The Saucy Wenches Book Club

The Earthsea Cycle series by Ursula K. Le Guin
(Or the Original School of Magicians)

Luis Alberto Urrea (Mexican-American poet, novelist, and essayist) wrote:
Of all my favorite memories of Ursula, this is in the top ten: she said, “Once you read women, you must write about women. But don’t write about us like men do.” She pointed that pipe at me. “When men write about women, the woman in the story invariably pauses at a mirror and regards herself. And she says, ‘My God, my breasts are magnificent.’ Luisito–we don’t do that!” I actually fell over on her rug laughing. And I never forgot it. SourceLet me introduce you to the author who wrote a magnificent tale about a kid who has almost no family but possesses some great powers, who arrives at a special school for magicians only to discover that he is destined for greatness, but he must face great evil and conquer it. Does this remind you of someone? If you think Harry Potter, you are not wrong. But I’m talking about Ursula K. Le Guin, …

I discovered TV in the early 1960s: wholesome, twin-beds-in-the-master-bedroom comedies like I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show, children’s stories every Sunday night on The Wonderful World of Disney, and then the “really big shew”, The Ed Sullivan Show, where I met the Beatles, Topo Gigio, Stiller and Meara, Señor Wences, and that guy who ran around balancing spinning plates on tall poles, who has served as an ongoing metaphor for my entire life.

Which were all well and fine, but I as my age approached double digits, I began to seek weightier subjects that engaged my brain more deeply.

The dramas that grabbed me were the ones that showed me strange new ways of looking at our world, challenged my assumptions, and made me think. All of them were sci-fi and suspense-with-a-twist, and the suspense was enhanced by the fuzzy, disappearing reception on our TV antenna.

These old shows ignited a voracious hunger in me for dark-and-deep-and-twisty stories, and it has been exceedingly…

Sometimes a book grabs hold of you, changes your heart, and never lets your mind go completely, even years after you read it the first time. There are several series that have done that in the past decade or so, but only one stand-alone novel has done that for me--The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar.

I first told you about The Paper Swan immediately after I read it in the summer of 2015, in my review here. In that review I didn't really tell you anything, except that I loved the book, that Ms. Attar's creative choice to switch POVs was a masterstroke, that life is all about points-of-view, that I didn't want to tell you more because I wanted you to experience the book for yourself, and that this book was still walking around with me, days after I finished it. Well, now it's been two-and-a-half years since I first read this book, I've since read it at least four more times including just a few weeks ago, it's still walking around with me, still breaking my heart and p…

The other day I happened to be going through my old Kindle, deleting stuff and checking out books I had bought because I am a sucker for sexy covers. I had bought SO many books purely based on hot people on the cover it was kind of funny. I came across a bundle I had bought a while ago, the first three Beyond books and thought "well, why not?" 

I had attempted reading the first book last year, but my mood was way off, and I just never got into it. Timing matters. This time around, I made my way through the first 4 books in less than a week, even though I was barely home! So what better thing to Fangirl over this week than the wonderfully gritty, uncompromisingly sexy, intense, sometimes dark, always intriguing Beyond series! (I will keep spoilers to the minimum! But there will be quotes from the books.)

Click through to read more!

I love mystery/thrillers. Books, movies, TV shows, I love them all. So, for this Fangirl Friday I'm here to tell you about two recent mystery/thrillers I read that I enjoyed very much. Those of you who follow our What the Wenches are Reading posts will know that I listened to two books by B.A. Paris. First was Behind Closed Doors. I enjoyed that one so much, when I finished it, I sought out her most recent book, The Breakdown, to listen to as well. Both are mystery/psychological thrillers that take place in England. They are both in the same vein as Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. If you liked those, I think that you'll like these as well. That's why I'm here today. I'm going to do a short review on both books and hopefully convince you to give them a shot. Join me after the break to hear my (non-spoilery) thoughts!

The ladder of success in Hollywood is usually a press agent, actor, director, producer, leading man; and you are a star if you sleep with each of them in that order. Crude, but true.  ~ Hedy LamarrThe year is ending, and I think we can definitely call it a Women’s Year. Not because of Feminism, not because of great achievements by women, but because of all the courageous women who bravely stepped up and condemned abusive behavior. Strong women who pointed a finger at men who bullied them and would not back down, who called out the indignities they went through to get a job or promotion that they were already entitled to because of their talent and qualifications, but that would be given to them only if they succumbed to humiliating and disgraceful activities. Selma Hayek’s recent story in the New York Times is only the latest “flag” in Harvey Weinstein’s now-notorious black list.

I was horrified.

Weinstein is only one in a growing list of monsters. Sometimes the revelations were a bitt…

Say what you will about 2017 (mostly not fit for tender ears), this has been a fabulous year for meeting Wenches face to face! I started the year at the Feversong release party in New Orleans with Barb, Anne, Donna, Zee, Merit, Chloe Jane, and Kat. And I ended the year with a visit from Wench Angela’s family, all the way from New Zealand! Because hey, it’s the week before Christmas, cats are partying in the wrapping paper, and my living room looks like a UPS truck exploded, so no one will notice if five more people squeeze in...

The time flew by too quickly and now I miss having them around. So I’ll share some highlights of our adventures as I search for my missing motivation to finish the holiday preparations.

Come Through the jump and check out five authors Wench Shau recommends we all check out right away!

I am stubborn. I don't often follow trends, choosing instead to avoid the things that everyone else is loving. I've been this way for as long as I can remember. But in my advanced age I've found myself relaxing that stubbornness and checking out things, because maybe everyone loves these things because they're great.

