The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Source The hoarse rumble in his voice could have been misconstrued as threatening, but Kelly just grinned wider. He knew Nick too well to misconstrue anything he did. "Jesus, I love it when you do that," Kelly muttered, his changeable eyes meeting Nick's. (extended) Bait & Switch  by Abigail Roux

"I hope that people will finally come to realize that there is only one ‘race’ — the human race — and that we are all members of it." MARGARET  ATWOOD Margaret Atwood. She rules my favorite authors list. Rather small in stature — with a giant, amazing, super mind and voice — I believe Margaret Atwood doesn’t need a long introduction. So I’ll skip her full biography, you can read it here . Atwood is Canadian, living in Toronto. She has published novels, short stories, poems, and works of literary criticism. She has written science fiction, speculative fiction, historical fiction, and realistic fiction. She is an essayist and environmental activist. Atwood became known in 1969 with her first novel, The Edible Woman . Reviewers classified it as a feminist story, which she declined. Her definition of feminism appears to focus on more humanistic concerns: It’s not picking up socks that’s the issue. Who is the ‘we’ that we are talking about [in feminism]? ...

Shocking plot twists, readers on the edge of their seats, WTF moments. The Blinding Knife (The Lightbringer #2) has it all and then some. If you don't like to read cosy, safe stories then this could be the book for you! Make sure you have read The Black Prism (Lightbringer #1) first of course. Check after the jump on why the series continues to race along with a hiss and a roar and if you haven't picked this series up, I can't recommend it highly enough. Blurb from Goodreads: " Gavin Guile is dying. He’d thought he had five years left—now he has less than one. With fifty thousand refugees, a bastard son, and an ex-fiancée who may have learned his darkest secret, Gavin has problems on every side. All magic in the world is running wild and threatens to destroy the Seven Satrapies. Worst of all, the old gods are being reborn, and their army of color wights is unstoppable. The only salvation may be the brother whose freedom and life Gavin stole sixteen years ago...

“I'm filled with awe, as I always am, as I watch her transform from a woman who calls me to kill a spider to a woman immune to fear.” ― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire  

Photographer: Ed Miller. Copyright © 2013 Starz Network. "I can see yours, too," I pointed out, turning around to face him. "I’ve been looking at your backside in breeks every day for months, but only occasionally does the sight move me to make indecent advances on your person." His mouth twitched, undecided whether to laugh or not. Taking advantage of the indecision, I took a step forward and put my arms around his waist, firmly cupping his backside. "Actually, it’s your kilt that makes me want to fling you to the floor and commit ravishment," I told him. "But you don’t look at all bad in your breeks." ~ Diana Gabaldon, Drums of Autumn

"Lovely to see you again, Justina," Bones said devilishly. "You look very fetching in that shade." "You filthy animal !" she raged. "Every night I prayed that you were dead and rotting in hell!" "Mother!" I said curtly. Absence hadn't made her heart grow fonder. Bones shrugged. "You should have spoken up a bit. The Almighty must not have heard you." One Foot in the Grave ~~Jeaniene Frost

  There seems to be a lot of rereading going on this week! Outlander , Night Huntress , Hunger Games , and The Help are all getting repeat visits this week, while a few Wenches are reading new-to-us books.  Click through to see who's reading old favorites, and who's trying something new. And don't forget to tell us what you're reading, in the comments below!

"So it's you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one lets you make the plans." Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Source

Sierra Dean's Secret McQueen series: Review I first got curious about this series after the VBC Alpha Challenge. I was championing Ethan Sullivan on behalf of the Wenches, and he was up against Secret McQueen in the first round (Ethan won!). So I put these on my list. I was curious about the girl with the unreal name who made it to the Alpha Challenge.  Click through to see what I thought of the series! This review will contain spoilers.

Link   “Never trust a mechanic who drives new cars. They're either charging too much money for their work, or they can't keep an old car running - maybe both.”   

