The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Source Happy New Year, Saucy Readers!! May the new year be all you want it to be. Filled with love, laughter, and, of course, more books than you know what to do with! Thank you for sticking with us for another year.

Every now and then you stumble on a series that is just right up your alley. The series Graveyard Queen has been a wonderful find just recently. It's a little bit creepy, a little bit eerie and just the right amount of chemistry between the characters to keep me enthralled in the story. I'm not a person who tends to read anything creepy, but don't be worried. I didn't have any sleepless nights after reading any of the books. The books are part murder mystery and part ghost story. I found the combination an interesting mix that made me keen to find out what happens next. I also read the books one after the other and that is always a good sign. There are currently three books published The Restorer, The Kingdom and The Prophet. Book 4 The Visitor  is expected to be published sometime in 2015. From Goodreads. My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always he...

“We now play a permanent game of I-am-crazier-and-scarier-than-you. And in that game, my mother is our secret weapon.”

"He understands that well enough," said Lord Piper. He was a short, rotund, bowlegged man with a bush of wild red hair, the father of one of Jaime's squires; the resemblance to the boy was unmistakeable. "The man's not bloody stupid , Norbert. He has eyes...and too much sense to yield to such as these." He made a rude gesture in the direction of Edwyn Frey and Walder Rivers.  Edwyn bristled. "If my lord of Piper means to imply---" "I don't imply , Frey. I say what I mean straight out, like an honest man. But what would you  know of the ways of honest men? You're a treacherous lying weasel, like all your kin. I'd sooner drink a pint of piss than take the word of any Frey." ~ A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

  As the holiday season continues, the Wenches are working hard to squeeze some reading time in between all of the festivities. Click through to see what's helping us through the jolliness, and share with us your reading list, in the comments below! 

"We will share the earth, and care for it together, as friends of each other and to Her, or we will lose it." The Sanity of Friendship . Foreword by Alice Walker for The General's Son by Miko Peled. 

It's that time of the year again readers. Time to indulge in some wickedly delicious goodies guilt free! Last year I shared some of the men who made our 2013 a little sweeter  here , so without wasting your time on idle chit chat, lets go on to the glorious man candy!  Fans ready, ladies and gents?

Everyone wants a Christmas tree. If you had a Christmas tree Santa would bring you stuff! Like hair curlers and slut shoes. Visions of Sugar Plums , Janet Evanovich

  “What would a racist call werewolves? Wargs? She kind of liked that one, but suspected that racist bastards didn't read Tolkien.”   Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

Source The holidays are officially upon us and the Wenches are working tirelessly to fit some reading into our busy schedules. Some of us have been more successful than others. Click through to see what we've managed to squeeze in, and give us some suggestions in the comments below!  

“I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you.” — Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

"You know he didn't mean to hit me," I said, muffled around a fistful of tissue. They never put this scenario in their commercials with the cute little Labrador puppies, that's for sure. Tigerland  by Sean Kennedy

It's time once again, Saucy Readers, to look back over our year and to whittle down our read lists to our ten favorite reads of 2014. As our TBRs continued to grow, we managed to check some books off that list, and some of those books were absolutely wonderful. New series, continuations of favorites, classics that were new to us, and Wench recommendations, all earned a place on our list. Come with us through the jump and find out which books earned a place in our hearts, and on our "best of 2014" list.

She'd never outright told him anything. But she'd never had to. He knew. Dames like her didn't hunt down an addiction lessin there was a damn good reason, and she'd sure as fuck hunted it down. He'd watched her do it, from the first time she showed up in Downside. Watched her not even fight with herself over it, least not what he could see.  {snip} Funny, she had all that ink on her skin to protect her from ghosts and magic, and he were damn sure doing what he could to protect her outside that, but weren't anything he could do to keep her safe from the memories. He knew how that felt, too. Wrong Ways Down ~~Stacia Kane

He nodded. "Awful smart, aye." For a second irritation pricked the back of her neck. Wasn't he going to express some sort of amazement? Was "awful smart" really all she was going to get? But then she realized, with and odd, blushing, sort of warmth that it had never occurred to him that she wouldn't be able to solve the problem. That while she'd been flailing around in the dirt, scared shitless that she was about to kill them all, he's had complete faith in her ability to save them. Just as she'd never really doubted he could protect her from the Lamaru. Wasn't that an uncomfortable thought. Unholy Ghosts ~~Stacia Kane

