tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75719129701689821792012-02-16T10:39:32.419-05:00My attempt to cast who I think should be in the movie versions of the books I read.Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.comBlogger311100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-90729734210437592712009-06-24T22:48:00.001-04:002009-06-25T23:26:58.826-04:00

The narrow sea separates Westeros and the lands to the east. In the north of the sea lies the icy island of Ibben and in the south the hot Summer Isles. The lands to the east of the narrow sea are mostly consolidated into a large eastern continent of unknown name. Being roughly the size of Eurasia, this continent's geography and climate vary greatly. The western coastline is characterized by

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-8949461519795682702009-06-15T21:51:00.000-04:002009-06-16T12:48:41.123-04:00

The Wall is a massive wall of ice that stretches across the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms, separating it from the wild lands beyond. It extends from the Frostfangs mountain range in the west to the Bay of Seals in the east. It was reputedly created over 8,000 years prior to the present setting by Brandon the Builder after the Long Night to defend the realms of man from the wildlings and

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-26397675376958602852009-06-08T15:48:00.002-04:002009-06-12T11:45:03.253-04:00

King's Landing is the capital of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms. It is situated on the Blackwater river on the spot where Aegon the Conqueror landed in Westeros to begin his conquest. The main city is surrounded by a wall, manned by a city watch known as the Gold Cloaks. Within the walls, the city's natural landscape is dominated by three hills, named after Aegon and his two sisters. Poorer

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-44884444043450944082009-06-01T12:28:00.000-04:002009-06-12T11:43:51.819-04:00

House Lannister is the principal house of the Westerlands. Their principal seat is Casterly Rock. Their sigil is a golden lion on a field of crimson, and their motto is "Hear Me Roar!" Their unofficial motto, just as well known, states, "A Lannister always pays his debts."The Lannisters descend from Andal invaders who married the daughters of the King of the Rock. The King himself descended from

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-22010105332609953452009-05-25T15:33:00.000-04:002009-06-11T13:04:08.171-04:00

I'm going to do something a little different in this post. For one, I am going to spread the cast over many postings, as there are simply too many characters to post at once. The posts will instead be separated by region. For example, this post will be cast the Starks and Winterfell. The next will be King's Landing. This will allow each post to be a reasonable length. Also, I will not go into

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-41319443539084530092009-05-17T15:50:00.000-04:002009-06-11T13:04:26.943-04:00

"Jordan continues his Wheel of Time saga (after The Eye of the World and The Great Hunt ). Three thousand years ago the Dragon led the male mages of the world into entrapping the Dark One, but the cost was high: all male mages, then and thereafter, were driven mad. Now the Dark One is breaking free, and the only salvation may come through Rand al'Thor who may be a reincarnation of the Dragon and

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-30391776698619861092009-05-12T13:30:00.013-04:002009-05-18T16:34:23.170-04:00

"In a world where people born with an extreme skill -- called a Grace-- are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, king of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anuone who displeases him. When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-11193514259162757992009-05-08T15:20:00.015-04:002009-05-12T15:50:35.929-04:00

For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist.For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-46943685998768889322009-04-22T14:44:00.013-04:002009-05-04T17:12:06.962-04:00

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-65215079527410632342009-04-07T15:16:00.026-04:002009-04-23T16:45:20.619-04:00

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-234858585604564902009-04-02T13:35:00.011-04:002009-04-21T13:11:56.065-04:00

This book was OK. It didn't knock me over and certainly didn't meet the hype surrounding this series. The book reads almost as a prologue. There are alot of references to people and events that have not been introduced to the story. I'm sure they will be revealed as the series progresses. I don't believe this would make a very good movie; the dialogue was bland and the action sequences failed to

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-56136775392154396812009-03-30T13:13:00.020-04:002009-04-01T13:18:26.191-04:00

