I know what u mean jael - throughout all three books, there were whole storylines I really never got into (Daenarus and Sansas for example) - (i know jon really liked both of those, heh - cuz maybe he is perviert!)  But even the "Dany" chapters that take place on a whole other continent seem pretty unrelated to the other story lines, things do cross and come together quite often (especially over the 3 books) and when they do, its usually an "ohhhh cool!" kinda moment.  Good-ass book - plow through that shit!

I'm half-way thru the 2nd Harry Potter book.  It's pretty cool.  Kinda brutal to poor harry though- how many bad things can happen to him and his crew???  fucking-a!