The Saucy Wenches Book Club

In the fall of 2005, through friends at work, I was introduced to the joy that is Gilmore Girls . I was hooked from the start. Rory was my age, though a year behind me in school. Lorelai was the best thing to ever grace my TV screen. I couldn't get enough. I used my brand new DVR to record the reruns every morning on ABCFamily. I watched the new episodes every week and discussed them the next day with my co-workers. Even after the final season, I continued to watch the daily reruns over and over. I've seen all of these episodes so many times, my husband knows them by heart too. And, then, miracle of miracles, a Netflix revival was announced! The heavens rejoiced! Well, maybe not quite, but I rejoiced for sure. The revival was released a little over a month ago and it was A. MAZ. ING! That is why I'm here today, on this Fangirl Friday, to gush about Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life . Spoilers abound, so be wary and keep reading after the break!

This is our world now--one that doesn't know its own rules. And when you've got a world that doesn't know its own rules, everything dark and nasty that was once held in check comes slithering out of the cracks to try to take a shot at whatever it wants. Iced ~~Karen Marie Moning

“What we achieve at our best moment doesn’t say much about who we are. It all boils down to what we become at our worst moment.”  Feverborn by Karen Marie Moning

The Holidays are a busy season, but some of us have managed to get some reading in. But more importantly, the Wenches wish all of our readers have a fantastic new year!  H ave a Happy New Year!  Click through to read more.

“Someday, Locke Lamora,” he said, “someday, you’re going to fuck up so magnificently, so ambitiously, so overwhelmingly that the sky will light up and the moons will spin and the gods themselves will shit comets with glee. And I just hope I’m still around to see it.”  “Oh please,” said Locke. “It’ll never happen.”

Throughout the caretaker experience, your loved one's presence is intense and exquisitely poignant and painful, then all the sudden they're gone and you discover their absence is even more intense and exquisitely poignant and painful. You don't know how to walk or breathe when they're no longer there. And how could you? Your world revolved around them. Burned ~~Karen Marie Moning

The Wenches just don't include new releases in our top reads list for 2016. We count anything we've read in 2016 that we adored.  The list is varied and we don't just stick to one genre! Check through our list below and see what books rocked our world this year. The books we can't wait for others to read and the books that touched us in some way.

He opens boxes and begins to build something. It is strange. He plays music on his eye-pod that makes me feel uncomfortable … young, childish. "It‘s a tree, Mac. You and Alina put one up every year. I couldn't get a live one. We‘re in a Dark Zone. Do you remember Dark Zones?" I shake my head.  "You named them." I shake my head.   "How about December twenty-fifth? Do you know what day that is?"   I shake my head.   "It‘s today."  He hands me a book. There are pictures in it of a fat man in red clothing, of stars and cradles, of trees with shiny pretty things on the branches.  It all seems quite stupid to me.  He hands me the first of many boxes. In them are shiny, pretty things. I get the point. I roll my eyes. My stomach is full and I would rather have sex.  He refuses to comply. We have one of our spats. He wins because he has what I want and can withhold it.  We decorate the tree while happy, idiotic songs play. When we are finish...

It’s almost the end of the year! 2016 was not the best year for me, and I found myself looking for light, easy books that I could cuddle with in bed and just enjoy. Not too much pondering and problem solving. So as the holidays approached, I went in search of books with a Christmas theme to help get me into the spirit. I’d like to share with you some of the holiday stories I read. These are short reads, all about Christmas and romance. Most of them lifted my spirits, and I can recommend them if you’re looking for something easy and fun to take your mind off the stress this time of year. (Except one.) I hope you’ll join me after the break.