Such is my love of Stranger Things, the Netflix sensation. I thoroughly enjoyed the first season last year, and devoured the second within two weeks of its release. And, like much of the rest of the world, I'm now impatiently waiting for the further adventures, of Eleven, Mike, Hopper, and the gang.

Come with me through the jump as I share just a few of the reasons that Stranger Things lives up to the hype, why if you're like me and stubbornly refusing to check out what everyone else loves, you should give it a shot. It's superb.

There are a lot of choices available for your viewing entertainment, and it's easier than over to find something to pique your interest.
Back when my kids were young, we would head over to the video store on Friday afternoons after school. They always looked forward to choosing DVDs and video games for the weekend. The biggest challenge was getting there before the good ones were all snapped up. That's no longer an issue.

Streaming services such as Netflix are an amazing concept: you can watch all the films and television shows in their vast catalogue any time, as often as you want for just a few dollars a month. Video stores couldn't compete, and within a few years, they were almost completely obliterated. 










I still like going to the movies, especially for those blockbusters and cinematic masterpieces. These days I order tickets online and pick them up at the cinema. I can even choose my seat beforehand. Checking through my history this year, we went to La La Land, Hidden F…

More of my five star reads from 2017. It's been an amazing year book quality wise.  I'm putting the explosion of great reading firmly on the doorstep of two of my groups on Goodreads, Fantasy Buddy Reads and 2-3-4 Challenge. They've both really broadened my horizons this year on the books I've selected to read. Thank you to both groups. The books below have all be read as buddy reads in both groups.

Here's a look at my five star reads since June. Check after the jump.

Happy Friday Saucy Readers! This Fangirl Friday, I am here to share with you some delicious man candy. Given the nature of our blog, we don't discuss our favorite TV shows very often, but quite a few of us love emotional powerhouse, This Is Us. I've actually already shared some of my favorite man candy from the show here. Today, I am going to focus on my favorite character on the show, Randall Pearson aka Sterling K Brown. Keep reading after the break to see some goodies and read some of me gushing about this talented, gorgeous man.

No one in the world ever gets what they want, and that is beautiful.
~ They Might Be Giants
I’ve never been interested in video games and Dungeons and Dragons quests, nor have I played any (except maybe Packman once). So I was a bit hesitant to pick up this book about video games and virtual realities, but then I read reviews that prompted me to take a bite: a dystopian future tale with characters who look like refugees from the movies Total Recall or The Fifth Element, and instead of worrying about it we have some fun. I found myself enjoying it very much.


I thought it would be a book for geeks, full of computer programming jargon and the likes, but I was wrong. I found myself enjoying the story, the ideas behind the story, the action, and especially the 1980s references, which are an integral part of the plot. I’ve learned quite a lot — and a bit more than is necessary for me — about video games, their makers, and their “inner secrets” (aka the technical background), but it didn’t dimi…

I’ve needed some major distraction from the incessant sucking sound 2017 keeps making in my brain. Something transcendent, to mend the edges of my tattered dreams, to inspire hope in tomorrow, to reawaken my heart to awe.

Kaleo has been that distraction — or more like a REVELATION!! They’ve made me excited about music again, and truly soothed this savaged breast. It’s impossible for me to stay sad whenever I immerse myself in their very distinctive, sexy, eclectic sound.

I’ve given Kaleo’s A/B CD as birthday gifts all year. (Haven’t seen any repurposed as coasters, either!) But since I’m running out of money, I decided I should write a fangirl post while I rebuild my savings. Because I think everyone should have a chance to hear (not to mention feast their eyes on) Kaleo. It’s my new mission in life.

So I’ve rounded up a few tunes. And pictures. Be warned, these are definitely Man Candy! (Such a difficult task, researching this post. Hahahaha.) I hope you enjoy them!
How Kaleo sedu…

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
This fangirl friday we have a guest wench writing about a book that she loves and can always read. Some of you have read it, some of you have watched the mini-series, and some of you are possible fans. So join Rian after the jump and read all about it. But, BE WARNED, there will be spoilers!!

It's October, and I've had horror on the mind since the first day of the month. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for a good horror story. On page, or on screen. It's not really surprise that I've been a Stephen King fan since I was a kid. Although I haven't always been a fan of on screen adaptations of his stories (Nope, not even The Shining). 

This year's IT is a huge exception to that. I cannot recommend it highly enough! Which is why I decided to try and convince you guys to give it a shot and watch it asap! 

Click through to read more.

We aren't very vocal about it on here, but the Wenches (though not all of us are American) are firmly on team #resist. We are appalled by the job #45 has done so far and are doing our part to spread unity and love, not his intolerance, racism, xenophobia, and his general idiocy. We aren't looking to alienate our readers, but we can not stay silent on this issue. This is something we all feel strongly about. We can not let this country go backwards rather than forwards. So, today for our Fangirl Friday, we are listing the books we feel embody the #resist movement. Keep reading after the break to see what we are featuring!

Today is all about a particular kind of romance genre that I enjoy from time to time: Sexy Happily Ever Afters.
Call it romance, adult fiction, new adult, erotica... it all boils down to the same storyline.
A sweet young woman who is suffering from a recent tragedy, misfortune, betrayal, or heartbreak meets an alpha male who is rich (a millionaire, at least), heart-stoppingly gorgeous, and sexy. You know the stereotype: finest specimen of manhood, sex on a stick, yadda yadda. Usually he looks cold and aloof, but underneath he has a generous, caring personality. He doesn’t want a serious, committed relationship and vows never to love or love again, because he is hiding a painful past or experience. He might be seen in restaurants, balls, and galas with glamorous women hanging on his arm, but it’s never real. He knows these women are after his money and fame, nothing more, so he devises a way to protect himself and his fortune from the greedy clutches of womankind by offering them some k…