Umm you read one book in a series ... the last one DID end with a huge cliffhanger!
Moron.
Well, the first half of his statement is still completely valid. How do you tell yourself that you're dying for the next book, but then when the wait gets to be longer than you find acceptable, you just forget all about it?
I'm firmly on Grimmlokk's side on this (as with most things it seems, not sure if that is good or bad). I hate waiting for a book to come out in a series just like everyone else does, but I can't even imagine saying I'll skip reading it because it took too long. There are even a couple of solutions that you, the reader, can employ to avoid worrying about the wait. First, simply don't read a series until it is finished. If you're that concerned about remembering what happened or keeping a certain level of excitement...just don't fucking read it until it is done. Or, do like a friend of mine does and read the wiki summary before starting the new book to refresh your memory of what happened. Or if you really loved the books that much, and it has been 5 years, re-read the previous ones when you know the new one is about to be released.
I don't have any personal stake in you waiting for his next book or not, so you can do what you want and I won't lose any sleep one way or another, but comparing writing to roofing...wow. Have you ever actually tried to write a novel? You can sit there for 5 hours a week all you want, but that doesn't mean you're going to end up with a story worth reading. Granted, not everyone can build a roof either, but for someone that can build a roof, putting in the time will definitely result in a decent roof. Putting in the time writing, even if you know how to write a book, is not guaranteed to result in a decent one. I'll name dozens of books I feel fit into that category in fact, if you want. Here, I'll give you The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett. I loved the first book in the series. Sort of liked the second one ok. Hated the third one. He clearly knows how to write, and put the time in. Why did his book suck? Who knows, but perhaps if he'd taken another year to refine it I might have liked it. Or any of a dozen or so Stephen King books, even though I loved many of his.
See what I'm getting at? You're making writing out to be a grind, nothing more. Well, Peter V. Brett and Stephen King and tons of others are doing the grind, so I should just be happy they are putting out books even if I don't like them, right? Of course not.