Bilbo saw that the moment had come when he must do something. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Source

Dark Skye by Kresley Cole Readers probably know by now that most of us got into the Immortals in the Dark series a long time ago, and I personally went with Wench Shau's recommendation (she talks about the series here .) of this being a fun, light, sexy read, and I wasn't disappointed. At least not until the last few books.  But then came Lanthe and Thronos, and the upcoming release of Dark Skye . And I was intrigued again. I had been looking forward to this one for the past few books. The few snippets of Lanthe and Thronos we'd gotten had me eager for more. But the way the last few books have gone, I wasn't very hopeful on me enjoying these as I had most of the earlier books. You can read my MacRieve review here  (I wasn't a fan). I still picked Dark Skye up when I got a chance. And read it. Click through to see what I thought! Spoilery. Not too spoilery. But spoilery enough for the spoiler prudes among us! Did I say spoiler too much?

“Hate cannot be fought with hate. Evil cannot be conquered by darkness. Only love has the power to conquer them both.”

"I've been choking on coincidences longer than I care to think about. You?" "Yes," I agreed. "And I intend to get to the bottom of them." "You do that, Ms. Lane." He sounded positively hostile. I could tell he was about to hang up. "Wait a minute. Who's IYCGM?" "If you can't get me," he gritted. "And IYD?" "If you're dying, Ms. Lane. But if I were you, I'd call that one only if I was sure I was dying, otherwise I'll kill you myself." I heard a man in the background laugh. The line went dead. ~ Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

  Click through to find out what the Wenches are reading this week! Don't forget to tell us what you've been up to, in the comments below!

"Can you turn so you're not pressed against me?" "I could," he said, his voice amused. "But then you would have to lie on top of me." My brain said "NO." My body went, "Wheee!" Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews.

"Lust, honey."  Jamie pinched the last dumpling with his chopsticks.  "It can make you do crazier things than love sometimes.   Truse me, I've been there."----Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian.

2014 What a year it has been for reading and discussing books. What better way to wrap up my last Fangirl Friday for the year, but to rave about my favourite books I've read this year. These are all my five star reads. There were seven books in total that made it onto my five star list and I think every one is brilliant in their own way. The range from historical to fantasy to non-fiction. Of course with me, always heavier on the fantasy element. Check after the jump to see what books rocked my world in 2014.

“As the church bells across London’s East End began to sway in their stone towers chiming simultaneously in a deafening cacophony, he thought it an appropriate soundtrack to the doom that was approaching. Then, in the distance, to his abject horror he saw a flash of blinding light and the walls of the Tower of London began to crumble and fall.” The Britannia Conspiracy , Peter Middleton

“It was good to walk into a library again; it smelled like home.”  ~ The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

This is the last book in The Cousins’ War series by Philippa Gregory, which began with The White Queen . It is set in England during the reigns of the Tudor Henrys VII and VIII. The War of the Roses has ended, and the story centers on a pious noblewoman whom most of us have never heard of—Margaret Pole—who lives a low-profile life watching after royal children and managing her crop harvests. All the trappings of a snoozy end to the series, right?? WRONG!! The York and Lancaster cousins might not be fighting each other, but that doesn’t mean folks get along. Now it’s the Tudors against the Plantagenets—the Yorks and Lancasters have decided to fight on the same team. And Margaret, as the Countess of Salisbury, is one of only two women in England who holds a title and property in her own right. The other is Anne Boleyn, who will famously forfeit her assets. Will Margaret fare better than Anne? If you are unfamiliar with Margaret Pole—even though you loved your British history...

