The Saucy Wenches Book Club

"You do that, and I take back every nasty thing I've ever said about you." He grinned, his mood changing from serious to wicked in an instant. "Why, I'm all of those things and more." I shook my head. Ian was more proud of his depravity than anyone I'd met, but if he helped me pull Bones out from under four bespelled vampires and one demonically-enhanced vamp, I'd shower him with prostitutes and porn while swearing he was an angel. Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost Source

The Cousins’ War Series by Philippa Gregory This War of the Roses... It’s no secret that I like to learn something when I read. Maybe it’s residual Puritan guilt (“Idle hands are the devil’s tools”), or simply the chores on my never-ending to-do list calling my name, but I often have trouble convincing myself that it’s okay to sit down and read. It’s a little easier if the reading is teaching me new things. And historical quasi-nonfiction is one of my favorite ways to keep myself entertained while learning something at the same time. Bonus points when there’s romance and royal intrigue! In April, I read Anya Seton’s Katherine while on vacation. Set in England during the late 1300s, it described the lifelong love affair between commoner Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, the son of King Edward III. Their story took place before their various descendants became embroiled in a nasty civil war with their cousins that we know today as the War of the Roses. Not this one...

“Love is not a whim. Love is not a flower that fades with a few fleeting years. Love is a choice wedded to action, my husband, and I choose you, and I will choose you every day for the rest of my life.”    The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer #2) by Brent Weeks

"When you're five, you know your age down to the month. Even in your twenties, you know how old you are. I'm 23, you say, or maybe 27. But then in your thirties something strange starts to happen. It's a mere hiccup at first, an instant of hesitation. How old are you? Oh, I'm--you start confidently, then you stop. You were going to say 33, but you're not. You're 35. And then you're bothered, because you wonder if this is the beginning of the end. It is, of course, but it's decades before you admit it." ~Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants

"You're kidding me. How is that ... " I pointed to the offending object, "more civilized than drinking it from the bottle?" She had found an old Sesame Street cup depicting The Count. His cartoonish fangs beamed at me, and I read the writing on the side which proclaimed, One... One Glass of Milk ! I wanted to stab myself in the face with the broken shards of my dignity. Grandmere filled the glass... {snip} A Bloody Good Secret , by Sierra Dean.

If it's wrong to fangirl something you belong to, then I don't want to be right. I fangirl the SPN Family. SPN = Supernatural the television show, and the name of our fandom is SPN Family. We're so great, we won the 2013 People's Choice Award (more on that later). However, I don't fangirl us because I love the show, or because of what our fandom produces; in fact, when fangirling SPN Family I do so objectively, in effect taking myself out of the equation and looking at SPN Family from afar. And when I can do that, I am truly amazed at the unique dynamic of SPN Family, and at all of the things it has accomplished over the years. I don't think I'm biased when I say no other fandom compares, and that the use of the word “family” is no accident. We really are family. For better or worse, fans, crew, and actors, we stick together. Follow me after the jump and I'll tell you all about SPN Family and why they are fangirl-worthy.

Ben's appetite disappeared, but he took a bite of his own burger. It did not taste of the happy nostalgia he had anticipated; it was greasy and charred. Maybe it was the best burger in Point Pleasant, but he had eaten better burgers elsewhere during his time away. Andrew was right; Ben was not from here anymore. He did not belong in Point Pleasant. ~~Jen Archer Wood, Point Pleasant

   "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see."   Mark Twain     

I have an author crush.  I'm becoming addicted to the works of Brent Weeks. He has only six books published and I can't get enough of them.  So, Brent, I did read the acknowledgements at the end of The Black Prism and I'm doing exactly as you advised and spreading the word.  After all, who reads acknowledgements.  Me, apparently. I've already expressed my love for The Night Angel t rilogy and now it's time for me to do the same for The Black Prism (Lightbringer #1). From Goodreads: Gavin Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. But Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live: Five years to achieve five impossible goals. But when Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart....

