need to get on this