The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Black or white. Liberal or Conservative. White collar or Blue. Nobody could run shit. And it wasn't just Detroit. Sacramento, Washington, D.C., Wall Street. The entire country was being run into the ground by a generation infected with incompetence and greed. Detroit: An American Autopsy ~~Charlie LeDuff

“The only time a man can be brave is when he is afraid.”  A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin Source

Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light. ~~Vera Nazarian

“...my point is that the only authentic identity for the African is the tribe...I am Nigerian because a white man created Nigeria and gave me that identity. I am black because the white man constructed black to be as different as possible from his white. But I was Igbo before the white man came.”

Bump stood in the middle of the room, wrapped in a heavy fur coat, with a black silk top hat covering his fuzzy head and unnecessary sunglasses hiding his pale face. He looked like the Abominable Snowpimp. Unholy Ghosts ~~Stacia Kane 

Ricochet was one of my favorite reads of 2015, so when I found out this seemingly stand-alone book was getting not one, but two sequels, those babies went to the top of my TBR. I started stalking Keri Lake's Facebook feed, and as soon as I saw the sign-ups for Backfire ARCs and the blog tour I jumped all over that. It's been a few weeks since it released, and it's getting rave reviews, for good reason. Come with me through the jump and I'll tell you why you need to add Backfire to your summer reading list. Spoiler free, of course.

Luc offered a sarcastic laugh. "It's Cadogan House, and Merit is our social chair. I'm thinking this is a recipe for disaster." Luc, much like Ethan, enjoyed riling me up. "Har, har," I flatly said, waiting while Ethan slipped into his suit jacket. "If it is, serves Ethan right for making me social chair." "You did attack him for changing you into a vampire," Luc pointed out. "Only because he didn't do it very well." "I reject the notion that I am capable of doing anything 'not well,' " Ethan offered. "So modest, our Liege," Luc said. House Rules ~~Chloe Neill

The Fangirl Friday where I write a very tongue in cheek letter to George R.R. Martin for a book lovers amusement. It's a perilous position trying to remain a spoiler avoider / flirt when it comes to Brienne and Jaime Lannister in Martin's epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire . The television show  Game of Thrones  keeps trying to spoil me.  So in jest, I decided to write a note about some of the perils of being a book lover first and a TV viewer second. Well in regards to this one series. Spoiler avoiders please don't read this post if you haven't read the books and plan to. 

I hold up a hand before he can speak. “No wait, let me guess. You tell me I’m some kind of chosen one and in exchange for my soul or such nonsense you will save my mom. There’s probably a prophecy involved, and some danger, and you think your sexy charms will overcome all that and sway me to your way of thinking, yes? Sorry, dude. I’ve seen that movie.” Vampire Girl, Karpov Kinrade

"There once was a river, and fog in its evenings, and sun's reflection in its width.  It exsists even now in me, I thought I have forgotten... But, it seems nothing is forgotten, it all comes back from locked places, from the darkness of the so called oblivion... And all what we thought was already no one's, that we don't need it, but it stands here in front of us, shining with its former exsistance reminding us and wounding us." "Dervish and Death" by Meša Selimović (Fragment translated from Croatian by Wench Shau) 

Except where it's winter for Angela! Sorry, Ange.   Click through to see what we're reading this week! 

“Any lovers, boyfriends, older brothers with strong protective instincts that need to be hurdled over or knocked out of the way?” Dammit, dammit, she was not going to smile. Okay, dammit, yes she was. “There’s no need for any hurdling, Mr. Wellington. I have no interest in ... track and field events.” Jordan’s lips quirked. He hooked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. “Yeah, me neither. Baseball’s my sport. I never saw the appeal of jumping over obstacles when it’s so much more fun to just round all the bases and slide yourself into home.” ~ Serendipity , Lisa Clark O’Neill

If they say yes, send Pig back with your answer pronto, and we’ll come and get you at five o’clock on Sunday. If they say no, send Pig back pronto and we’ll come and get you at five o’clock on Sunday anyway. Ron Weasley, on dealing with the Dursleys, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

As you may have noticed from our What the Wenches are Reading posts, Head Wench Barb and I, joined occasionally by Wench Zee, are making our way back through the early Chicagoland Vampire books. We were just not ready to leave that world after the magnificence that is Midnight Marked . We later realized that because we started our little blog here after the earlier books were released, we didn't have reviews done of some of the earlier books. So, I'm here today to do a little review/fangirling about Friday Night Bites . I've already done a series of posts on questions I have on the first two books of the series. Check those: Some Girls Bite , FNB Part 1 , FNB Part 2 . Also look for our recent reviews of Twice Bitten and Hard Bitten & Drink Deep together. Join me after the break to hear some of my thoughts on Friday Night Bites !

Hamilton: An American Musical is currently rocking the world and making history eight shows a week on Broadway. But, unless you are Brendan Fraser from Encino Man, you probably already know that. If you are a regular reader, you have probably already read about my love for the show in a past Fangirl Friday post . I've brought Head Wench Barb over to the Hamilton Dark Side too. A few weeks ago, she selflessly put together a Saucy Wench patented Man Candy post featuring some of the Hamilton Hotties . But, there are so many of them she left some for me to feature in today's Fangirl Friday. So, join me after the break for more Hotties of Hamilton!

