The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Hi Readers, it’s me again. Back with more CLV questions. Yes, I know. The series is over. But the spinoff lives on. So, I wanted to get these last couple of books wrapped up before Wild Hunger is released.

To catch you up, here are my reviews for the first CLV book, Some Girls Bite, and the book immediately before this one, Blood Games. Check our Chicagoland Vampires tag for the rest!

So, without further ado, follow me after the break to see my questions about Dark Debt! This going without saying, but SPOILERS ABOUND!

When I read Annihilation last fall, I was intrigued, repulsed, mystified, enchanted, horrified, compelled, absorbed, and ultimately so unable to articulate what had happened that I didn’t attempt a review. But it has never stopped growing on me, new insights twining around in my brain. It’s insidious.

Then the movie happened. I. Had. To. Go. I didn’t think anyone could film the book, and I was on Cloud 9 when I saw the abundance of rave critical reviews. It got compared to Apocalypse Now and 2001: A Space Odyssey! It got called “stunning” and the “Best Sci-Fi Film in Years” that “ranks among great philosophical sci-fi”! And though there were many differences from the book, it sounded almost as batshitcrazybrilliant as the book!!

Which means there are now two equally haunting versions of this story for me to wonder WTF happened.

I might not have all the answers, but I’ve certainly enjoyed replaying scenes in my mind and pondering the possibilities. And I suspect that’s what’s importa…

Well, Readers, it's time to check in and see what we thought of our January Book of the Month: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn. Wench Angela started off our 2018 with this post about the book, and a lot of us took the plunge into the often muddled mind of Anna Fox! (PS- Did you know A.J.Finn is a total fox? Wench Anne accidentally stumbled upon a picture and HELLO! Authors are already rock stars for us, but it's always a welcome surprise when they look like they could be on a magazine cover just because they're pretty!)

Click through to see what we though!

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…

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.

Recipes for Love and Murder               Sally Andrew
Last week I found a book recommendation on my Facebook wall. Something in the book’s name called to me, so I read the sample and fell in love with Tannie Maria: her life, her mind, and her superb cooking abilities. The story — which combines a murder mystery and suspense with life in a rural town, strong friendships, a lot of delicious cooking, and a dash of romance — takes place in Klein Karoo. This is an area in South Africa (klein means small in Afrikaans), situated between majestic mountains, not far from Cape Town. I invite you to join me in visiting what is for me a new corner of our world, while trying to solve this murder and salivating over mouthwatering descriptions of food.

I know, it's crazy right? I have a tentative reading plan for 2018 and the list already comprises 23 books and 2 novellas. Plus, did I mention I'm going back to university next year? Yeah, I need my head examined. I'm blaming this need for a plan on the fact that I've decided that I have to finish the main Malazan Book of the Fallen series next year. Plus, once you throw in a few new releases, the list suddenly starts to pile up.

Let's check after the jump for 2018 's reading plan!

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.

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…

That feeling you get when you pick up a book and the bookcover takes your breath away. Here's 15 book covers that have blown us away this year. Each is beautiful in its own way and very eye catching. Sometimes it's the font used, sometimes it's the images and colours that pull us towards a book. How often have you started to read a book, just because the cover looks amazing? Scroll through to see some of our favourites covers this year.

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.

I am back again loyal readers, with questions from our final short story of the series, Phantom Kiss. This is the penultimate volume of the series. Because this was a short story, this is a short little post. As always, spoilers ahead, read at your own risk after the break.

It's blog tour time again, Saucy Readers!! The third installment in Chloe Neill's fantastic Devil's Isle series hit shelves an e-readers today, and we've got a fabulous giveaway to celebrate. (Thanks CN!) Be sure to check out our review of The Hunt, posted yesterday here, then come along to enter our giveaway, and pop over to CN's page to enter her grand prize giveaway!

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Chicagoland Vampires Novels—the hunter becomes the hunted in a New Orleans devastated by a Paranormal war….
When bounty hunter Liam Quinn discovered that Claire Connolly was a Sensitive and infected with magic, he should have turned her in to be locked up in the prison district known as Devil’s Isle. Instead, he helped her learn to control her power and introduced her to an underground group of Paranormals and humans who know the truth about the war and those who fought it. Now the weight of Liam’s own secrets has forced him into hiding. When a governme…

We are delighted to have been selected for a blog tour stop for the release of the next October Daye novel, The Brightest Fell. This is one of my must read series every year. The anticipation to find out what happens next with October Daye is always a highlight of my reading calendar. How lucky was I to received an ARC for this book. Very.  Check out our review for The Brightest Fell and the opportunity to win the first book in the series Rosemary and Rue!

Click through to read more!

How to waste time in a good way
You know how when you love to read but sometimes you are not really in the mood to read something difficult, long, time-consuming and soul-crushing? You just want to read something "dumb" and have a happy ending when you're done? Well, I know how you feel, and I have found a way to deal with this problem. You see, I don't really like regular romance (I'm a fantasy and supernatural kind of a girl) I don't know why, I just don't. I've given a few books a try and couldn't get into it. It would take me forever to read a book 100 pages long because I'd find any other activity more interesting (even watching paint dry).

Since I love reading in my free time and don't always feel like reading something heavy, I've decided to find something that has some supernatural in it but is easy and fluffy like a romance. Yup, you guessed it, I'm talking about paranormal romance, some of them have a lot of sex next to all…

For my birthday in June, I gave you the gift of some delicious Man Candy. Well, today is my soul sister, Zee's, birthday, so I'm going to attempt to give her some of her favorite flavors of Man Candy, and if you're really good she may share with you, Saucy Readers. 

Today will be light on the commentary and heavy on the attractiveness, so come along. We've a party to get started.