Illium arrived before she could respond, landing to grab a seat beside Aodhan.  "Why are we sitting on a bridge presenting postcard shots to the tourists on that boat?"  he asked, waving at said tourists, who jumped up and down, their squeals carrying on the winds. "No one noticed us until you deliberately did a low flyby over that same boat," Aodhan pointed out. "Wave to the nice tourists, Sparkle.  I promise it won't cause pestilence and firestorms." Elena bit the inside of her cheek at Aodhan's glare--she'd never seen anyone crack his reserved shell.  "Sparkle and Bluebell, nice." ~Nalini Singh, Archangel's Legion

“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King .

Well, I stumbled onto Gena Showalter's wonderful Lords of the Underworld series by accident, and the rest is history. I know, by the looks of it there A LOT of books in this series. But don't despair, they are too fun, hot, swoon worthy, and sexy to be boring! So you might wonder where one starts describing her excitement over so many books?? In my opinion, it's best to go with the first one and move on to the rest, if necessary. But, you'll say, „She's crazy!! She's not going to describe all these books?!?! Is she?!“ Don't worry! I'll just give you the basics! I don't want to spoil the naughty treat for you! After the jump, I'll try to explain why I am such a fan of this series...

Griff stood, turning his back to him, determined not to apologize for giving a shit. "Your life needs an airbag. I swear, Anastagio, you should have come equipped when you were born." Source Just then Dante leaned against him, brow between his shoulder blades for a moment, so tentatively Griff held his breath. His voice was almost sheepish. "Nah. Everyone knows I was born defective. They didn't install you until later." ~~ Hot Head , Damon Suede

"You is kind.  You is smart.  You is important."      ----Kathryn Stockett, The Help  Source

Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole You know the drill by now , right? Lucky Wench Jaymie drew my name from the virtual hat, and had the fortune or misfortune to pick a book for me to read. I say misfortune because, having participated in the process, I know how difficult it is to find a book that your partner hasn't read yet, and how nervewracking it is to find something you think they'll love as much as you did. Jaymie picked the Immortals After Dark series for me, and I was very excited for her choice. I knew the Wenches had picked Kresley Cole quotes for several Quotes of the Day, and the IAD series had come up in discussions before. I'm always looking for new and different UF/PNR series to try, but always feel a little lost when I go looking for one amongst the sea of choices out there. Why Immortals After Dark for Veronica? What attracted me to the IAD series was not only the paranormal romance aspect of it, but the strong females, witty banter betwee...

You done with work? Yep, at home waiting for you. Now that's a nice visual... Prepare yourself, I'm taking bread out of the oven. Don't tease me woman...zucchini? Cranberry orange. Mmmm... No woman has ever done breakfast bread foreplay the way you do. Ha! When you coming? Can't. Drive. Straight. Can we have one conversation when you're not twelve? Sorry, I'll be there in 30. Perfect, that will give me time to frost my buns. Pardon me? Oh, didn't I tell you? I also made cinnamon rolls. Be there in 25.”  Wallbanger, Alice Clayton

Source The Wenches have all been busy with different things this week, including reading whenever we can find the time! Some movies and TV series inspired a couple of us to pick up the books they were based on, some of us are in the midst of our old favorites and sneaking in a few clandestine meetings with our book boyfriends between chores, while some of us are getting familiar with new universes and characters. Click through to see what we've been reading.

We're always thinking of eternity as an idea that cannot be understood, something immense. But why must it be? What if, instead of all this, you suddenly find just a little room there, something like a village bath-house, grimy, and spiders in every corner, and that's all eternity is. Sometimes, you know, I can't help feeling that that's what it is.

A Horror Story for Introverts Welcome to The Circle! Imagine getting hired by the most successful company in the world. Moving to California’s Silicon Valley and laboring in a magnificent theme park replete with castles of gleaming glass and steel, abundantly diverse flora and fauna, wandering minstrels, concerts, competitions, technological wizardry, and all the comforts of home — plus free health care, meals, and clothing. As a valued member of a powerful community that is making the world a better place to live, by making more information available to more people more easily. This is what happens to Mae Holland, the 20-something, starry-eyed protagonist in Dave Egger’s new techno-thriller, The Circle . It is a dream job for her. Awed by her first visit to the corporate campus, she proclaims “This is heaven” in the book’s opening sentence. She is eager to contribute to this vibrant community, to join in, to learn, to adopt their causes and values, though every once in a...

