#got readalong

[dragonbadgerbooks]

2025 A Song of Ice and Fire Readalong

Hosted by @dragonbadgerbooks

Heya Booklr!

As I've talked about previously, I desperately want to reread the entirety of ASOIAF, but I am accountable to no one but myself, and I know that gal's a softie and won't hold me to it.

That's where you (hopefully) come in.

Let's read together!

I'm planning to start reading A Game of Thrones beginning Monday, June 1. Another poll said that people would prefer to take 6 weeks to read the book (which is perfect for me because I'm juggling this with a full time job and a two year old) and have set chapters/pages to read each week. This averages out to one to two chapters each day with a breakdown below for each week (In the mass market paperback, this is about 19 pages a day or 134 pages a week). Since GRRM doesn't do chapter titles, I've broken it down by the character name and which of their chapters it is (so if it's the second Arya POV chapter, it's called Arya II).

Depending on interest, interaction, and my own motivation, we'll see about continuing with the other books. It's my hope to reread the entire series over the next few months, so y'all gotta keep me accountable :)

Book I: A Game of Thrones Breakdown

Week 1: June 1-7

Prologue Bran I Catelyn I Daenerys I Eddard I Jon I Catelyn II Arya I Bran II Tyrion I Jon II Daenerys II Eddard II Tyrion II Catelyn III

Week 2: June 8-14

Sansa I Eddard III Bran III Catelyn IV Jon III Eddard IV Tyrion III Arya II Daenerys III Bran IV Eddard V Jon IV Eddard VI

Week 3: June 15-21

Catelyn V Sansa II Eddard VII Tyrion IV Arya III Eddard VIII Catelyn VI Eddard IX Daenerys IV Bran V

Week 4: June 22-28

Tyrion V Eddard X Catelyn VII Jon V Tyrion VI Eddard XI Sansa III Eddard XII Daenerys V Eddard XIII Jon VI Eddard XIV Arya IV

Week 5: June 29-July 5

Sansa IV Jon VII Bran VI Daenerys VI Catelyn VIII Tyrion VII Sansa V Eddard XV Catelyn IX Jon VIII Daenerys VII

Week 6: July 6-12

Tyrion VIII Catelyn X Daenerys VIII Arya V Bran VII Sansa VI Daenerys IX Tyrion IX Jon IX Catelyn XI Daenerys X

If you do want to participate, I think I'll use the tag #dbbasoiafreadalong, #dragonbadgerbookclub and my usual #dragonbadgerchallenge. I'll try to also do discussion questions to give a starting point :)

Looking forward to heartbreak with all of you!

[dragonbadgerbooks]

ASOIAF Week One Things to Consider:

Please do not feel like you need to answer these like in school! They were things I thought about when I was reading and that I thought would be good jumping off points! I'll be posting throughout the week and will make sure to post next week's questions before it gets so late, but definitely want to hear what you have to say!

Is this your first time reading ASOIAF? What made you pick it up now?

If it’s not your first time… reminisce!

Have you picked up any foreshadowing for later in the book? Later in the series?

Do you have favorite character chapters? Least favorite?

What has GRRM established about the world of ice and fire in this first section? How can we see the set up of “Ice and Fire” throughout the series?

Did any quotes stand out to you? Any descriptions? 

Let’s talk direwolves, Others, and other myths-turned-reality.

What do you think about the religions of this world? We see actual magic (eventually). How does that lend or detract from the various religions?

Catelyn drops a lot of lore and background in her first chapter; what can this tell us about her character? What do we learn about the universe? Did you pick up on anything rereading that you may have missed the first time?

How are we presented with a different perspective of the world in Dany’s chapters?

Reflect on how so many of these characters ARE CHILDREN.

How does the North differ from the rest of Westeros? Why do you think that is?

Lyanna Stark Theories, go.

Jon Snow Theories, go.

Other theories, go.

In what ways, in other circumstances, would Ned make a great Hand? How does fate come together for this to actually be a terrible idea?

How do the various Starks’ descriptions and opinions of the royal family help shape our own? How do they show that each chapter narrator is unreliable and perhaps not to be entirely trusted? 

How do Ned and Catelyn balance each other? Other characters?

The wolves are with the children for such short periods of time, relatively. How might things have been different if they could have stayed with their wolves? 

How does Viserys’ behavior show his absolute disdain and lack of understanding of everyone around him? Of families and cultures not like his own? What do we learn possibly about Targaryens from him vs from Daenerys?

Daenerys feels free for the first time riding her silver. Why might that be significant and what does it mean for Dany?

How is Khal Drogo different than expected?

How does Robert simultaneously rely on and spurn tradition? Jaime Lannister is in the King’s Guard, yet is to be named Warden of the East and Ned speaks that he may inherit his father’s titles and lands. How does the Lannister name allow them to do this? How might another house handle everything? How might Robert have better kept the Lannisters from taking so much control?

Robert and Ned were close friends in their youth, yet are very different. In what ways are they similar? Different? Do you think their friendship would have survived if Lyanna hadn’t died or if Robert had named Ned Hand of the King from the beginning?

How does the reality of the wall compare with the myths and legends? How does Tyrion fit into this world? Jon? 

Mothers are important and play important roles in ASOIAF. What role does Cat play? Cercei? 

What do we assume about the attack on Bran and how does that kick off so much avoidable drama?

Each of Ned’s children are their own person; how are they similar and different from each other? Their parents? 

What did we learn about the characters in this section? What can we assume about them? What predictions do you have about the rest of the book and series?