Game of Thrones season ends, and now my watch begins

Game of Thrones’ season seven ended Aug. 27, and for the millions of fans around the world, the feeling of the long winter has come until the next and final season is released.

Once Game of Thrones is airing, it can feel like that is the only show worth watching. If you are one of the over 10 million viewers who watched the season finale of season seven this past weekend, you might be asking yourself, “What do I do now?”

“I loved the season finale. I have not been able to stop thinking about it,” said Erin Barnett, a senior studying integrated studies communication and sociology. When asked what she will do now that the show is over, she said, “I hope HBO will come out with some more good stuff to fill the void.”

Rumors that season eight could possibly take until 2019 to be completed makes the end of season seven even more painful to endure. Perhaps a prayer to the old gods and the new will bring the date closer.

Now back to the main question, what to do until season eight?

One thing that many fans of the show haven’t done is read the books. What better way to get a feel for the deepness and the grandeur of the story than to read the books from where the show originated?

“I have not read the books,” said Barnett. She says she has thought about reading them. “And I might now. I have heard that they have more background info, so it wouldn’t be redundant.”

Currently, there are only five books published in the series. By reading the books, one won’t turn into a book puritan. In fact, someone who reads the books might be able to show a deeper appreciation for the show . Enormous detail and thought went into writing the books. George R.R. Martin is a highly skilled and talented writer, and the books stand apart from the shows.

Something the show can’t do is give readers a look into the minds of the characters. After reading the books and understanding the thoughts of characters, it has made re-watching more entertaining — which is saying a lot because the shows are already amazing. To avoid giving away any spoilers, there are many differences between the books and the shows that make reading just as shocking and exciting as watching the Red and Purple Weddings for the first time.

When the final episode of season seven ended, and the anticipated Great War was revealed, the realization that the next season won’t be out for a couple of years is depressing to think about. However, the books could be the next door into Westeros that few might have traveled.