I've read them all, too.
The first and last were the best, in my opinion, but they were all worth the effort. My wife and I can't wait till the last installment comes out, or for the 2nd season to come out in video. In my opinion, I liked the SyFy dramatization of "Leviathan Wakes" more than I liked the novel. Its good material, for the reasons you point out, but the screenplay really brought out the best in it.