So, chances are good you’ve watched the hit HBO series. You’ve learned that Tyrion is amazing, Arya’s a badass and Joffrey is a jerk. However, there’s more to A Song of Ice and Fire than that, and you’ll be missing out if you don’t pick up the books.

Small warning–if you haven’t watched, it, you should stop reading this post right now. I’m going to assume that you know everything that happens in the first and second seasons.

1. You have a head start.

Lucky you. When nerds originally started sifting through George RR Martin’s tome, they were greeted with an unfamiliar cast that had quite unfamiliar, cumbersome names. It was a bit like trying to read through a Russian novel, where every nickname sounds nothing like the original. But you, you know who the Spider is, and that Eddard is also Ned, and that Joffrey is always the one being a bitch. Now’s your chance to get back at self-righteous original readers by telling them you didn’t have a hard time following the cast at all.

2. You don’t have to re-live some of the worst scenes from the show.

Remember that awkward, sinking feeling you got when you watched Dany’s wedding night? It’s not like that in the books. It’s actually pretty sweet, and it adds some context as to why she wants Drogo to be happy with her. I almost quit watching the series because of that scene, so it’s a relief that it’s not in the book. The awful scene with Joffrey and Roz and the other prostitute? Not in the book either. So, relax, you’ve already watched the worst. Sadly, the series get pretty gruesome around the third book, but you can make it through at least two of them first!

4. You can feel justified in hating Sansa earlier.

I started to kind of hate Sansa as soon as she started making fun of Arya. But, since you’ve watched the show, you know that it’s really her fault that Ned gets arrested (since she told the queen), which is a justifiable reason for disliking her. You know, that, and the fact she’s consistently mean to her poor sister.

5. The books are really, really good.

Like any book adaptation, they have much more detail than their small screen counterparts. But beyond that, George RR Martin’s writing is filled with dry humor. You’ll find yourself laughing at times you didn’t think possible in the show. His portrayal of Tyrion is almost as good as Peter Dinklage’s.

Hit me up if you need any more impressions of the series!