Source A ll the time the ghosts flit past and through us, hiding in the future. We look in the mirror and see the shades of other faces looking back through the years; we see the shape of memory, standing solid in an empty doorway. By blood and by choice, we make our ghosts; we haunt ourselves. E ach ghost comes unbidden from the misty grounds of dream and silence. Our rational minds say, “No, it isn’t.” B ut another part, an older part, echoes always softly in the dark, “Yes, but it could be.” W e come and go from mystery and, in between, we try to forget. But a breeze passing in a still room stirs my hair now and then in soft affection. I think it is my mother. ... B rianna R andall F raser M acKenzie     ~ D iana G abaldon, D rums of A utumn

A subtle movement of her throat as she swallowed. He followed it with his gaze, aware of her pulse gaining speed, her breath hitching. "I'll keep my hands to myself," she promised, voice rough. "But you can't look at me like that." Gripping her jaw in silent answer, he braced himself with his free arm beside her head, and then he banded her mouth with his own. You are mine. It was a statement telepathed along the private pathway that had formed years ago. Mine to touch. Mine to look at. Mine. Releasing her jaw, he stroked his had down her throat to close over her breast. Sahara shuddered. ~ Nalini Singh, Heart of Obsidian

Source "You really think this can go bad?" Kelly whispered. "When everything about it feels so fucking good?"    Shock & Awe  by Abigail Roux

Fangirl Fridays — Michael Pollan I’m here this week to fangirl about someone you might think is an unusual choice for a Saucy Wench. He has never made a single locatable reference to vampires, leather lingerie, or kick-ass, sword-wielding heroines. But he does share one of my grand passions in life: Food!! See, when you think of it that way, he’s easy to fangirl about! Michael Pollan is that food guy you keep seeing on TV lately. Not the one stuffing gigantic cheeseburgers and platters of fried pancakes into his mouth while the clock ticks down. Or the one hurling insults at aspiring chefs who cower in his kitchen. He’s the one smiling, gently prodding us to sit down and enjoy a home-cooked meal with our family. Relax! Take a load off! Savor the flavors! As far as literary foodies go, he’s not so much this...   “I Love Bacon” Merit,  Sentinel of Cadogan House He tries to avoid wolfing down deep-dish pizzas, granola bars, and Mallowcakes while chasing a...

"Maybe, if you’re very good, I’ll bring back dinner." Ethan smiled wickedly and pressed a hard kiss to my lips. "I’m rarely good, Merit. But I’m often spectacular." ~ Chloe Neill, Biting Bad

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen Months ago, Wench Angela came up with this great idea for posts. The idea was for each of us to recommend a book to another Wench, and that person would review it. Angela’s post explaining all the rules is here . Truly, I loved the idea. On the other hand, the thought of someone else choosing a book for me made me nervous. I can’t even join a local book club with people I know and like because I absolutely cannot make myself read a book that I am not interested in. It’s the worst kind of torture for me. Still, I love a challenge. Wench Anne made her recommendation, and I put on my big girl panties and read Water for Elephants . Why Water for Elephants for Amanda? This was recommended to me by my dad, of all people. I read the synopsis, seeing romance and history and love story, and was initially put off. Books that are Romancey in feeling don’t generally appeal to me. But it was my DAD telling me how great it was. I’m not sure he eve...

Confusion clouded my mind for a second. Then I remembered that afternoon with him trying to burn the embarrassment out of me with hours of dirty talk, and the color suddenly flamed in my face. "You didn't actually mean all of those things, did you?" My mind rebelled at the thought, but there was a rapidly beating pulse in my body that treacherously hoped for the opposite. He laughed again, low and throaty. His brow arched in sinful promise, his eyes back to pure green, and his mouth slid farther down my stomach. "Oh, Kitten, I meant every word." Halfway to the Grave ~~Jeaniene Frost

Grace Kelly Angels, Highlanders, vampires, Marines, and a few everyday Joes have captured our interests this week. We're finishing up our challenge reading, wallowing in an exciting new release, and revisiting old friends ahead of the holiday season that is rapidly approaching, which we are sure will cut into our reading time. Click through to find out who is enjoying which creatures, and as always, share what you are reading in the comments below.

