In 1975, Martin met Dune author Frank Herbert at a book convention and they shared a drink. The meeting was “near the end of Herbert’s life,” Martin says. Herbert had written many acclaimed novels, but all fans seemed to want was more Dune. Herbert’s publisher had just offered him a modest advance for a story he wanted to write, or six times that number for another Dune novel.
“He didn’t like Dune anymore and he didn’t want to write any more Dune books,” Martin says. “But he felt locked in by the success of Dune, so he kept writing them.”
Martin finishes … and waits.
I ask: Do you relate to how Herbert felt?
“I’m not necessarily tired of the world [of Ice and Fire],” he says. “I love the world and the world-building. But, yes, I do.”
I'm not saying you should read them; and I already provided the reasons for reading them above. You can find those reasons compelling or not.
I never mentioned the reviewer being paid. There's many interesting blogs and Goodreads profiles that are worth following too. My impression is, you're drawing an overly sharp boundary between your style of reading and something you imagine is "professional" reading of those who care about reviews.