The Saucy Wenches Book Club

“There comes a point in every marriage when a woman realizes that the man she married is a freak. This is inevitable. It cannot be avoided. The only real question in the matter is what type of freak your husband will be—meaning: if you are lucky, you will find out your husband is preternaturally into vintage children’s train sets, and you will not find out that your husband pays high school cheerleaders for sex. That is the best we homemakers can hope for in this life: a man whose freakishness is not unspeakably violent or technically illegal, and therefore is something we are able to bear.” ~ Caro Claire Burke, Yesteryear

“You are not replaceable,” he said, his hands trembling against her shoulders. “You are not required to make your death convenient. You are allowed to be important to people.” ~ SenLinYu, Alchemised

One afternoon, as I lay on my bed wallowing in self-pity, my mom handed me a thick fantasy book, and when I turned my nose up at it, she told me, “Maggie, you need to live in someone else’s head for a bit.” ~ Ilona Andrews, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

Believe the lie — trust the lie — it is the only thing you have. Stay in the cage and paint the walls. If you do not, then you must quit; but if you can delude yourself long enough, then your delusions might very well come true. ~ R.F. Kuang, Katabasis

“They will not break me. Fuck them all. They will not break me. But I will break them. This is my promise to myself, to my friends, and to you, anyone who reads these words. I will break them all.”   Crawler Carl, 25th Edition of The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook ~ Matt Dinniman, The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook ( Dungeon Crawler Carl #3)

“Bless your heart,” I said. “And that means?” Solentine raised his eyebrows. “ Eat dirt and die. I should’ve let Krasta slice up your arm. You’re an insufferable ass.” ~ Ilona Andrews, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

From beyond the grave, her mother had told her that women should not be men’s servants. They should stand alongside men as intellectual equals. And yet, somehow, she has found herself in thrall to a man who reduces her. He encourages her to think and read and write, but only in a way that agrees with his thoughts, that doesn’t question his ideas. ~ Caroline Lea, Love, Sex, and Frankenstein

“My brothers have my measure when it comes to fighting and dancing and thinking and reading books, but none of them is half my equal at lying insensible in the mud.” ~ George R.R. Martin, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

I knew this was all a construction. But it was so easy to get caught up in the story. So easy to forget who the true enemy was. ~ Matt Dinniman, The Gate of the Feral Gods ( Dungeon Crawler Carl #4)

All libraries contained magic. Even libraries that didn’t specialize in such things. Because what was a book, if not a portal into another realm, another time, another life even. ~ Callie Hart, Brimstone

Some tendency suppressed and kept within decent bounds in my time had been unleashed and any shame about it so intensely rationalized that it no longer occurred to anyone that the swollen ugliness everywhere was a direct result of the heedless indulgence of some pervasive acquisitive hunger. If I might say it that way. Greed , greed, one could taste it in the air. ~ George Saunders, Vigil

“None of this happened, Paul,” she says. “You and I never existed. There is no Antimemetics Division.” ~ qntm, Sam Hughes, There Is No Antimemetics Division

“The snail may leave a trail of slime behind him, but a little slime will do a man no harm, while if you dance with dragons, you must expect to burn.” ~ George R.R. Martin, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

“Oh my god, Carl. It’s porn. This is unauthorized derriere porn! The Donut Holes are an unauthorized fan group, and now they have merch! Merch that exploits my backside! Carl, do something!” “Donut,” I said. “It’s enchanted. He’s wearing it because it helps him. You can’t even see it.” “How would you like it if someone was wearing a shirt featuring your butthole, Carl?” “I don’t stick my butthole in everybody’s face when they’re trying to sit down and eat.” “Well, excuse me for showing affection. I mean really.” ~ Matt Dinniman, This Inevitable Ruin ( Dungeon Crawler Carl #7)

“Women have been each other’s sword and shield since the beginning. When men turn against us, we turn to one another.” ~ Stacia Stark, We Who Will Die

“Every part. I love all of you.” He blew a dark curl out of his eyes. “I’d spend the fortunes of the universe to protect you. I’d drain the seas dry. Fell every tree. I would sacrifice the sun from the fucking sky and surrender the stars, too, if I could. But those things aren’t mine to give. All I have is my life. It isn’t much, but I’d spend it and consider the price small if it meant keeping you safe.” ~ Callie Hart, Brimstone

“And in case you didn’t get the memo, I think the shit hit the fan and it’s all over the goddamn ceiling.” ~ Sequoia Nagamatsu, How High We Go in the Dark

“Let us lie here forever. Let us be buried as wild things are, by tooth and claw and worm. Let the grasses grow up through the sockets of our eyes. Let them find us in seven years or seventy, and let their brows furrow, because they cannot tell my bones from yours.” ~ Alix E. Harrow, The Everlasting

“I’m not a delicate flower that you should fear crushing in your palm.” “No, you’re delicate like a bomb.” ~ K.A. Linde, The Wren in the Holly Library

The creature was never here. The creature is always here. The creature is her own ferocious, indefatigable will: her hunger to survive; her determination to be heard; her yearning to be understood. It has been with her from her first furious, motherless howl and it will stay with her until her last letting go. ~ Caroline Lea, Love, Sex, and Frankenstein