"Oh God," Kelly breathed. "No, you don't say his name when I fuck you. You say mine." Shock & Awe by Abigail Roux Source Happy Release Day Minions!! I hope you're enjoying Nick & Kelly!

We here at The Saucy Wenches Book Club are pleased to bring you a stop on Abigail Roux's blog tour for her new release: Shock & Awe !  Many of us are beyond excited to see the book arrive in our ereaders, and are looking forward to devouring this surely incredible story - but please, take a moment, tear yourself away from the story ever so briefly (or remember to come back when you're done!), and follow along as Abi tells us a bit more about the series, her plans, and what a Sidewinder book may mean! From the desk of Abigail Roux Hello everyone! Welcome to the release day with the Shock & Awe blog tour! Thank you to Saucy Wenches Book Club for hosting on a day where hopefully everyone is reading. If you’re following along, you might find this handy dandy schedule of use, and you might be interested in keeping up with me each day, because I've got a couple goodies to give away. In celebration of Nick and Kelly’s coming out, so to speak,  I've  got three of...

Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland My, oh my, how this year has flown by! Earlier this year when Wench Angela came up with this idea , that we'd recommend a book for each other and then review it sometime in 2013, I thought I'd for sure have plenty of time to read the book and write a post and be done with it way before the summer ended. Boy, was I dead wrong. In the middle of October, I still hadn't even read the book that was recommended to me, so I knew I had to gear up and start reading soon if I was going to live up to the challenge. So time is quickly passing by, Christmas is coming with all its wonderful and fun preparations, a book I've wanted to read since Wench Merit recommended it to me is waiting among the way-too-many books that are on top of my TBR list (which continues to grow bigger and bigger), and I've got too little time to spare for reading, but I've got a challenge to meet and my time is running out. How can I possibly make my d...

  “You are truly endearing when you sleep. I attribute this to the exotic nature of seeing you in a state of silence." - Tybalt A Local Habitation ~~Seanan McGuire

"Do you scent the same things I do?" Ransom made a face when she described what she'd picked up from the passing vamp. "Yeah, except I don't say shit like 'cinnamon spice with a hint of burnt oak.' I say 'dude smells like an electrified tree with a side of doughnut topping.'" ~Nalini Singh, Archangel's Legion

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand, there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep...that have taken hold.” Source J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Introducing Karl Urban Karl Urban, ladies and gentlemen. So I was thinking who would be a great person to do a post on and all I kept picturing was Karl Urban. Was this because he was a Kiwi doing well out in the big wide world? Is it that he is just plain hot? Or is it that I always picture him in my head as one Mr. Ty Grady from The Cut & Run series? I think it's a combination of all three. I am ecstatic that he is doing so well on the international stage. So let's celebrate why Karl Urban is one of my main men to drool over.

“I always order the banned books from a black market dealer in California, figuring if the State of Mississippi banned them, they must be good.”  ----Kathryn Stockett, The Help  Source

Nick O'Flaherty, of Abigail Roux's Cut & Run series, is just full of surprises. Nick, along with lead character Ty Grady, is a member of Team Sidewinder, the Marine Force Recon team that also includes Digger, Owen, Kelly, Sanchez, and kinda sorta not really Liam. Minions (the members of the Cut & Run fandom) weren't all that fond of Nick at first, to say the least. But as time went on, we decided he was okay. But, still, we were gonna keep our eye on that one. By the end of Touch & Geaux , not only had Nick blindsided us by being a standup guy, one we were rooting for, but something else wholly unexpected happened as well. Nick & Kelly. Care and Veronica talk about Nick's whopping blindsides as we celebrate the release of Abigail Roux's Shock & Awe . First up, Care discusses her feelings about Nick and when, for her, he turned from bad guy to someone whose actions made complete sense. Then, join Veronica as she talks about the pairing out of ...