Anyone know where to start with George R.R. Martins Wild Card series? I know there are quite a few books already out there but I have no clue where to begin.

I've loved Borders bookstores for years. I've spent long hours reading books among its stack at various locations around me. Or enjoyed perusing a few magazine's in its coffeshops.They were and still are my major place for book and magazine purchase. But if its something they don't have or I have to wait to order, I'm like everybody else in the world of Al Gore's internet and order a paperback or download it with the Kindle app on my phone from Amazon.

The pair have been together for 30 years which just goes to show that GRRM apparently procrastinates in everything he does.  

LOL!  that was great Tim.  I'm done giving him the benefit of the doubt myself.  As great as those books were even when he finally finishes book 5 it will take him another 20 years to finish the last two.  Maybe Sanderson can finish the series for him seeing what a good job he did he did with Jordan's work.  This is why writers need deadlines in my opinion.  That's something all his fans are not thinking about either, once he finally does finish book 5 it has to be edited and then set up for the printing press.  Correct me if I'm wrong that could take about 6 months alone.  You'll be lucky to see the book before end of the year.

As far as Borders..it's sad but I agree with what you said about why they didn't make it. 

On another note, Though I see Rothfuss has his sequel to the Name Of The Wind coming out March 1st that I'm looking forward to and it took him 3 years to write it.  What's up with these fantasy writers? 
 

Yeah, I was really surprized about Martin getting married after 30 years, until I remembered that he almost DIED a few months ago from an infection.  He was hospitalized for a few days with it.  I think his brush with death had a lot to do with that decision.  I also think it might keep him focused long enough to actually finish the series before he kicks it for good.  I hope anyway.

I love the Borders that's near us, but we've been too poor for a while now to go.  We used to walk in just to look and walk out $50 lighter.  Unfortunately I think the brick and mortar book stores are going to die out due to online sales.

Hobbs...think about the kind of people who write fantasy.  For the most part, do you see them being the kind of people who set solid goals and work 12 hour days until they reach them?  Or people who know much more than how they want the story to begin and end when they start writing?  Seems to me they'd be people who like to discover how it all works along the way, but that they'd also have trouble making it all fit together.  Martin's stories are relatively well put together and feel pretty solid.  I don't mind waiting I guess...but this is ridiculous. 

It's funny...I think that Peter Hamilton's Commonwealth books are very well written and I really like the stories, but he gets them done so much faster than a fantasy writer it's amazing.

As some one who just started ASoIaF right before this past Christmas I can't believe I have to wait till July for the next book!   I actually blogged my first time readers take over on the Westeros.org forums.

Joking aside, I probably would have kept putting this series off if the HBO series wasn't coming up soon.  I had had copies of the book for years, but after being a Wheel of Time reader from the beginning, I wasn't too keen to start another series that would force me to wait too long for the next installment if I really liked it, and from opinions of friends I trust I figured I would like ASoIaF.   I kind of have an adictive personality when it comes to books, movies, tv etc. that I like, I just zero in on it and want the next.   Never watched any BSG (galactica) untill the whole series was out. then gave it a chance and went through it in less than 2 weeks.

Seeing as I've only read the series once, I'm going to do a re-read before Dragons gets published.

I miss Waldenbooks, but the Borders by me is too over priced on many items way too cramped.  I still went there for must have day one books, but other stuff came from Amazon or to my Kindle.   Still I don't like seeing stores close and people being put out of work.