Sometime in early December I started the book Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. It's the first book in a seven part fantasy series (parts 6 and 7 haven't been released yet).
I started getting interested after the hoopla surrounding the HBO adaptation of the books. And then hearing from a lot of people that the books were quite good. So I decided to check them out. They have occupied the better part of two months. Really, I don't think I've read much else of anything since then, but they total 5,000 pages, so it's not like I've been slacking.
They really are good, but they are long and getting longer. "The tale grows in the telling" Martin said, quoting Tolkien, and it's certainly true. Sometimes, it's a little too true. In the middle of a couple of the later books, I sometimes felt like I was paying way more attention to minor characters than I would like.
But overall, after five books, I've definitely enjoyed them. Some great characters, great stories, and a fully imagined world. I'm really impressed. I can't wait for Book Six and Book Seven!