Quotes
I forgot how much great dialog was in the books until I came across this list of quotes (which, obviously, contains spoilers):

The definition of a state is a monopoly on the use of organized violence. If Robert allows Clegane to go around slaughtering his pheasants, he ceases to be a king, exactly the point he made with his big speech to Cersai last week concerning the Dothraki. Ned knows this. Perhaps he is acting as he thinks Robert, who…

Bakker didn't really nail it for me till the third book; it made the struggle through the first worth it. I think it's worth the effort, but I can get it if people give up.

It's a world where the only real form of entertainment is minstrel songs and storytelling, which take place mainly in bars and brothels. I would think they couldn't help but have a good knowledge of it, albeit, one orientated toward the romantic and fantastical elements.

Minor spoiler

I actually think we are in a kind of glory days of fantasy right now. There is so much good stuff out there. Abercrombie is unmissable, as long as you don't expect any happy endings (or any sort of ending at all for that matter). Scott Lynch writes Ocean's Eleven in a fantasy setting. The most fun of any that I have…

MINOR SPOILER

Yep … I couldn't think of anyone but Hendricks is pretty good. Problem is that the duskiness is pretty important (being a servant of fire and all) … still, you could make her completely white and go in the other direction, I guess …..

They need to find an unknown. She should be big, strapping and ugly. I picture Susan Boyle, tall and in shape.

Christ …. well played all of you.

I have only read it in Italian and it is pulpy, but fun and interesting. It was HUGE in Italy.

No … but I am from near there and it did rekindle my love of the city and I visited several times because of it. They showed a lot of the better side of Baltimore also.

Loved, loved, loved Dune! But, I did read it when I was young and haven't reread it in twenty years. All the other books of the series just blew.

HUGE SPOILERS

I said this elsewhere, but I think the prologue is essential. This is fantasy, not history. Without the bit of magic at the beginning, it would be easy to miss that for most of this season.

I am definitely not saying she isn't hot. She just doesn't look like the image in my head, which is more voluptuous, and much blonder … as Steve B said, more of a brittle, ice-queen look.

MAJOR SPOILERS (for upcoming seasons at least)

I gave this book to a friend who liked fantasy. Didn't love it, but enjoyed reading a few a year, smart guy, an engineer in a nanotech company. He read the same first chapter, gave me the book back and decided he would never read fantasy again. and, in the four years or so since, hasn't.

She was the only actress that didn't look more or less as I pictured her (well, Tyrion is not quite ugly enough). Cersai is supposed to be hot. Actually, since Jamie isn't good-looking enough either, i guess all three Lannisters don't match my image. But, they all seem to be much better actors than I expected so I'll…

For those of you who put off reading the WoT books, I have to say that the last two, written by Sanderson, have been quite good and the most recent one was fantastic. I would read books one to six, read Wiki summaries of the rest of Jordan's and then get the Sanderson one.