Books to TV: The Song of the Lionness

So, I don't want to give false hope to those of us who are dreaming of this series becoming a tv show, but I did want to do a what if post.

Series Synopsis: Alanna and her twin brother Thom are about to be sent off to two very different places. Alanna to a convent, and Thom to become a knight. Unfortunately, they both crave something other than the futures that have been predetermined for them. So, being twins, they switch places. Over the course of four books Alanna experiences the fears of being discovered (she's pretending to be her brother), dealing with love, and who she can trust.

This was the first "YA" series that I read as a pre-teen, and Pierce has a special place in my heart.

Of course, the books begin when she is very young, so the characters would have to be aged up. I sort of also wish that it could be a Netflix/HBO/Showtime series. Shorter seasons, and not as much focus on love triangle stuff (I fear this would happen on the CW). So, the characters...

My Cast:

Dakota Blue Richards as Alanna -

Alanna and Thom have red hair and purple eyes, and she's acted in a variety of different roles that lead me to believe she'd be able to capture the character's ability to show strength and determination, while also feeling vulnerable.

See her in: The Secret of Moonacre (on Netflix) and Skins.



Freddie Fox as Thom

He's a bit older than my Alanna pick, but it is super difficult to find actors who are gingerish and in their early 20's. Still, I think he'd be a fine pick.

See him in The Three Musketeers, and the upcoming Frankenstein movie.






Rafi Gavron as George the King of Thieves

First of all, George was one of my favorite characters (much to the annoyance of some of my friends). In the books there's a big age difference between Alanna and George, but I think the show could overlook that. Plus, I liked Life Unexpected...sadly I was one of only three people who liked it and it got cancelled. So, I have faith that he can play the lovable rogue.

See him in: Life Unexpected, Inkheart.



Nicolas Hoult as Prince Jon

For some reason this was the hardest pick for me, so I'm not really 100% on my choice, but I think he would be fine as Jon. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that he's one of the first people to learn of Alanna's secret, and one of her closest friends.

See him in: About a Boy, X-Men, Warm Bodies





For some reason I picked all British actors...it's probably because every fantasy/adventure series must have accents. I was also expecting this to be an easy task and it took forever. Phew. So, what books would you like to see turned into a TV series?

Book Blast From the Past

I've decided to try a new feature on the occasional Saturday, which will feature some of my favorite older YA books. This feature was inspired by a post from Eleni at La Femme Readers. My goal for this new feature is to go back to the books that I loved as a pre-teen/teen, and write about why I still enjoy them.

The Alanna Series by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce's novels take up an entire shelf on my bookcase, and I thought she would be the perfect author to start this series. The Song of the Lioness series, or "The Alanna Series" as I call it, was first published in 1983, and every so often I see a new edition with some new covers. It's been over 10 years since I first read the Song of the Lioness series at the suggestion of my friend Sam, and I still own all my original paperback copies.

What makes this series, and author so great? Well, Pierce has a ton of great female heroines. You won't find any damsels in distress here. Alanna has to disguise herself as a boy throughout the series, because women aren't allowed to train to become knights. She proves, however, that she's just as strong as any of the boys she trains with.

Pierce also creates a great love interest. In the Song of the Lioness series, there are two very different, but equally interesting, love interests. They are the prince, Jon, and the rogue, George. I think I enjoyed their characters because Pierce wrote them with personalities. You won't find any bland "Disney princes" here (seriously, almost all of the early Prince Chamings looked the same). They both carry on lives that don't revolve around Alanna, and I still appreciate that.

Finally, these books display great storytelling. There are over 18 books that feature the Tortall universe, and I still want more! While almost all of the characters have four books dedicated to their stories, I never felt like the stories were exhausted.

Are there any older YA books that you love?

I'm also interested in people doing guest posts about their favorite books. So shoot me an email, or leave a comment if you'd be interested in doing so.

Teaser Tuesday & A Note (July 28)

Here's my teaser this week -

It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers!

"I should have known tonight's watch would kiss the
mule's bum when Sergeant Ahuda stopped me after baton training. "A private word, Cooper," she told me, and pulled me into a quiet corner of the yard.

Page 1, Bloodhound (Beka Cooper Book 2), by Tamora Pierce

I'm also finally on vacation (dances). That means that I'll have time to catch up on my reading/reviewing. I may only post the weekly meme's on the blog, so I can get caught up. I've already finished two books on my reading pile, and I'm hoping to get more done today.

In My Mailbox (May 24)

In my mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren, who was inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.

Here are the books I got this week (most of them are for review)


Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce
Published by Random House

Beka Cooper is finally a Dog—a full-fledged member of the Provost’s Guard, dedicated to keeping peace in Corus’s streets. But there’s unrest in Tortall’s capital. Counterfeit coins are turning up in shops all over the city, and merchants are raising prices to cover their losses. The Dogs discover that gamblers are bringing the counterfeit money from Port Caynn. In Port Caynn, Beka delves deep into the gambling world, where she meets a charming banking clerk named Dale Rowan. Beka thinks she may be falling for Rowan, but she won’t let anything—or anyone—jeopardize her mission. As she heads north to an abandoned silver mine, it won’t be enough for Beka be her usual “terrier” self. She’ll have to learn from Achoo to sniff out the criminals—to be a Bloodhound. . . .



Ghost Huntress: The Awakening by Marley Gibson
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Psychic Kids, Paranormal State, Haunting Evidence—these and countless other television shows are making believers out of millions of people: Ghosts exist, and they’re living right beside us. For centuries, individuals have been trying to prove the existence of ghosts. But without hard evidence, it’s been difficult to make the case. But now as science and technology have progressed, ghost hunters have been able to use scientific means, along with more traditional psychic tools, to make their case. Photographs, video recordings, and sound recordings are all producing some amazing results. In this new series, Ghost Huntress, meet Kendall Moorehead, a seemingly typical teen. When her family moves from Chicago to the small historical town of Radisson, Georgia, her psychic abilities awaken. She’s hearing, feeling, and seeing things that seem unbelievable at first, but with the help of the town psychic, Kendall is able to come to terms with her newly emerging gift. So, together with her new BFF, Celia, Kendall forms a ghost hunting team. They’ve got all the latest technology. They’ve got Kendall for their psychic. Now they’re going to clean up Radisson of its less savory spirits. The story is fiction. The science is real. Welcome to a new reality.


My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
Published by Walker & Company
Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience! After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Published by Penguin Group

When funny, charming, absolutely-normal Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that becomes a number-one hit and rockets Audrey to stardom!

Suddenly, tabloid paparazzi are on her tail and Audrey can barely hang with her friends at concerts or the movies without getting mobbed let alone score a date with James, her adorable coworker at the Scooper Dooper. Her life will never be the same at least, not until Audrey confronts Evan live on MTV and lets the world know exactly who she is!