Bettie Page It is quite a mix of tales that we are reading this week, with no two Wenches reading the same things. We’ve waited too long to get started on Angela’s idea of making each other read Wench-selected books, so a few of us are working on those choices. In addition we are reading old favorites, new books by beloved authors, books that have grabbed us refusing to let go, and books serving as palate cleansers. Click through to see what has captured our attention this week, and be sure to tell us what you’re reading, in the comments below. Maybe you have recommendations for us!

Eavan Boland – In His Own Image I was not myself, myself. The celery feathers, the bacon flitch, the cups deep on the shelf and my cheek coppered and shone in the kettle's paunch, my mouth blubbed in the tin of the pan – they were all I had to go on. How could I go on With such meager proofs of myself? I woke day after day. Day after day I was gone. From the self I was last night. And then he came home tight. Such a simple definition! How did I miss it? Now I see that all I needed was a hand to mould my mouth to scald my cheek, was this concussion by whose lights I find my self-possession, where I grow complete. He splits ma lip with his fist, shadows my eye with a blow, knuckles my neck to its proper angle. What a perfectionist! His are a sculptor's hands: they...

Artwork by Shane-01 I got The Passage for my birthday, and since it was a rather fat book, I put off reading it. But once I decided to start it, I just couldn’t put it down, and then I had to find the next book in the series. When Wench Donna asked us to share our favorite book discovery for our recent anniversary post , I realized I had never told you how much I liked these books. The Passage is the first in a dark, apocalyptic trilogy being written by Justin Cronin . The second book, The Twelve , was published last October, and the third book is expected next year. These books tell about the spread of a mysterious virus that causes people to become a sort of vampire. People who turn into “virals” lose their memory and identity; they are constantly asking over and over again in their minds, WHO AM I, WHO AM I, WHO AM I, WHO AM I, WHO AM I . These books have been a treat for me, a new spin on an old theme. After the jump, I’ll tell you why.

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. ~ Henry Miller

Her head tilted. "Is that why you don't look very happy?" One of the reasons, but of course he ain't said that. Instead he said, trying to smile, "Thinkin people still be scared on me, I standing back here lookin all happy?" It worked. She smiled back, but a real smile, the kind made him want to grab her again. What the fuck was wrong with every other man in the room, that they weren't all killing each other just to stand next to her? "Wait, people are scared of you?" "Aye, well I ain't figure on why, but seems like it." "Maybe you should take up knitting." She sipped her beer. "It's hard to be scared of somebody while they are knitting." "Aw, naw, don't tell nobody on that, aye? Got people selling blankets I'm making in the Market." It amazed him that he could think of stuff to say that made her laugh, that when he was talking to her it weren't as hard to find the words....

"Bath toys are reserved only for the oldest, most lethal vampires. I have a full century of age and another thousand men to kill before I reach that hallowed landmark."   ~Mencheres   Eternal Kiss of Darkness by  Jeaniene Frost

It's yet another Friday, and I am this week's fangirl. Let me start by admitting that I had to give some big thought to whom I could fangirl over this time, but one day it just hit me. I was listening to music, and one of my favorite bands was playing...and, like so often before, I was thinking about how much I loved them and how I hoped I'd one day be lucky enough to go to one of their concerts. And in the midst of my fangirling and daydreaming it hit me, I should write about THEM. They're perfect! Who are they? You might have heard of them, you might have listened to them, and you might love them, just like me. They are my favorite monsters. They are Of Monsters and Men . Source Join me after the jump, if you dare, as I try to expand on my I JUST LOVE 'EM SO MUCH!! gush, and form it into more articulate sentences, and hopefully do justice to this great band.

As I stumble through this life, help me to create more laughter than tears, dispense more cheer than gloom, spread more cheer than despair. Never let me become so indifferent, that I will fail to see the wonders in the eyes of a child, or the twinkle in the eyes of the aged. Never let me forget that my total effort is to cheer people, make them happy, and forget momentarily, all the unpleasantness in their lives. And in my final moment, may I hear You whisper: "When you made My people smile, You made Me smile." ~ Nancy Mehl, Blown Away

Source J en Archer Wood, author of Point Pleasant , is joining us today to answer a few questions about her first published work, a novel with beautiful illustrations by Svetlana Fictionalfriend. Point Pleasant began life as a Supernatural fanfiction, and Wood began the journey earlier this year of transforming the work into the story of Ben Wisehart, his hometown’s struggle with the Mothman, and his own path in facing up to his past and navigating his future. Actually, Wood is humoring my curiosity, and I appreciate her time! Join us after the jump as we talk about Wood’s decision to publish, the town of Point Pleasant and one of the most famous urban legends in the United States, and Katie—the best thing to ever happen to Ben. Spoiler-free zone ahead.