The Great Hunt consists of a prologue and 50 chapters. The main story is about a group of young heroes, namely Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara, ta'veren all, who join Shienaren soldiers in a quest to get the Horn of Valere out of enemy hands. At the same time, Egwene al'Vere, Nynaeve al'Meara, and Elayne Trakand go to the White Tower in Tar Valon to begin learning the ways of the Aes

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-56376951890652892852009-03-18T15:32:00.015-04:002009-03-30T14:30:17.995-04:00

Parable of the Sower is the odyssey of one woman who is twice as feeling in a world that has become doubly dehumanized. The time is 2025. The place is California, where small walled communities must protect themselves from hordes of desperate scavengers and roaming bands of "Paints," people addicted to a drug that activates an orgasmic desire to burn, rape and murder. When one small community is

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-22992688732871742832009-03-05T17:25:00.016-05:002009-03-31T00:11:09.575-04:00

"Like the deadly toxins sought out by the ill-fated food taster Yelena in Maria V. Snyder's debut novel, Poison Study is a powerfully compelling romantic fantasy that will slip under readers' skin, invade their bloodstreams, and seize their heartstrings. Yelena, convicted of murdering the son of a powerful gneral, awaits execution. But with only a few hours left, she is offered an incredible

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-65484091655962930412009-03-04T13:26:00.019-05:002009-03-30T14:37:48.850-04:00

It's been a long time since I've read this one, but I've recently listened to the audiobook version. It reminded me how much I loved this series, but also of how convoluted the storyline became in later books. With years between novels and the multitude of characters (including POV characters) it became difficult to keep up. I felt to truly appreciate this series I needed to give up until it was

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-51102002869526392732009-03-03T12:11:00.016-05:002009-03-30T14:40:40.114-04:00

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-28523255021729748592009-02-24T15:08:00.002-05:002009-03-30T14:45:47.883-04:00

The second book in Lawhead's King Raven Trilogy, this time the story comes from the view of Will Scatlocke, or Will Scarlet. Will has been captured and is recanting his tale to a priest in the service of Abbot Hugo. Will is a very likable character we get to see Bran in a new light; as the leader of his people. I'm only listing the cast of major characters not found in the Hood entry. There are

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-73888086709192548332009-02-17T11:22:00.004-05:002009-03-30T14:49:13.930-04:00

A fiction based on the classic Robin Hood story we all know and love. However, Lawhead attempts to root out the true origin of the tale and presents a more realistic and historically accurate depiction. The setting is not placed in Sherwood Forest, which was actually fairly small and wouldn't be able to hide Robin and his merry men from anyone for long. Instead, Lawhead has placed the story

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-47739046285571735712009-02-13T14:30:00.001-05:002009-03-30T14:52:42.177-04:00

"John Taylor has just solved the mystery of two friends' deaths when he is called to another case. Charles Chabron wants Taylor to contact his daughter, Rossignol (French for nightingale), a young singer who has fallen under the sway of the ruthless Cavendishes, a husband-and-wife management team. Rossignol used to sing upbeat, happy songs, but now her set is so melancholy that people leave her

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-88058615638499872152009-02-10T21:00:00.002-05:002009-03-30T14:55:22.480-04:00

"I'm John Taylor. I work in the Nightside- the gaudy, neon noir, secret heart of London, where it's always three in the morning, where gods and monsters make deals and seek pleasures they won't find anywhere else.I have a gift for finding things. And sometimes what I'm hired to locate can be very, very dangerous indeed.Right now, for example, I'm searching for the Unholy Grail, the cup that Judas

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-33122461121889584042009-02-02T11:15:00.001-05:002009-03-30T14:58:05.505-04:00

This book represents the saying, 'life's a journey, not a destination.' The story itself is fairly predictable. But the personality of the characters are so fun to watch unfold that you don't mind the predictability. The story itself is short and would need some work to be successful in Hollywood. The story would translate better to TV, I think. It definitely has an English feel to it; it would

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-33466262586118989992009-01-22T16:00:00.001-05:002009-03-30T15:00:59.908-04:00

