The Saucy Wenches Book Club

​"Yes, priorities,” Vlad agreed in a light tone. Then to Ian, he said, “Touch me again, and I’ll feed your limbs to a pack of wolves.”                             Ian shook his head. “Can’t even pretend to be marginally sane, can you?" Into the Fire by Jeaniene Frost

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“First in , Last out."  Motto of the Bridgeburners.

"Let me quote: 'Do you want seduction, dinners, and gifts? Seduction is a game, and if you pay enough flattery, money, or attention, you get what you want. I thought you were above the game.' Did you not say that to me a week before you strolled into my garage to invite me on 'a date'?" "Yes. I wanted to skip the bullshit." "So what happened? You changed your mind and now you want the bullshit?" Rogan's phone chimed. "Yes, I want your bullshit." "Well, you don't get to have any of my bullshit. I'm keeping it." Okay, and that didn't sound childish. Not at all." "Why not?" "Because you call it bullshit." White Hot ~~Ilona Andrews

Don't judge this book by its cover! There are a bunch of Ilona Andrews fans around here, Wenches who have loved the Kate Daniels series for years, and even one or two who enjoy their Cleansweep series. I fully admit that I am not one of those Wenches; I don't enjoy Kate Daniels, it's just not my cup of tea, and I've never read a Cleansweep book. So way back in 2014 when an ARC of the brand-new Burn for Me showed up on my doorstep, I put it in an envelope and mailed it to Wench Amanda, and promptly forgot about it. Amanda reviewed it here .  A few months later Wench Olga had read Burn for Me and blackmailed  talked me into giving it a try, in return for her reading something I had fallen in love with. I don't even remember what at this point, so Olga wins this round. Anyway, I reluctantly read Burn for Me , although I kept my mind open, and said mind was blown completely away. Completely and utterly floored by the most perfect PNR/UF book I have ever read. Th...

“I wanted you to stop.” “I was encouraged by you breathlessly moaning my name.” I spun on my foot. “I wasn’t moaning your name. I was shrieking in alarm.” “That was the sexiest throaty shrieking I’ve ever heard.” “You need to get out more.” ~~ Ilona Andrews , Burn for Me

Have you ever read one of Lisa Renee Jones’s books? Her stories are a blend of drama, suspense, and dark erotica. Escaping Reality ( The Secret Life of Amy Benson #1) was my first experience with LRJ’s books. The heroine, Amy, was on the run, her life in mortal danger, and I was running with her, unable to figure out whom to trust, who was friend, and who was foe. That series made me look for more from this author. Next, I picked up If I Were You , the first installment in the Inside Out series. After the jump, I’ll share my take on this story of dark desires and intrigues.

“Damn it, Kayden, I want to talk about this!” “I talk better naked, and so do you.” “We don’t talk better naked.” “We do a lot of things better naked.” “I’m trying to protect you.” “Protect me naked,” He says. “This isn’t funny,” I object. “I don’t remember Laughing.” “We have to talk about this.” “We will.”He enters the bedroom and kicks the door shut. “Eventually.” Demand, Careless Whispers #2, Lisa Renee Jones

“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.”  Burn for me by Ilona Andrews

Cleveland Public Library's Reading Garden Click through to see what we're reading this week! 

If that’s the kind of girl it takes to beat me, well then I suppose I’m still right enough. ~ David D. Levine, Arabella of Mars Congratulations to Arabella of Mars , winner of the 2016 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction-Fantasy!

The diggers-up-of-the-past don't think being called 'diggers-up-of-the-past' is a posh enough name, so they call themselves archaeologists . Savage Stone Age by Terry Deary, Illustrated by Martin Brown

This is a great time for TV. There are so, so many good shows out and so many different platforms producing TV. It's a really beautiful thing for someone like me. I work over forty hours a week, nights and weekends, and I have a three year old. I don't have much time or energy for going out to the movies. But, with so many fantastic shows out right now, I don't have to. There are so many shows I could talk about, but given what kind of blog this is and the plethora of choices, for today's Fangirl Friday , I'm going to focus on TV shows that are based on books. There are/have been some absolutely SPECTACULAR translations just in 2017. They are spoiling us, really. So, sit back, relax, and follow me after the break to discuss some great TV shows of 2017.

I considered screaming and running past the sentry and back into the courtyard, but stood my ground out of nothing more than sheer stubbornness. I had sought him out, after all. I was a warrior. Warriors don't scream and run.  Royal Street Suzanne Johnson

“That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary. There wasn't even any rioting in the streets. People stayed home at night, watching television, looking for some direction. There wasn't even an enemy you could put your finger on.” The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

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“You’ve one mark on your record,” Tamas said. “You once punched a na-baron in the face. Broke his jaw. Tell me about that.” Olem grimaced. “Officially, sir, I was pushing him out of the way of a runaway carriage. Saved his life. Half my company saw it.” “With your fist?” “Aye.” “And unofficially?” “The man was a git. He shot my dog because it startled his horse.” “And if I ever have cause to shoot your dog?” “I’ll punch you in the face.” “Fair enough. You have the job.”