"...the kindest thing you can do for someone you love is to never tell them how much they have broken your heart."  Tear You Apart ~~Megan Hart

Betty White – Source We're missing a few Wenches this week, but the rest of us are making up for it by finishing up beloved series, getting hooked on new series, continuing with books that have us rapt, and using our precious reading time to learn a few things! Click through to find out what has captured our imaginations this week, and be sure to share your reading selections below!

"Don't worry. I think Mount Everest is gorgeous, too, but that doesn't mean I have any intention of trying to climb it." "I do not understand this analogy," Mencheres muttered. Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost Source

We set ourselves a challenge (well okay I set the challenge) at the beginning of the year that each Wench had to recommend a book / series to another Wench. I was very fortunate to have Wench Donna make my selection for me. Many of us struggled to find just the right book that we hoped another Wench would love as much as we did.  There might have been the odd restless night as we tried to work out exactly what the perfect book would be. Books were discarded as not quite right. Other books because the Wench had already read them.  A tough decision on all of us, but in the end we managed to make our selections, so look out over the next couple of months as we reveal what we had to read, and if we liked the selections. Remember Wenches, the challenge must be completed in 2013. Nothing like a little bit of pressure. Wench Donna on her Recommendation I took my time deciding on a book for Angela. That's not surprising because I'm always slow to make up my m...

“Two friends . . . there are stronger forces on earth, perhaps, but few as tenacious and enduring as the bond between true friends.” Stephen R. Lawhead, Merlin (The Pendragon Cycle #2)

www.fanpop.com Sansa lowered her head.  "The blood frightened me." "The blood is the seal of your womanhood.  Lady Catelyn might have prepared you.  You've had your first flowering, no more." Sansa had never felt less flowery.  "My lady mother told me, but I...I thought it would be different." "Different how?" "I don't know.  Less...less messy, and more magical." Queen Cersei laughed.  "Wait until you birth a child, Sansa.  A woman's life is nine parts mess to one part magic, you'll learn that soon enough...and the parts that look like magic often turn out to be the messiest of all."   ~George R. R. Martin, A Clash of Kings

"I've never forgotten that Mary Sheeran, that lucky bitch, literally sees fireworks when she comes. Orgasms are pretty spectacular all on their own, but to see bursting and shifting patterns of color - that's always seemed like an extra bit of luck. And now it's happened to me." Tear You Apart by Megan Hart.

Fangirl Fridays are an opportunity for us Saucy Wenches to gush over people or characters that we love, admire, put on pedestals and/or who have made a profound impact on us. I would like to share with you why J.K. Rowling is someone who embodies these characteristics for me.   I still remember the day when I was in a children's toy store and saw Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on a shelf. My son was about seven years old and had no interest in reading. As a parent and a book lover, I was always on the lookout for reading material that would engage him and help him develop a love of reading. By that point, I didn't care if it was comics, Captain Underpants or cereal boxes. I picked up Harry Potter and brought him home. I think it's safe to say that Harry became part of our family. Join me after the jump as I gush over what J.K. Rowling has meant to my family, to her readers, and to those who might not even know about her.

 (c) Veronica Vishous When asked about her favorite hobby: "Reading. I know it's not a very active activity, but it is in my head." ~~Rachel Miner, Salute to Supernatural , Vancouver, August 25, 2013

Hilda by Duane Bryers Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size    But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies. I say, It’s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips,    The stride of my step,    The curl of my lips.    I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman,    That’s me. I walk into a room Just as cool as you please,    And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees.    Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees.    I say, It’s the fire in my eyes,    And the flash of my teeth,    The swing in my waist,    And the joy in my feet.    I’m a woman ...