The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Come All Hallows' Eve, the walls would stand or fall. Weirdly, I'd begun looking forward to Halloween, because at least my waiting would be over. Limbo would end. I'd know what I had to deal with. I'd know exactly how good or bad things were going to be. I'd know if I could be relieved--a year would buy me plenty of time to figure out what to do--or if I should be terrified. Either way, I'd have concretes.  Faefever ~~Karen Marie Moning 

​I'm back with more questions about the Chicagoland Vampire​ series. This time, I'm focusing on Hard Bitten . Yes, the heartbreaking one. It is one of the toughest in the series to get through, if you know what's coming. But, I did it and I have questions. This is part one of the Hard Bitten questions. If you need to catch up, here are links to the previous books' questions, SGB , FNB 1 , FNB 2 , TB 1 , TB 2 . Join me after the jump to see what I want to know about Hard Bitten ! I think it goes without saying, but SPOILERS AHEAD!! ​

“But then I think, this happens sometimes, doesn’t it? People you have a history with, they won’t let you go, and as hard as you might try, you can’t disentangle yourself, can’t set yourself free. Maybe after a while you just stop trying.”  The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

What have I got left to read before the end of the year? I'm trying to do my Goodreads challenge of reading 65 books this year, but I've started falling behind. I blame it on reading too many books which are long! That's my story and I'm sticking to it. So what do I have on my list to read before the end of the year? I wonder if I can make it through my list below?

Tell me that we’ll get through tomorrow. Tell me that we’ll survive the war.  Tell me—” She swallowed hard. “Tell me that even if I lead us all to ruin, we’ll burn in hell together. Queen of Shadows , Sarah J. Maas 

“What about you, pretty boy? You gonna stand there and let your girlfriend do all the work?" "What?" Watch my seriously hot woman put you on your fat ass and look sexy while she's doing it? Oh, yeah, I'm definitely game for that.”  Wild Embrace by Nalini Singh

“Time machines, magic portals, transporters, worm holes, flying carpets, relocation charms—such things do exist. They're called books.”                 Richelle E.Goodrich.  Click through to see what the Wenches have been reading!

“Domineering isn’t always a bad thing. Given the right circumstances, that is.” The zing turned into a furnace that went into blast mode behind his zipper. “You know I’m going to be thinking about that the rest of the night, correct?” “If not, my delivery needs work.” “I thought you said you weren’t good at banter?” She lifted a shoulder. “Maybe I underestimated.” “You’re just a little bit evil. I’m going to like that about you.” ~ Justice , Lisa Clark O’Neill

For this Fangirl Friday, I'm going to tell you a little discussed secret on this blog. ​I LOVE HORROR MOVIES!! I love them with every fiber of my being. I watch them year round, but October is horror movie mania for me. I will watch as many as humanly possible. Halloween 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, H20, Omen (sometimes both versions), The Exorcist, Nightmare on Elm Street, Candyman, Psycho, It, The Shining , you name it, I'll watch it. Except Halloween 3 , fuck that movie. It's terrible and it doesn't even have Michael Meyers in it! Anyway, my all time favorite horror series is the Scream series. The first movie is one of my all time favorites of any genre. I knew that MTV had put together a Scream TV series, but it was on MTV and MTV's other shows are SOOOOOO not my style, that I had never watched. I didn't really even follow it on spoiler sites. I basically ignored it's existence. Until I went to the movies with my two best, local friends about two months ago...

"All myths contain a grain of truth, Ms. Lane. I've handled books and artifcats that will never fine their way into a museum or library, things no archaeologist or historian could ever make sense of. There are many realities pocketed away in the one we call our own. Most go blindly about their lives and never see beyond the ends of their noses. Some of us do." Darkfever ~~Karen Marie Moning

​“I thought you were some sort of camp counselor,” Julian finally said to Kelly. “Work with troubled kids and all that.” Kelly pursed his lips. “Yeah. It’s called Camp Asskicker. I’ll give you a ‘you tried’ badge next time I see you.” Cross & Crown by Abigail Roux

Lots of reading for the Wenches once again. We're all over the place genre wise, but that's what you love about us, right? A lot of us are continuing with series reads, including the occasional reread of a couple of Wench faves. And some of us are branching out and trying something new!  Click through to see what we've been reading, and share what you've been reading in the comments below.

The Wenches are so pleased to be a part of Chelsea Mueller's Borrowed Souls cover reveal. And excited! We'll absolutely be adding this one to our reading lists immediately!  Click through to see the much anticipated cover, read the blurb (which will suck you right in!) and take part in a very cool Giveaway! 

“There are things you can't walk away from. Not if you want to live with yourself afterward.”