We've all got darkness inside. It's what brings it to the surface that separates the psychopaths from everyone else.  Ricochet ~~Keri Lake

“A cold supper, were you thinking? I asked dubiously. I was not, he said firmly, I mean to light a roaring fire in the kitchen hearth, fry up a dozen eggs in butter, and eat them all, then lay ye down on the hearth rug and roger ye 'till you - is that all right? he inquired, noticing my look. 'Til I what? I asked fascinated by his description of the evening's program. 'Til ye burst into flame and take me with ye, I suppose, he said, and stooping, swooped me up into his arms and carried me across the darkened threshold.” A Breath of Snow and Ashes  by  Diana Gabaldon Source

  Click through to see what we're reading this week! 

“I don't want to live in a world where the strong rule and the weak cower. I'd rather make a place where things are a little quieter. Where trolls stay the hell under their bridges and where elves don't come swooping out to snatch children from their cradles. Where vampires respect the limits, and where the faeries mind their p's and q's. My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. When things get strange, when what goes bump in the night flicks on the lights, when no one else can help you, give me a call. I'm in the book.”

It amazed me, the way some things could still stand after so many years of abuse. What one person saw as decayed, beaten, and destroyed over time, I saw as strength, a mast that could still support an entire structure while slowly rotting away at its foundation. Backfire ~~Keri Lake

Title: Backfire Series: A Vigilantes Novel Author: Keri Lake Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance - Standalone Published: June 9, 2016 Cover Design: Hang Le Image Credit: Eric Battershell Photography Cover Model: Johnny Kane   No matter how unbreakable he may seem, every man has a weakness. A year ago, my home became a bloodstained crime scene. That night marked the beginning of my hell—the same night I was tortured by my enemies and tossed into an underground prison to die. They failed. I survived. Now that I’m free, only one motive burns in my soul: revenge. Lucky for me, they think Jase Hawkins is dead. Maybe I am. I’ve got nothing but a cold, merciless rage, and Black Betty, the sharp steel blade that never leaves my side. Then she drifts into my life. Lucia wants answers—so much so, she’s willing to fall into the darkness where my enemies lie in wait, to kill her for what she knows. Or to take her for the depraved...

Because - wait for it - women don't like dick pics.   At the early stages of dating, there's basically nothing more aggressive and off-putting than sending a lady you're interested in a shot of your junk. Doesn't matter if you're hung like a horse - that shot will make her cringe. My app offered a haven for women, a promise that they wouldn't be photographically assaulted by unwelcome cock shots.  Lauren Blakely's Big Rock

Recently I downloaded a new book for no other reason than because I liked its title and cover. The title is Vampire Girl , and it started me thinking about the roots of my love for vampire books. That turned into a lovely stroll down memory lane. Back in the day, I occasionally read popular mainstream bestseller vampire books, like Interview with the Vampire and The Historian , but mostly I read sci-fi/fantasy. Then one day I received a book as a present from a friend, and it had a big impact on my reading habits and my “social life” online. (Yes, I mean meeting you, my amazing Wenches.) It was not the book itself, but the new literary directions it inspired me to seek out. The book was Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. That story “sparked” my interest in vampire mythology, I went online to see if there were any other vampire books around, and I discovered an entire world of them. After the jump, I’d like to share with you some of my first vampire reads. (As far as I remember....

“This drink is all about fresh starts. No tainting the future with the past.” She filled the glass with ice, then uncorked the vermouth. She layered in the squeezed orange juice, then the champagne, and topped it all off with a straw and a festive twist of orange peel. “Here’s to new beginnings.” But Summer had to sit back and admire the drink first. “It’s so pretty!” “Yeah, plus it’s symbolic. Looks like a sunrise, right? It’s a new dawn. New day. All That." "Wow.” Summer laughed. “That’s, like, so deep.”  “Totally, I’m Tolstoy with a tip jar.” Cure for the Common Breakup, Beth Kendrick

Title: Backfire Series: A Vigilantes Novel Author: Keri Lake Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance - Standalone Release Date: June 9, 2016 Cover Design: Hang Le Image Credit: Eric Battershell Photography Cover Model: Johnny Kane   No matter how unbreakable he may seem, every man has a weakness. A year ago, my home became a bloodstained crime scene. That night marked the beginning of my hell—the same night I was tortured by my enemies and tossed into an underground prison to die. They failed. I survived. Now that I’m free, only one motive burns in my soul: revenge. Lucky for me, they think Jase Hawkins is dead. Maybe I am. I’ve got nothing but a cold, merciless rage, and Black Betty, the sharp steel blade that never leaves my side. Then she drifts into my life. Lucia wants answers—so much so, she’s willing to fall into the darkness where my enemies lie in wait, to kill her for what she knows. Or to take her for the depra...