“Game of Thrones” has become a worldwide phenomenon, and the show recently surpassed “The Sopranos” to become HBO’s top-rated show ever—ever. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve been watching the show for a while. And, statistically speaking, you probably haven’t read the books. Those have become wildly popular too, but hey, television is television. But if you’re thinking of taking a dive, it helps to know what you’re getting into, depending on what you want to get out of it. Basically, there are four options, some of which are complementary.

“Game of Thrones” Books Option 1: Start At The Beginning

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For most fans of the show, starting the “Game of Thrones” books at the beginning is the most obvious option. Before we talk about the merits, here’s the order of the books:

1. A Game of Thrones (corresponds to season 1)

2. A Clash of Kings (corresponds to season 2)

3. A Storm of Swords (corresponds to seasons 3 and 4; some material will be in season 5)

4. A Feast For Crows (corresponds to the upcoming season 5; some material is in season 4)

5. A Dance With Dragons (corresponds to the upcoming season 5; some material is in season 4)

6. The Winds of Winter (not yet released)

7. A Dream of Spring (nowhere near being released)

That’s the mainline of the “Game of Thrones” series—although us book fans sometimes still call the series by its proper name, A Song of Ice and Fire, that moniker has largely fallen by the wayside in casual discourse, and had even before the show came out.

If you read the “Game of Thrones” books in order, even if you’ve seen the show, I assure you that you will not be bored. There is a ton of material and character development, even whole characters, that didn’t make it into the show for various reasons. And, as you get farther along, you’ll notice more areas where the show has gone in a different direction; I won’t spoil these for you, but some are quite obvious.

It’s worth mentioning, though, that the books are even more complex than the show: There are way more characters, way more names, a lot more prophecies and references to events long past, and even more politicking. If the show is a bit overwhelming already, just dip your toes in the water and see how you like it. If that’s what you love about the show in the first place… well, you’re in for a treat.

Option 2: Start Where The Show Left Off

Just need to know what happens to everybody and don’t feel the need to read three different thousand-page books just to catch up to things you’ve mostly already seen? I hear that; people are busy. If you just want to get caught up on the story in the books, pick up A Storm of Swords and read the last one or two hundred pages, which have only been partially covered so far. Then, jump over to Feast and then Dance. Some things will be pretty confusing, since you won’t properly meet characters who are introduced in earlier books and aren’t in the show. This will particularly be a problem with the Greyjoy family. Liberal use of the Wiki of Ice and Fire is recommended.

Don’t forget that the story is by no means finished—if you want to find out who Jon Snow’s mother is or who killed Asmodeanwhere Benjen Stark got off to, you’re out of luck: You’ll have to wait just like the rest of us.

Option 3: Stop When The Show Stops

If you absolutely don’t want any “Game of Thrones” season 5 spoilers, but do want to read the books and get to know the characters better, simply read the first two books and the first eight-tenths of Storm of Swords. Or just read all of it: Only a few minor events haven’t been covered yet, and some probably aren’t going to make it into the show at all. But if you’re super-paranoid, stop around the time of Oberyn’s duel and you should be fine.

Fair warning: If you try to do this, your odds of getting addicted to the “Game of Thrones” books and just finishing anyway are very high. You have been warned. The books are better than the show in at least some respects, so you’ll have a good time.

Option 4: Read Other Westeros-Related Material

The “Game of Thrones” books are the first material set in the world of Westeros, but it’s not the only stuff out there. George has written a variety of short-form material, all of which is pretty fun, and all of which is set a hundred years or more before the main books—no spoiler fears there.

You could read, for instance, the series of “Dunk and Egg” short stories, which have appeared in a variety of anthologies. There are three so far—“The Hedge Knight,” “The Sworn Sword,” and “The Mystery Knight,” with more coming at some indefinite point in the future. These are great fun, a little lighter than the books. They’ve also been adapted into comics, so if that’s your scene, well, track ‘em down.

Other stories are of a more historic bent. “The Princess and the Queen” is a historical account, written from the perspective of a maester, of the Dance of the Dragons—no real relation to the book of the same name—an epic Targaryen civil war. A new story in the collection Rogues, titled The Rogue Prince, or, The King’s Brother, does the same. These stories are both included in a different form in The World of Ice and Fire, a history of Westeros, also from a maester’s perspective, which is due out on Oct. 28. And the Atlas of Ice and Fire gives us our only complete view, in many gorgeous maps, of the lands of Westeros and Essos. All are worth checking out if you’re a hardcore fan; “Dunk and Egg” are a little more accessible to everyone.

But whatever you pick, trust me, you’ll enjoy it. There’s a reason “Game of Thrones” has become such a popular show, and a big part of that is the incredible storytelling, characters and worldbuilding in the books. Give ‘em a try.