"I tend bar. I like music. My sister was murdered recently. I seem to have gone insane since then," I added this last almost conversationally. Darkfever ~~Karen Marie Moning

I don’t know about you, but for me dragons are absolutely enchanting. There is something fascinating and captivating about them. They are both majestic and terrifying. As far back as I can remember, I’ve been in awe of these magical beasts and wanted to have one as my best friend. Dear Smaug I used to look for drawings, photos, sculptures, and stories of the mythical creatures. Almost every civilization has created some form of dragon. I read about Chinese and Japanese dragons, and discovered that a Chinese dragon has four or five claws on each foot, while the Japanese dragon has only three. I found out that my Chinese Zodiac sign, derived from my birth year according to the Chinese lunar calendar, is the Dragon. I read Norse dragon mythology. There are three dragons primarily represented in Norse mythology: Nidhogg, Jormungand, and Fafnir. I devoured tales about the medieval evil dragons. There are so many stories, legends, and descriptions of these magical cr...

He raised a brow.  “It's a children’s love story.” Lillian gaped at him.  “It’s Romeo and Juliet.” “Babes without any sense.  Killing themselves over infatuation.” “It’s considered one of the greatest love stories of all time.” He lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “Unless you know better.” “And I suppose you know better?”  she scoffed. "Without question." He leaned forward in the darkness, allowing his brogue to thicken. “You want romance, you ask a Scot.” A Scot in the Dark (Scandal & Scoundrel#2), Sara MacLean

"I hadn’t crossed the line. I’d ridden an elephant up to it and run back and forth along its edge while a mariachi band played in the background, but I hadn’t crossed it." Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

Sometimes I wonder how the rest of the Wenches manage to get any reading done when real life can be crazy! They're amazing. As always, lots of variety in our reading choices. Ranging from non fiction audiobooks to fantasy, horror to sci fi, thrillers to chick lit, and more! Click through to see what we've been reading! And feel free to share your reads of the week with us in the comments below!

That was what was missing back there in Las Vegas, he decided — simple love. They were nice enough people and all, but there wasn’t much love in them. Because they were too busy being afraid. Love didn’t grow very well in a place where there was only fear, just as plants didn’t grow very well in a place where it was always dark. ... love is what moves the world, I’ve always thought ... it is the only thing which allows men and women to stand in a world where gravity always seems to want to pull them down ... bring them low ... and make them crawl ... ~ The Stand , Stephen King

"Out of curiosity,” I said, “what happens if I don’t catch the killer?” His expression turned sober and his voice became quieter. “You’ll be trapped there. Maybe forever. Unable to touch. Unable to speak. Watching things happen in the world, with no ability whatsoever to affect them.” “Hell,” I said quietly. “Hell.” “That’s cheerful.” “You’re dead, son,” Jack said. “Cheer is contraindicated.” Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

This week, I’m fangirling about the first novel by David D. Levine , an author whose work I’ve admired for a long time. Years ago, I marveled at the way he designed how computer programs looked and worked, but it’s a whole lot more fun to explore the marvelously imaginative realms he so cleverly crafts in his remarkable collection of science-fiction short stories. So the instant I realized he had published an entire novel, I couldn’t wait to dive in! Arabella of Mars is a swashbuckling historical adventure that was a bit reminiscent of old classics plus a few of my favorite new things. It was like Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs crossed with some Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen — with a smattering of Joseph Conrad, a goodly serving of Black Sails , Dr. Who Easter eggs, and a whole lot of Arya Stark thrown in. Set during an alternate version of England’s 19th-century Regency period, it tells the story of Arabella Ashby, a young woman of aristocratic family and soon-to-...

"Still waiting on that thank-you," I cheekily said, since we'd broken the ice. He smiled, rubbed a thumb along my jaw. "Did you know your eyes darken when you're serious? From cloudy sky to deep, dark ocean." His gaze went absent as he scanned them. his green eyes tracking across my gray-blues. "So much there. Dedication. Honor. Love." He was skilled enough to flatter, but the depth of emotion in his eyes told me he was being sincere. My blood began to hum at the passion in his eyes, from the soft kiss he pressed to my lips. "That'll do for thanks," I quietly said, pulling the reins on my hormones. Blood Games ~~Chloe Neill

​"Everything’s settled down?” Ty asked as he ducked under the table.  “That depends. The CIA currently has in its custody two FBI agents and one Boston police detective who is demanding they pay for the damage to his boat.”  “He’s okay?”  Burns nodded. “Emptied a double-barreled shotgun at a couple of Company lackeys, and then they arrested him. He spent all night claiming he thought they were the Men in Black coming to scan his brain.” Armed & Dangerous by Abigail Roux

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

“Real evidence is usually vague and unsatisfactory. It has to be examined---sifted. But here the whole thing is cut and dried. No, my friend, this evidence has been very cleverly manufactured---so cleverly that it has defeated its own ends.”

When I had no place to turn, Jericho Barrons took me in, taught me, opened my eyes, and helped me survive. Granted, he didn't do it nicely, but I'm no longer quite so picky about how I survive, as long as I do. Bloodfever ~~Karen Marie Moning