The Saucy Wenches Book Club

He had been told by several people that he drank too much coffee, that it wasn’t good for him. As far as he was concerned, those people were just jealous and cranky because they didn’t drink enough coffee.
A Killer's Mind by Mike Omer

“You got to the BAU because they didn’t want you anywhere else. So get over the size of your penis or your bed-wetting issue or whatever it is you’re compensating for, and man up. If you want me to back you up, you’ll have to keep up with me. And I move fast.”
A Killer's Mind by Mike Omer

“I think you’ve been reading too many novels.”

Allie raised her head from the pillow. “This from the woman who can quote the entire Outlander series verbatim.”

“Only certain lines,” Sarah demurred. “Maybe the occasional paragraph.”

~ Lisa Clark O’Neill, Admit One (Sweetwater #2)

Now that 2018 is behind us (and I hope the door SMACKED it on the way out), we can finally let out a big sigh of relief and reflect on some of the finer points of the year.

I don’t know about you, but I spent every single unscheduled minute with my nose buried deeply in a book, intent on escape into exotic realms or adventures. On the plus side, that means I read a lot of books that enthralled me. So I want to share four that I thought were particularly good, but never had time to review, before embarking on a new year of discoveries.

These books were deviations from the usual types of urban fantasy and dystopian sci-fi I read most of the year. They were from four different genres, led by strong but quite diverse female characters: an immortal witch goddess, a socially awkward orphan, an identity-swapping avenger, and backstabbing corporate ladder climbers. I wasn’t specifically looking for books about women, but isn’t it great that there are such a variety of female protagonists to…

“The thing is, I suppose,” he said, “that one gets into the habit of being oneself. It takes some great upheaval to crack that shell and force us to discover what else might be underneath”
~ The Witch Elm, Tana French

Monsters are real. They’re real, and they’re capable of doing the unspeakable. And they don’t hide under beds or in closets—they hide in plain sight. You just don’t always notice them.

The Thinnest Air by Minka Kent

It’s the panic that gets you. Makes it hard to trust what you’re seeing.

~ Force of Nature, Jane Harper

Last year, I devoured BA Paris's Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown. I was lucky enough to be given access to her new book, Bring Me Back. I JUST finished it. At work. Don't tell my boss, but I only had 20 pages left and I couldn't wait. Now I'm writing this review, because these thoughts will not wait. Again, please don't tell! I needed to get these thoughts out while they were fresh. This book isn't out yet, or is just out now, depending on when lovely Head Wench Barb decides to post this. So I will keep the spoilers out of the equation. Join me after the break to hear what I thought of BA Paris's Bring Me Back.

Streaks of rainwater like varicose veins slide down the umbrella.

~ A.J. Finn, The Woman in the Window

Welcome to our new section where each month the Wenches are going to select a book to group read. We've got a varied selection planned and there's sure to be something for everyone over the course of the year. We hope you can join us for some of the reads on our Facebook page.






Our selection for January Book of the Month is The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn.  We selected this book as many of the Wenches have read Gone Girl and loved it.  What a great way to start off the year with a murder, thriller, that we hope will capture our attention. There seems to be a bit of buzz around this debut novel from A.J. Finn, where isn't already been optioned to be made into a movie. Thanks to Wench Anne for selecting this one.

Check after the jump for the book details.

Sometimes the impulsive decisions you make in life turn out to be the best of choices. Into the Black

(I’m writing a review instead of the usual Fangirl Fridays post this time around, but there’s also a bit of fangirling in here — about finding the perfect series to complement my wannabe-laid-back summer lifestyle!)

I didn’t plan to read Southern Comfort. I picked up the first book impulsively as a treat after trudging through a good-but-interminable tome, before tackling another time-consuming commitment on my TBR list. It was supposed to be a momentary distraction, a literary palate cleanser.

Instead, this series took over my entire summer reading schedule! It turned out to be highly diverting, and hilarious, and so much fun to read that I haven’t put it down since!

This is not entirely because I’m avoiding my TBR list. Or yard and garden chores, though it might have started out that way. These books are like that single chocolate truffle I indulge in late at night and then wind up eating the entire box. I couldn’t read just one.

Set in and around Savannah, Georgia, and Charlest…

I just finished up listening to one of the latest best sellers, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I had heard some IRL friends talking about it and decided I didn't want to be left out. So, this was my break book in between Outlander #1 and #2. The Girl on the Train has been touted as the next Gone Girl. And, I will say, it is somewhat similar in tone and thematically. But, I wouldn't quite put it on the level of Gone Girl, though I did enjoy it. Here's the summary for the book, before we discuss this any further.



Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the t…

Our blind trust in the system is the product of ignorance and magical thinking, and there was no way in hell I was going to trust my son's fate to it. Not because I believed he was guilty, I assure you, but precisely because he was innocent. I was doing what little I could to ensure the right result, the just result. If you do not believe me, go spend a few hours in the nearest criminal court, then ask yourself if you really believe it is error-free. Ask yourself if you would trust your child to it. 

~William Landay, Defending Jacob

That picture is a description of my life.  But, so many people say they don't like to read, or they haven't read since they left school.  I was taught to love reading before I could even read on my own.  My mom and dad would read my siblings and me bedtime stories every night.  Through him, I learned that reading can transport you through time and space to lands you would never otherwise journey to.  So, whenever I hear that someone does not like to read, it hurts my heart.  It seems to me that people who claim to not like to read, just haven't found a book that captures them, that transports them, that makes them experience something they wouldn't otherwise.  Since this is a blog for book lovers, I doubt any non-readers are seeing this.  But, maybe you bookies that are reading this know someone in your life who could benefit.

A Review of Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, book number 19 in this series, covers an unusual set of cases that start on Christmas Eve and continue through to Christmas Day. It features all of the characters we've grown to love: Alex, his wife Bree, all of his kids, his BBF and partner Sampson, and the incomparable Nana Mama. There is one other familiar face as well, but I'll leave that for later. As with all of Patterson's books, there is a healthy dose of action, suspense and mystery. And as always, the cases are the sort that only Doctor/Detective Alex Cross can solve. But will Alex make it home in time for Christmas with his family and avoid the wrath of an angry Nana Mama?

Keep reading after the jump to find out what I thought of Alex Cross' latest installment! Warning: Minor spoilers to follow!