Didn't think Tyrion grew the beard until after the Vale incident.

Ignore the books…read the AUDIOBOOKS
If you want to get into the books, even though they're terribly expensive, the audiobooks (at least the first three) are as good as you can get. They are read by the octogenarian Shakespearean actor, Roy Dotrice (Leopold Mozart in Amadeus).

Happy Holidays? …
The AV Club is just the latest to succumb to the PC pressure of saying the non-committal "happy holidays" instead of Merry Christmas. Thanks for being the latest pawn in the socialist liberal left's war on Christmas.