An excellent revision of the dragon tale. The book is based in nineteenth century England and dragons are militarized as an Air Force. Mostly the book is concerned with preventing the attempts of Napoleon Bonaparte from invading England. This is an excellent series and will translate well to the Big Screen. Apparently, I'm not the only one to feel this way, because Peter Jackson (of Lord of the

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-87212107292408946112009-01-20T14:14:00.018-05:002009-03-30T15:07:26.829-04:00

Another series from Simon R. Green and like Nightside, the story borders on silly. But that's the point. If you can't enjoy a bit of good-natured fun, then this isn't for you. This novel should be read as a comedy, not as a serious fantasy or spy book. And just as Nightside is a big wink at detective novels, this one takes a look at spy novels. There are obvious references to James Bond and lots(

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-11288890793509102042009-01-19T13:31:00.005-05:002009-03-30T15:10:16.578-04:00

John Scalzi is another of my new favorite authors; think Robert Heinlein with a large dose of humor. Old Man's War has the potential to be a great movie. Its driven by the characters and doesn't get bogged down by the science. Not to mention the characters are very likable and would translate well to the big screen. My biggest concern is that most of the characters have light green skin and are

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-5250348868122025072009-01-16T16:04:00.002-05:002009-03-30T15:13:21.150-04:00

"On a distant world, orphan Locke Lamora is sold into a crew of thieves and con artists. Soon his natural gifts make him an underworld celebrity, leader of the flamboyantly larcenous Gentleman Bandits. But there is someone who covets Locke's talents, his success, his very life, forcing him to put everything on the line to protect himself. With a world so vividly realized that it's positively

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-44760601933094172412009-01-14T15:05:00.001-05:002009-03-30T15:16:14.984-04:00

I don't read much non-fiction, but the premise of this book was too compelling to pass up. It follows two story-lines; one with Daniel Burnham and his struggles to complete the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and the other with H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who used the Fair to lure his victims. It displays many examples of American ingenuity from both men. The stories never quite touch, so some work

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-73681564337089725532009-01-08T11:06:00.001-05:002009-03-30T15:21:02.550-04:00

I enjoy a good post-apocalyptic novel and this one was one of the first concerning the aftermath of a nuclear war. It is also one of the best. You won't find mutants or zombies, blood-thirsty cannibals, or crazy Mad Max punks. This is a very realistic story about a family adjusting to the collapse of civilization as they know it. The story provides many examples of how life would change. Of

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-17863338316738526472008-12-22T12:09:00.001-05:002009-03-30T15:24:47.679-04:00

Rather than list each book, I decided to compile the characters from all the books into one listing. There are actually few new characters between the three books. This series is by a fairly new author, Brandon Sanderson, who is quickly becoming one of my favorites to read. I believe these books would translate well to the big screen with the potential for some outstanding fight scenes. Done

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-65046712115421996682008-12-19T15:32:00.001-05:002009-03-30T15:30:54.221-04:00

This is one of the best books I've read in a while! While it is aimed for the young adult market, it is suprisingly mature and well wrote. This is one I wouldn't be surprised to see made into a movie and would do very well as a movie. It is the first in a trilogy, but stands well on its own.Barnes and Noble - "In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-80467455053613150602008-12-18T15:08:00.001-05:002009-03-30T15:34:31.620-04:00

Publisher's Weekly: Russell follows her speculative first novel, The Sparrow, with a sequel that will please even readers new to her interplanetary missionaries. Having returned from a disastrous, 21st-century expedition to the planet Rakhat, Jesuit Father Emilio Sandoz, the sole survivor of the mission, faces public rage over the order's part in the war between the gentle Runa and the predatory

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7571912970168982179.post-32479955225687741452008-12-17T20:00:00.001-05:002009-03-30T15:38:00.722-04:00

In 2019, humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet which will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes an eight-person scientific expedition of its own.What the Jesuits find is a world so beyond

Garetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05055799075771599467noreply@blogger.com3