One day you will do things for me that you hate. That is what it means to be a family. Everything is illuminated, Jonathan Safran Foer

"I love you Ethan, and I love this city. And however much I fought, I love this goddamn house. It's a  part of me and I'm a part of it. I'm not going to stand here and watch a man tear down everthing that you've built. I'm not. And if that means I have to chase another man who threatens this house, or apologize to you more than I like, so be it. I don't want that, but I can live with it. Because I can't live without you."  Midnight Marked (Chicagoland Vampires #12) by Chloe Neill

Angela: I finished The Blood Mirror ( Lightbringer #4) by Brent Weeks. It ended up only being a 3 out of 5 star read. So much of the book was filler and that just annoys me when I read. Other than that, I haven’t felt that inspired to pick up another book. I’m on holiday at the end of this week for two weeks so hopefully that will inspire me to read something else. Anne: I’m still in the midst of a fanfiction binge. I’m reading one of my all time favorites. After that I’ll probably get back into the CLV world, so I’m ready for Phantom’s Kiss in January. In the audiobook world, I’m onto Iced . I should be done with that in a day or so and then I’ll start Burned . Happy Holidays everyone!  Barb: I'm reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X . It's slow going. And I'm getting into areas where he was incredibly, remarkably misogynistic. In his own words. Which is difficult for me. I want to learn, I want to understand, but I don't really want to read about how wom...

The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting. –Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

His eyes - how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow. And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself. From The Night Before Christmas      by Clement C. Moore

Once upon a time, when we were a very new blog just getting started, I immersed myself in the Fever world and put myself in the head of a casting director. For those of you new to the Fever series and/or our blog, in 2011, Dreamworks bought the rights to the Fever series. The Maniacs rejoiced. Alas, nothing ever came of the purchase and the rights reverted back to Karen. As it turns out, Karen is against making the series into a movie. She doesn't think it's the correct format for Mac's story. And, I tend to agree. She did say at the Feverborn Release Party Q&A, she would be open to a Fever TV series, if the right offer came along. I'm thinking Netflix would be the right option for our beloved series. With the main story arc coming to a close with Feversong in January, here I am again, putting myself back into casting mode to update and add to my original post, which can be seen here . Most of my choices, I stand by. But, now that we know a little more about se...

I’m pretty sure I didn’t read this I’ve been reminiscing about the first romance novels I obsessed over, those infamous “bodice rippers” back in the 1970s. I thought it would be fun to compare them to my favorites now — maybe find some commonalities, or just thank my lucky stars that the genre evolved. Plus enjoy some smiles, because wherever I might think these books belong on the subjective scale of literary value, I can’t deny they were a lot of fun, and some have stuck with me for all these years. Bodice ripper surely originated to describe 1970s, post-Harlequin romances, because that’s exactly what they were. Not at all my usual genre. I grew up on dystopian sci-fi and fantasy, then spent four years majoring in English Lit. I wasn’t a snobby reader, but I liked books that challenged me to think and learn while they distracted me with entertainment. Shortly after I graduated from college, I noticed my mother reading this. I absolutely laughed my arse off. She go...

And then he's leaning into my ear, his hand on the small of my back. "That's right, you're not my possession. You're going to be my wife . My wife who kneels at my feet, who presents her cunt to me without question when I demand it, who trusts me with her heart and soul and future. You think it's either/or that you belong to yourself or belong to be, but I'm telling you right now that it's both/and . You belong to yourself and you belong to me, and I don't fucking care that it seems like a contradiction because we both know it isn't. Now if you can't accept that, then say my name right now and we will step back and renegotiate our relationship. But if you are willing to submit to the fact that I will move fucking heaven and earth to keep you from harm, then say yes, sir ."  American Queen ~~Sierra Simone 

“…but Sassenach—I am the true home of your heart, and I know that.”  He lifted my hands to his mouth and kissed my upturned palms, one and then the other, his breath warm and his beard-stubble soft on my fingers. “I have loved others, and I do love many, Sassenach—but you alone hold all my heart, whole in your hands,” he said softly. “And you know that.” Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Click through to see what we're reading. 

“The lesson of history is that no one learns.”