‘You told me once,’ he said, ‘I had your heart.’ ‘You do.’ ‘And ye have mine.’ He folded one hand over hers and held it close against his chest so she could feel its beating strength. ‘It does not travel with me, lass, across the water. Where you are, it will remain. Ye’ll not be on your own.’ His fingers held the tighter to her smaller ones. ‘And I’ll no more be whole again,’ he said, ‘till I return.’ ~ Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea

I wasn't slick and sophisticated enough for this. What do you say to boyfriend A when he finds you naked in the bed of boyfriend B? Especially if boyfriend A turned into a monster the night before and ate someone. I bet Miss Manners didn't cover this at all. The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Wenches are soldiering through their TBR lists! We're determined Wenches! Lots of new reads on our lists this week! Featuring zombies, post apocalyptic England, parallel romances set in the same place but different timelines, and more! Click through to see what we've been reading, and please share what you've been up to, Saucy reader!

She didn't think she needed air, not when he was holding her, possessing her, making her feel safer than she'd ever felt. Unholy Ghosts ~~Stacia Kane

This Fangirl Friday, I'm going to keep it short and sweet! I'm sure our lovely readers are busy with the Holiday season, and recovering from their long Thanksgiving weekends last week. We could all use some man candy right about now! So this week, ladies and gents, I will Fangirl about the very, VERY sexy, Gerard Butler! And this particular post is dedicated to my love, the very lovely Wench Beta! Arguably one of the biggest Gerry Butler fans I know! (And she happens to be one of my favorite people.) For you, Beta! Mwah! Click through to get to the important stuff!

“I would really like to know", he said with genuine curiosity. "The next time I kill someone, I'd like to do it in a way that doesn't freak you out.” ― Ilona Andrews , Burn for Me

Burns hummed, meeting Ty's eyes and trying not to smile. "You want the CIA to believe that you mistook your partner for your prisoner, handcuffed him, and delivered him to Langley?" Ty shrugged. "I mean...he grew a beard. It was an honest mistake." Burns nodded. "Fair enough.”  Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux Source

Source. (Late) HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Saucy readers! We hope you've had a lovely long weekend. The Wenches are always thankful for the books and authors that bring us together, and of course, the readers that share the joy of reading with us! We've done plenty of reading this week. Old favorites always make our lists, new releases by favorite authors, and of course getting around to books on our enormous TBR lists! (Is it just me? Or does that thing grow when we're not paying attention?) Click through to see what we've been reading this week! And do let us know what world you've chosen to spend this past week in!

“Hold fast," he called. "Tell me your names, and your stations." "I am the Lady Door," said Door. "I am Portico's daughter, of the House of the Arch." "I am Hunter. I am her bodyguard." "Richard Mayhew," said Richard. "Wet.”

You must know (I believe I told you) that this is not the first time I have fallen in love with a weak man who turned out to be homosexual. It's horrible. After you spend so much time looking out--not being jealous, just keeping an eye on the women who come around the boy you love--which is normal, after all, is it not?--they come and get you from behind. That's the worst. ~ The Mysteries of Pittsburg by Michael Chabon

Magic and mystery collide in this second installment of the new urban fantasy series by House of Comarre author Kristen Painter. Still coming to terms with their unexpected partnership, Augustine and Harlow have a tentative truce. With Harlow slowly working to accept being fae, Augustine still learning how to be Guardian, and feelings growing on both sides though, they do not have an easy road ahead. But when a young girl is stolen from the Mardi Gras Exemplar Ball -- the biggest fae event of the year -- Harlow and Augustine must put all their issues aside to bring her home alive. Harlow's father, Branzino, is of course their number one suspect, but evil lurks in every corner of the city and time is running out. Their only choices: Either find a way to rescue the girl, or Augustine must die. As I've been raving about since I read it, I adored Kristen Painter's House of the Rising Sun (I told you about it here ) and couldn't wait to read the second book in...

"People on Herald say you have PTSD and you became a  hermit like a monk because of it." "Either a hermit or a monk, not both," I corrected out of habit. "Herald also said he was disfigured." Arabella made big eyes. "Yes, I'm a hermit. Mostly I brood," Mad Rogan said. "Also I'm very good at wallowing in self-pity. I spend my days steeped in melancholy, looking out the window. Occasionally a single tear quietly rolls down my cheek." Arabella and Lina snickered in unison. "Do you also brush a white orchid against your lips?" Arabella put in.  "While sad music plays in the background?" Lina grinned. "Perhaps," Mad Rogan said.  Burn For Me, By Ilona Andrews.  

