We have read all the books here. Hubby got me to do them.

You will find if you read them, that starting at book 4 the series starts to erode into morbid violent endless graphic descriptions of endless physical deaths, and suffering.

The volume 5, which came out in July 2011, was dismal and awful. You can read hundreds of low 1 star reviews of it at Amazon. It took me months to read A Dance with Dragons, and I will not go further. The first 3 books were compelling and interesting, but "something" has happened to the author --who some believe used a ghost writer, or Martin has changed somehow-- and the series is totally reversed its potential.
A Dance with Dragons has some very nasty storylines concerning women... many of the reviews focus on this misogynist bent, and one of the characters is so awful, I had to skip over it. (a maniac who tortures women and kills them)
Even Tyrion suffered this fate--his character lost its magic.

We have purchased the DVDs and I stopped watching 1/2 way thru episode 2... as the story has tarnished for me considerably after book 5.

Sorry to be a downer, just as warning to you. Enjoy the first 3 books, they are worth reading.