Y'all. Why must you show out like this in front of people, Little Jerk? Toddlers are couthless. LORD. They are so couth-deficient.  {snip} Toddlers are just short, mean teenagers. The only real difference is that toddlers are still cute, so we can deal with them better. That cuteness is the reason we get all attached to them in spite of their shenanigans, so by the time they grow up, we feel all responsible for them and whatnot. It's really a conspiracy. I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual ~~Luvvie Ajayi 

If you've been following our What the Wenches are Reading posts, you'll know that I recently finished up a re-read of the last three Fever books, Iced , Burned , and Feverborn . You may also know that I've been rereading the Chicagoland Vampire series and posting the questions I've come up with as I go. Well, as I was re-reading the Fever books, I realized I have some questions for Ms. Karen Marie Moning also. Now, I really don't expect to get answers to most, if not all, of these questions. That doesn't mean that I won't even bother asking. On the contrary, knowing that we may never know the answers is driving me fucking crazy. Keep reading after the break to see what these questions are and hopefully watch me stave off the madness a little longer.

  “When we hold each other, in the darkness, it doesn't make the darkness go away. The bad things are still out there. The nightmares still walking. When we hold each other we feel not safe, but better. "It's all right" we whisper, "I'm here, I love you." and we lie: "I'll never leave you." For just a moment or two the darkness doesn't seem so bad.”  Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days

“Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.” Hogfather, Terry Pratchett

Saucy Readers, we have a treat today. Regular readers will recall that my favorite book of 2015 was The Paper Swan by Leylah Attar. A talked about it a lot, starting with my review of it. It was on my best of 2015 list and I made sure it was on the group's best of  list. Then I read it again this year. Because I was waiting ever so patiently for Ms. Attar's next book. Well, that next book is nearly here, finally, and we have the first look at the cover of Mists of the Serengeti ! Click through to see the gorgeous cover and all the details! And look for more sneak peeks over the coming weeks as we count down to the novel's January 31 release. 

There are seven billion of us on this earth, and we are all different. But one thing is clear: humans excel at using our differences as excuses to act like assholes and torment one another. It is highly unfortunate that we use these innate, integral, and often uncontrollable things to mistreat others. We have created rigid, yet often invisible, systems that keep some people at the top, on the backs of others at the bottom, based on their identity markers. And we refuse to fix these systems of inequality because being at the top of the food chain is the place to be, so who would want to lose those perks? The air up there is so nice, who cares about those in the gutter?  I'm Judging You: The Do Better Manual ~~Luvvie Ajayi 

Click through to see what we're reading! 

“Name,” he said abruptly. “I have to have a name. Can’t get married without a name. Just like a cock. Can’t get married without a name; can’t get married without a c—” [...] Father Fogden blinked, brought back to attention. He made an unsuccessful attempt to stifle another belch, and transferred his bright blue gaze to Fergus. “You have a name, too? And a cock?” “Yes,” said Fergus, wisely choosing not to be more specific. “Fergus.” The priest frowned slightly at this. “Fergus?” he said. “Fergus. Fergus. Yes, Fergus, got that. That’s all? No more name? Need more names, surely.” “Fergus,” Fergus repeated, with a note of strain in his voice. Fergus was the only name he had ever had—bar his original French name of Claudel. Jamie had given him the name Fergus in Paris, when they had met, twenty years before. But naturally a brothel-born bastard would have no last name to give a wife. “Fraser,” said a deep, sure voice beside me. Fergus and Marsali both glanced back in s...

I heard Fitz let out a sigh front-loaded with so much drama that only a teenager could have managed it without hurting himself. Ghost Story (The Dresden Files #13) by Jim Butcher

Hello again, fair Readers. I am back with yet more questions and observations on the Chicagoland Vampires universe. Today, I will be focusing my attention on Biting Cold . In case you missed the previous book, you can find my Drink Deep questions here and here . With that bit of business concluded, let's jump into the questions (and spoilers) after the break.