“Maybe you should make me a list of people I can kill and ways in which they’re allowed to die,” he said.  “You are not funny.”  “I’m very funny. Just ask Peaches.”  ―  Ilona Andrews ,  Burn for Me

“Now that was a kiss,” Grandma Frida said from the doorway behind me.  I jumped. “How long have you been there?” “Long enough. That man means business.”  All my words tried to come out at once. “I don’t . . . what . . . asshole! . . . screw himself for all I care!”  “Aww, young love, so passionate,” Grandma said. “I’m going to buy you a subscription to Brides magazine. You should start shopping for dresses.”  ―  Ilona Andrews ,  Burn for Me

My last Fangirl Friday post was about the post-apocalyptic, dystopian books I’d been reading, and it ended with a prediction that I’d need a dedicated post to rave about the trilogy I’d just begun. Well, I was right! Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy, which she prefers to call speculative fiction, presents a deeply disturbing, poignant, and mesmerizing view of a not-too-distant future that is all too easy to believe might happen. This is a cautionary tale about the dangers of technology run amok. About rampant disregard for the environment and all forms of life. About corporate greed and scientific hubris. But also about profound grace, astonishing beauty, and the very essence of what it means to be human. The story initially centers around two dissimilar young men who befriend each other while living in a corporate compound where their parents work. They head off to different colleges, then meet up again for an engrossing sequence of life-altering events. They team up...

“She preferred imaginary heroes to real ones, because when tired of them, the former could be shut up in the tin kitchen till called for, and the latter were less manageable.” Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

It wasn't just the physical pleasure or the intoxicating mental thing he'd done today. It was that terrifying, single-minded intensity he radiated when he focused. I just felt, with some sort of feminine intuition, that when he had sex, he committed to it completely. He would have sex the way other men made war. I wanted to be the only thing in the entire world he cared about, even if only for a few minutes. I wanted all of him, mind and body, to be mine.  Burn For Me ~~Ilona Andrews 

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Sanity is a valuable possession; I hoard it the way people once hoarded money. I save it, so I will have enough, when the time comes. ― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

Image via Eclectic Homeschool This wholesale diminishing of high intelligence as some figment of a past generation's imagination is among the most corrosive ideas to permeate education and psychology in quite some time. Try as we might to say that "everyone is gifted in some way," it is simply not true - political correctness be damned! Dumbing Down America: The War on Our Nation's Brightest Young Minds (And What We Can do to Fight Back)   by James R. Delisle, Ph.D.

​I'm back again! This time with my questions on Wild Things . I have to admit, I didn't remember too much of this book. So, this reread was enlightening. Keep reading below to see what questions I had about Wild Things !

There are 4 books in the series so far; Grave Witch, Grave Dance, Grave Memory and Grave Visions . Book 5 is coming out in July,  Grave Ransom . Alex can speak to ghosts and tries to help them out with their unfinished business or if they died as a result of a criminal activity. She often works with the cops.  So far these books have been good. I just can't put my finger on what's bothering me.  Follow me after the jump and pick my thoughts (beware of slight spoilers).

"But there is more, of course," Amit said. "More stories, good and bad. Because while I have seen Ethan at his worst, I have also seen Ethan at his best." He glanced at me. "And he is at his best when he is with you. That, I think, is the best kind of love. Love doesn't guarantee happiness or wealth or success. But if you're willing to commit to it, to work at it, it guarantees partnership. So that no matter the trials or tribulations, no matter the joy or loss, you are not alone." He raised his glass. "To Ethan and Merit." Blade Bound ~~Chloe Neill

“Hey," said Shadow. "Huginn or Muninn, or whoever you are." The bird turned, head tipped, suspiciously, on one side, and it stared at him with bright eyes. "Say 'Nevermore,'" said Shadow. "Fuck you," said the raven.” American Gods by Neil Gaiman

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“Tool interrupted, ‘do you mock me, or your own ignorance? Not even the lichen of the tundra is at peace. All is struggle, all is war for dominance. Those who lose, vanish.”

He smiled at me. "You were born Caroline, and you made yourself Merit. I demand your love and your faithfulness." He smiled slyly. "Your identity is yours to keep." That was it, exactly. The thing I hadn't been able to put into words. I shouldn't have doubted that he'd understand what it was to feel like you'd made your own identity. {snip} "Others wanted us to play certain roles. To be certain people. But we made ourselves. So keep your name, Merit of Cadogan House. I have your heart." Blade Bound ~~Chloe Neill 

An apocalyptic battle for godhood in the rift between Iowa and the Abyss... A fleet of enlarged praying mantises have invaded Des Moines, Iowa. Swarms of cicadas are turning survivors into winged soldiers. Orchestrating the war zone is a priestess of Order, who's pursuing godhood, and the nation of followers who’ll get her there. Caroline's new friendship parts the veil between reality and myth, as a recruiter of Order needs her to hide him from capture. In their escape, the boss she’s loved like a father reveals his elevator into the Abyss. In this new world, Caroline finds a usurped god and an angry ghost eager to make her their gateway back to power. What if the person her friends will need is heartbeats away from becoming the real threat? Check after the jump for my review of Revolt .