The Saucy Wenches Book Club

“I don't know. I don't know at all. And that's what's frightening the life out of me. To have no idea....”    Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None

www.goodreads.com www.goodreads.com I never thought I would said it. I may just have found the series that will replace A Song of Ice and Fire as my number one fantasy series. It feels slightly blasphemous  to even say those words. As you may well know I've raved about A Song of Ice and Fir e for years and years. I've yelped in delight when a friend has picked up the series and loved it as much as me. Forget what I've told you previously. You need to be reading the  The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. You need to give it a chance and just see how truly terrific fantasy is written. It's blown me away and I'm only two books into the series.  It almost feels like I'm cheating by admitting that  The Malazan Book of the Fallen  series is better than  A Song of Ice and Fire , but you will soon see how it's captivated this reader. Come with me after the jump to see how to prepare yourself for the awesomeness which is Malazan. I w...

Sometimes the impulsive decisions you make in life turn out to be the best of choices. Into the Black  

"I'm a mechanic; I fix things that are broken.  I turn into a thrty-five pound coyote. I have powerful friends. But when it comes right down to it, my real superpower is chaos." Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson #10) by Patricia Briggs

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Why is it always such a surprise? thinks Toby. The moon. Even though we know it’s coming. Every time we see it, it makes us pause, and hush. ― Margaret Atwood, MaddAddam

“Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?" said Malfoy. "And he’s supposed to be our teacher!" Harry and Ron both made furious moves toward Malfoy, but Hermione got there first - SMACK! She had slapped Malfoy across the face with all the strength she could muster. Malfoy staggered. Harry, Ron, Crabbe, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again. "Don’t you dare call Hagrid pathetic you foul—you evil—" "Hermione!" said Ron weakly and he tried to grab her hand as she swung it back. "Get off Ron!" Hermione pulled out her wand. Malfoy stepped backward. Crabbe and Goyle looked at him for instructions, thoroughly bewildered. "C’mon," Malfoy muttered, and in a moment, all three of them had disappeared into the passageway to the dungeons. "Hermione!" Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed. ― J.K. Rowling,  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

​Hello again, Saucy Readers! I'm back again! This time with Biting Bad . It seems that, as we get closer to the end of the series, I have fewer questions and more observations. Biting Bad is actually only one part this time, unlike most of the others that have been two parts. It is a bit longer than some of the others, but it wasn't enough to break into two parts. Hit up our Chicagoland Vampires tag if you need to catch up! Keep reading, and know that spoilers abound, to see what I'd like to know from Biting Bad after the break!

Are you as obsessed with This is Us as we are, Saucy Readers? Several of us are head over heels in love with this show. That is what brings me here today. In addition to out of this world acting, there is some serious, Grade A man candy on this show. I am here today to share the love and to tell you to watch this show!! Seriously, it's the best. But, be prepared to have your heart wrenched at least once in every episode. Come with me after the break to see the sights!

It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~~J.K. Rowling

“No system which implies control by privilege seekers has ever ended in any other way than collapse.” In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

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“The things that ask the most of us are the things most worth having.”

Houses flashed past the window. Harry felt a great leap of excitement. He didn't know what he was going to--but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~~J.K. Rowling

Hello hello hello, Saucy Readers! Here I am back again with part two of my House Rules questions. You can find part one here . Let's not waste anymore time and jump right in! Questions and spoilers after the jump!

If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's love for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign...to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~~J.K. Rowling 

  M y C l o w n s I collect clowns. I’ve been collecting clown dolls for more than 30 years and really don’t remember what inspired me to start the collection. Maybe it was the first time I went to the circus as a child, watching these 2 “clumsy” clowns doing acrobatics, making the audience laugh. The most ancient clowns have been found in the 5th dynasty of Egypt. Their role changed over time, but the art of clowning has existed for thousands of years. I know that today a lot of people think clowns are scary. The blame rests with characters like Pennywise the clown from Stephen King’s book (and movie) It , or Twisty, that disgraced clown from the TV series American Horror Story , and the likes. But I refuse to think about those or acknowledge them. I love the funny, smiling faces of clowns. I try to find the ones that have something extra for me, preferably artfully crafted. Their cheerfulness brightens my day and lightens my heart. I look for them everywhere,...

He had no desire to live in Europe anymore, America had welcomed him with open arms and he hoped their constitution and ethnic mix would prevent any extreme political parties taking power as they had in Russia and Germany. The Secret Wife, Gill Paul

“He was a better fighter than I was, but he wasn’t faster than me. Nor was he as motivated, and I think he underestimated me. He thought he was fighting a girl with a stick when he was fighting Adam’s mate, Coyote’s daughter, armed with Lugh’s staff.”  ―  Patricia Briggs ,  Fire Touched

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“It’s strange,” Ethan said. “The world belongs to them now, but we still possess something they don’t have.” “What?” “Kindness. Decency. That’s what it is to be human. At our best at least.” ~ Blake Crouch, The Last Town ( Wayward Pines #3)

One of the many dangers of being born royal - aside from death by boredom during her aunts' lessons - was the constant threat of abduction. As her mother was the queen of Alderaan and her father the queen's consort, to say they were wealthy and powerful was a vast understatement. When the seediest cretins came crawling out of the darkest corners of the galaxy looking for victims, Leia was a natural target for their greed. So despite feeling like there was something terribly unladylike about throwing large, sweaty men around on wrestling mats, her aunts agreed with her parents that self-defense needed to become part of her relentless princess training once she turned sixteen. A New Hope - The Princess, The Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy by Alexandra Bracken

You know that book that's been sitting on your To Be Read list seemingly forever? That book is The Lions of Al-Rassan . A standalone fantasy book that's well worth checking out. This book made me cry, people. It's that good. It had all the elements that I love in an historical fantasy book — interesting characters, wonderful setting and captivating story. Come with me after the jump to see what I enjoyed about the story. 

