The Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance

What have you been doing with SVU off the air? Watching a lot of hockey?  I’ve been desperately trying to finish writing my next book (the deadline is in  nine days — gulp!) and reading an awesome legal humor book during breaks (while standing at the counter eating peanut-butter bagels).

“The Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance” is the first book by lawyer/blogger Kevin Underhill, the man who consistently wins the “Fun” category in the ABA’s legal blog rankings.  If you’ve read his blog, Lowering the Bar, you know he has a hilarious, clever take on the most absurd legal happenings every day.  If you don’t read his blog, go do it now.  I’ll wait.  Funny, right?

” Sasquatch” is the rare combination of making you laugh and making you smarter.  It documents “real laws that human beings have actually dreamed up, enacted, and sometimes even enforced,” from the Code of Hammurabi to modern day Louisiana (guess which are crazier?).  Fans of SVU will be interested to know that ancient Hittites faced the death penalty for sex with a sheep.  Sex with a horse, however, was totally cool.   Seriously.

As a writer, I get a lot of books.  My husband usually glances at them, makes a vaguely approving sound, and tosses them back down.  This one, he hasn’t put down.  I can’t get it out of his hands.  Every time I look over, he’s reading and laughing.  If you like to read about the absurdities of the law throughout history — or just need a good belly laugh, check out this awesome book.

Meanwhile, wish me luck in finishing my own novel.  See you back here for SVU next week (when I’ll be much better about answering the comments section).  Thanks for all your great comments and analysis in the meantime!