If you've been paying attention to current events this year, you've probably heard the word "Cleveland" tossed around once or twice. From the city hosting the RNC to the Cavs breaking a 56-year sports championship drought (as well as local minor league hockey and baseball teams) to the Indians earning runners-up honors in a World Series for the ages Cleveland has been in the spotlight for all the right reasons.  A Northeast Ohio native, I pretty much always wish I was home, but never more so than this year. The world is seeing what I've always known: Cleveland is a jewel on the Lake Erie coast, inhabited with the best people you've ever met. There are a million things to do, no matter the season, and the place is gorgeous, from pristine National and Metro Parks to beaches and lighthouses, to a sparkling skyline perched on the Lake shores.  Come with me through the jump and I'll tell you just a few reasons Cleveland is must-visit town and an amazing pla...

It is truly exhausting, and I'm not sure if I'm thankful for the undeniable proof that racism is still all around us, or wishful for the days when we could be tricked into thinking things were not so bad. But racism is not just random individuals burning churches and Black people being gunned down in the streets by cops. It is a system of oppression that is so deep and omnipresent that it seeps into every single aspect of our lives, and it is as American as apple pie drizzled with canned cheese, topped with french fries. The red stripes on the flag are really the blood of Black and brown people, and many centuries after the country's creation, these stains still have not faded. The history of this country is like Grimm's Fully Fucked-up Tales of Prejudice .  I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual ~~Luvvie Ajayi 

“I admit it’s fatally dangerous,” Watney said. “But consider this: I’d get to fly around like Iron Man.” “We’ll keep working on ideas,” Lewis said.  “Iron Man, Commander. Iron Man.”  The Martian  by Andy Weir

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

“Oh, what would you like on your vegetarian pizza?” “Dead pigs and cows,” I said. She glanced up at me and wrinkled her nose. “They’re vegetarians,” I said defensively.

“I want to go the brink of not knowing myself, I want someone to take me there and hold me by the neck and make me stare at an entire reckless realm of possibility.”  ― Sierra Simone  American Queen

Ever since we fell head-over-heels in love with Priest by Sierra Simone, I've been waiting for her next book, hoping that it would knock my socks off just as thoroughly. Well, I've been slacking a bit this year in following authors, and their coming releases, closely. In other words, I haven't been author stalking like I should be. So it was nearly release day when I learned that Ms. Simone was shortly releasing a new book. I ran to Goodreads to check the book summary and proceeded to wait impatiently for the book to hit my Nook app.  Fortunately I had a quiet weekend with the house all to myself, so when I got my hot little hands on American Queen I was able to dive in and wallow in it, finishing it in about a day, barely surfacing for food and sleep. It was glorious. Come with me through the jump and I'll tell about American Queen , why I am awed by it, and why I will be stalking Sierra Simone much better from now on. I'll try to keep my spoilers to a minim...

“She didn’t understand a damned thing about life except that it was arbitrary and cruel, and some people got away with murder while others made one tiny, careless mistake and paid a terrible price.”    Liane Moriarty's  The Husband's Secret

And Manon understood in that moment that there were forces greater than obedience, and discipline, and brutality. Understood that she had not been born soulless; she had not been born without a heart. For there were both, begging her not to swing that blade. Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass#5), Sarah J. Maas

"Secrets have a way of rotting foundation when those foudations are meant to be built on truth an honor." Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh

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

James Franco & Sarah Gadon in Hulu miniseries “We did not ask for this room or this music. We were invited in. Therefore, because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light. Let us endure hardship to be grateful for plenty. We have been given pain to be astounded by joy. We have been given life to deny death. We did not ask for this room or this music. But because we are here, let us dance.” ― Stephen King, 11.22.63

Like it or not, I had embraced the darkness. The fact that I had died before I could have found myself used for destructive purposes meant nothing. I had picked up a red lightsaber. I had joined the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Ghost Story (The Dresden Files, Book 13) by Jim Butcher

Here I am again with Part Two of my Drink Deep questions. You can catch Part One here ! Let's just jump right into it. Spoilers and questions aplenty after the break!