The show got steadily worse as D&D ran out of book material to copy. Then the last season took a complete nose dive. It's been five years since the last book. Between the wait for the books and the disappointment in the show I'm on the edge of just not caring about the franchise at all anymore. "Numb" sounds like too strong of a word, but I wonder who else in the fandom has become " I just don't care anymore?"
Me, for one. I'm 100% sure I won't bother to buy the next book when/if it ever comes out. Bleah.
When I do see a preview chapter of Winds of Winter (I think there are 3 or 4 that have been out at various times) it always blows me away. If Martin releases it, it will be fantastic. I almost worry he'll have something that is 90% fantastic and refuse to release it because...perfectionism.
People complaining about the last season of the show probably aren't helping this. The first five seasons were fantastic. Other people criticize the genocide, but I was bothered more by removing Varys, which meant there couldn't be a final shot of him and Peter Dinklage walking away from the camera, bantering in that way that they do which is so fantastic. Something akin to the ending of "Casablanca".
11 Winds chapters have been released over the years, here is that info from the
Wiki.
Theon I (included in A World of Ice and Fire under "Excerpts")
Victarion I
Tyrion I (read at Miscon 2012, but no video or transcription was made)
Arianne I (included in A World of Ice and Fire under "Excerpts")
Barristan I (included in A World of Ice and Fire under "Excerpts")
Barristan II (read at Boskone 2013, but no video or transcription was made)
Tyrion II (included in A World of Ice and Fire under "Excerpts" as "Tyrion I")
Mercy (included in A World of Ice and Fire under "Excerpts")
Alayne I
Arianne II
The Forsaken
I don't care what others say, if he finishes Winds (and Dream) I will be beyond excited to read it (them). The end state of the show is supposed to be pretty close to how GRRM intends to end the books, but the way he will get there will be infinitely better than the showrunners' version.