Source For the last few months, I’ve had a voracious hunger for harrowing post-apocalyptic dystopias. It’s one way of drowning out the din around me, or at least distracting myself, for a while. It can be maddening, inspiring, cathartic, and strangely soothing. This was the genre I loved in high school and college, titles like 1984 , Brave New World , Alas Babylon , Lucifer’s Hammer , and The Stand . They explored the best and worst of innumerable possible paths through devastation triggered by nuclear war, asteroids, toxic pollution, or aliens — leaving survivors to begin again without government, technology, and infrastructure, or to weather the rise of authoritarian, totalitarian, and fascist regimes. The latter was my least favorite post-apocalyptic theme. As I discovered new stories, I pounced on them: The Postman (the novella, NOT the movie), The Handmaid’s Tale , The Hunger Games , The Passage , Station Eleven , and a lengthy list of more. I’ve been wanting to...

I still think he looks beautiful in the moonlight , Ash said to me once, and I see it now. Perhaps everyone looks better in moonlight, but only Embry can look like this, like a decadent prince after the candles are snuffed, left alone with his regret and grief. Like an ancient statue, chipped and cracked and still the epitome of male beauty. Except with Embry, all the chips and cracks are on the inside, visible only in the icy flare of those blue eyes, the bitter twist of his lips when he thinks no one is looking.  American Prince ~~Sierra Simone

“Let me explain how such a thing might occasionally happen,' Goebbels said. 'All during the twelve years of the Weimar Republic our people were virtually in jail. Now our party is in charge and they are free again. When a man has been in jail for twelve years and he is suddenly freed, in his joy he may do something irrational, perhaps even brutal. Is that not a possibility in your country also?' In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson #resist

The very best thing for me, as a reader, is when I go into a book doubtful that I will love it because of something that I know isn't my usual taste, but then I end up gobsmacked and loving it. Sierra Simone has done that for me three times now, and I absolutely love her for it.  I read and loved the first in her American Queen trilogy last fall, which I told you about here . Because of the gasp-worthy cliffhanger I was eagerly awaiting the second installment, American Prince , and may or may not have squealed out loud when I was approved for an advance copy and it landed on my tablet.  Saucy Readers, I loved this book. It was unlike anything I've read before, was not the kind of thing I thought would capture me, but it did. It grabbed me from the beginning and never let go. Come with me through the jump and I'll tell you why you need to be sure and catch up before the final installment in the trilogy, American King , releases in August. I'll keep the Prince spoil...

“The Dimwit's Guide to the Female Mind might assist your efforts in understanding human females. But it must be pointed out that this subject can be a dangerous adventure and should be undertaken with extreme caution. After all, human males have been trying to understand their females for generations, and most of the time they come away from these encounters looking like someone stuck their tails into an electric socket.”

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And it's so much responsibility, having this kind of power and control. The weight of someone's safety and catharsis. How does he do it? How does he hold that corner of his mind open for compassion and evaluation while he gives himself over to the monster inside? My monster has no corners, my monster has no compassion. He has only need.  American Prince ~~Sierra Simone

​This blog started over the Wenches shared love of Urban Fantasy books. We've grown and changed since then, but there are still a few UF series some of us read.  The Mercy Thompson series, by Patricia Briggs, is one of them.​ I once wrote about my befuddlement at the fact that more people don't read this series, ( read it here ). I very much enjoy it. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of the newest book, Silence Fallen . I'm here today to give you a (mostly) spoiler free review. Keep reading below to find out what I thought! PS: How badass is this cover? I LOVE IT!

“Things we had, like respect and trust, but also freely expressed desires and accountability to whatever degree it took to make both people happy. It took work, a willingness to fight passionately and fairly--out of bed, not just in it--commitment and honesty. It took waking up and saying each day, "I hold this man sacred and always will. He's my sun, moon, and stars."  It took letting the other person in; a thing I'd stopped doing. It took being unafraid to ask for what you wanted, to put yourself on the line, to risk it all for love.”   ―  Karen Marie Moning ,  Feversong

American Prince, the highly-anticipated follow up to American Queen by Sierra Simone is coming March 7th!! American Prince by Sierra Simone Publication Date: March 7th, 2017 Genre: Contemporary Romance Cover Designer: Hang Le I’ve been many things. I’ve been a son and a stepbrother. An Army captain and a Vice President. But only with Him am I a prince. His little prince. Only with Maxen and Greer does my world make sense, only between them can I find peace from the demons that haunt me. But men like me aren’t made to be happy. We don’t deserve it. And I should have known a love as sharp as ours could cut both ways. My name is Embry Moore and I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States…for now. This is the story of an American Prince. Excerpt: Ash opens his eyes and gives me a sleepy smile. It’s such an unfamiliar look on him, both the openness of it and the happiness, and I stare into his face, drinking it in like a man dying of thirst. ...

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley...He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter -- the boy who lived!"  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone ~~JK Rowling

Click through to see what we're reading this week. What are you reading, Saucy Reader?