"It was a strange feeling--not surprising, I supposed, since everything felt strange now--this being a natural at something.  As a human, I'd never been the best at anything.  I was okay at dealing with Renee, but probably lots of people could have done better; Phil seemed to be holding his own.  I was a good student, but never the top of the class.  Obviously, I could be counted out of anything athletic.  Not artistic or musical, no particular talents to brag of.  Nobody ever gave away a trophy for reading books.  After eighteen years of mediocrity, I was pretty used to being average.  I realized now that I'd long ago given up on any aspirations of shining at anything.  I just did the best with what I had, never quite fitting into my world.   So this was really different.  I was amazing now--to them and to myself.  It was like I had been born to be a vampire.  The idea made me want to laugh, but it also mad...

The Beauty All Around Us In the United States, yesterday we celebrated what we are thankful for. Of course we are all thankful for our friends, our families, our jobs, blah, blah, blah. But we all know that we are Saucy Wenches. And Saucy Wenches are really thankful for the beauty in the world, so today we are going to celebrate some of the most beautiful creatures on Earth. Each Wench chose a particular creature with her favorite photo to share with you, dear readers. And since we know that you are exhausted from dealing with that family you are thankful for, all day yesterday, we are going to limit the chit-chat and just share the beauty. Enjoy. Oh, and you. are. welcome!  

“ Are you drunk?” He shrugged. “I’m Irish,” he   said.  “I’ve spent most of the last millennium drunk.” "You have an accent when you’re drunk,” she observed. “I have an accent all the time,” he replied. "It hides its head in shame when I'm sober."                              Shadowflame, Dianne Sylvan                                                                                                                                                                         ...

Do you like your fantasy books gritty and full of swords, maces, hammers and death? If so then Mark Lawrence's series The Broken Empire could be the series for you.  It is Lawrence's debut novel and has the added bonus of the whole series being complete. For a debut novel it is a very good piece of fantasy writing.  It also has the added bonus of not being overly long as some fantasy books tend to be.  Book #1 is called  Prince of Thorns and follows Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath or Brother Jorg for most of the book.  He's been running wild over the Broken Empire pretty much raping, pillaging and burning as he goes. It almost seems that he acts in a pretty pointless manner.  He's on the cusp of turning fourteen and things are about to get interesting.  So check after the jump about why this fantasy novel is compelling reading. Mild spoilers.

Miranda looked past David to the scattered bodies he’d left strewn about the ground. “If it had been me lying here, would you have been angry enough to do that?” [snip] “No,” he replied. “I would have ripped out their hearts with my bare hands and shoved them down their throats.” She smiled. “I probably shouldn’t find that romantic, should I.” ~ Dianne Sylvan, Shadowbound

The ratman froze, staring at me. "Why are you laughing?" His voice held just a hint of unease. Good. "I was hoping that the vampires would come for me soon and save me. You've got to admit that's funny." ~Anita Blake Guilty Pleasures by  Laurell K Hamilton

Source. Most of the Wenches have been reading quite a bit this week even with real life keeping us fairly busy. A lot of us have picked up each other's recommendations, some are rereading old faves (which happens a lot here.) A new release from the King of Horror himself had one Wench excited! And Harry Potter also found his way onto our reading lists! Some of us are trying something new entirely, which is always exciting! Click through to see what we've been up to this past week.

There are those among us who have erred, deeply and significantly. Who have wounded the world and broken themselves. The worst of them lose themselves in their errors. The best of them crawl back, one foot at a time, and seek to amend their breaches. That is the way of the brave. Wild Things ~~Chloe Neill

„Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer." Here is the jist of it according to imdb: A young girl, destined to slay vampires, demons and other infernal creatures, deals with her life fighting evil, with the help of her friends. I chose this concise description because everyone knows what Buffy the Vampire Slayer is about. If you don't then what the hell are you waiting for, watch it!! Have you been living under a rock?! Anyway, this show is a part of my life. It's on the list of my top favourite shows of all time, and I can watch it today and still not find it boring. Come with me through the jump as I tell you all about my love for Buffy and the gang! Warning: spoilers abound!