You have to go to the new site, Pretty in Orange!

Click here to find the book reviews!

Pretty in Orange is ready to go!!

What you will find there:

• Main Page (Home Page) 
  • This is where most of the entries that made up The World According to Lawgirl are.  I’m still going through all of the entries and putting them in their proper places, but you will see all of the recent entries. 
  • This is also where you will find the navigation to the other pages, which operate independent of each other.
• Reflections
  • This is where any and all product, book, movie, music, etc. reviews will go.
• Glow
  • This is where all of the posts from Fattie Fatterton are now.
• Glitter
  • Anything to do with shopping, fashion or beauty is here.
• Flavor
  • This is where you can find posts about decorating ideas.
• Goals
  • All of my updates about my 2010 Goals will be here.
• Charity of the Month
  • All posts about Charity of the Month will be here.

Subscribing

• Each page has this button in the top right-hand corner. 
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• I am hoping that in the future you will have the option of subscribing to the Main page only as well, but for now if you go with Main, you get it all.
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Twitter

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Facebook

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Blogroll and Links

• They’re all there together now, combined from Lawgirl and Fattie Fatterton.  But they are still in their categories.

Comments

• From now when I comment on your blogs, it will show up as angela at prettyinorange. 
• Guys, I am so sorry, but the majority of your comments didn’t make the cross over from the original two blogs to this one.  I really apologize.  But you can leave me alllll new ones on this blog!!

Sharing

• At the bottom of each post, you have the option to share that post over the known world.  There’s stuff on those buttons that I’ve never even heard of before.

Feedback

• Please feel free to give it.  I want to make this site accessible and easy for ya’ll. 

The Original Blogs

• They will no longer be updated.  All new posts will be on Pretty in Orange. 

Thank You

• To Teresa of Splendid Sparrow, who designed the what you see and the behind the scenes stuff that I would have taken a year to figure out.   You can find her information at the bottom of the page. 

There are still a couple of kinks to work out here and there, but I’m ready to move forward.  I hope you enjoy the new blog!

A few weeks ago, I decided that I really should buy some sports bras.  I haven’t had any for awhile because I really felt as though my regular bras were getting the job done (and I don’t jump up and down or run or anything like that).  But, I needed a bit more coverage in Yoga, since we do bend over a lot and my shirts are a bit big on me right now.

I had read a review of Moving Comfort bras on another blog (and I am sorry to say, I can’t remember whose blog it was) so I decided to check them out. 

Of course, there are limited options for my size – because you know, people my size DON’T workout and certainly DON’T want to look good if they do.  RIIIIIIIIGHT. <end bitter rant>

So I chose the Fiona style bra. 

Always a top seller, the Fiona favors C-DD cup women who need the extra support. Molded cups encapsulate each side while stretch powermesh limits up-and-down movement. Easily adjust the straps in the front with our signature hook-and-loop system. Three plush-backed hook-and-eye rows on band. Fourth row on 40-44 bands.

Body: DriLayer® X-Support 88% polyester / 12% Lycra®
Interior Cups: 100% polyester
Back Lining: DriLayer® Powermesh Plus 79% nylon / 17% spandex
Front Yoke Lining: 90% nylon / 10% spandex

I buy as much as I can from Amazon as I feel as though they are usually the lowest price AND I am an Amazon Prime subscriber (which means I pay $78/year and then get free 2-day shipping on all qualifying orders.)  So I purchased my Fiona bra from Amazon in both black and white.  You are not going to get as many options through Amazon as you would through the Moving Comfort website, though. 

I love these bras.  I highly recommend them.  I am a D cup and the twins (what I call my boobage)  do NOT move at all in these bras, yet are still extremely comfortable. 

Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System

I love having cats; they are so easy in the care department.  But I hate the litter box.  I am so lucky, because Ophelia is so easygoing about everything and doesn’t care if her litter box is pristine.

But I am tired of having litter tracked all over – including into my bed!

I purchased this litter box for Ophelia:

Tidy Cats Breeze Litter Box System

Breeze litter system uses specially-designed, cat-friendly Breeze litter pellets that are 99.9% dust free and anti-tracking. Breeze litter pellets allow urine to pass through to an odor controlling unit. The urine is quickly absorbed leaving solid waste on top for quick, easy removal.

Basically, there is a diaper in the tray that catches the urine and you can change that out.

And I am really happy with it.

However, this is not the type of litter box that you can leave alone and not care for. 

Whilst I’ve been battling the tooth thing for what, now, 3 weeks? I’ve kind of been ignoring most of my duties.  The pad that catches all of the urine needs to be changed at least once a week, if not more (depending on your cat’s frequency of use). 

So last night, I had completed my threesome with Dr. Pepper and Captain Morgan in an effort to sleep (and I can’t wait to see what kind of hits I get from using the word threesome, tee hee) and was toddling off to bed when I looked into the spare bathroom and decided that Ophelia deserved a much cleaner litter box.  So, I disposed of the solid waste that stays on top (while the urine heads down to the pad).  And then I thought, you know, I should just go ahead and change that pad.

I opened up the drawer and there was STANDING URINE.   And because I wasn’t expecting that, I got it alllllll over the place – the floor, the rug, my BARE FEET for crying out loud!!  And it’s not like you can just leave that and say, well, I’ll deal with it in the morning. 

So I did the best that I could (keep in mind that I am a total lightweight when it come to booze and I was buzzed from the shot of Captain Morgan in the Dr. Pepper) at 1 am, trying not to wake anyone else up, screeching under my breath at how gross it all is.

So yes, keep up with it.

Bob was so sweet, he helped me (and when I say helped, I mean he did it for me) with the bleaching of the floor and all the other necessary stuff.  I love that man.

1.  To overhaul this blog and my other blog into one blog. 

• Lawgirl and Fattie Fatterton will be combined into Pretty in Orange, which will have different sections regarding daily life, health/fitness, shopping/fashion, and reviews. 
• June Update:  Well, I am LIVID that this is not done yet.  And my hands are tied for the moment.  I can’t go further until I have the “bones” of the blog in place.  So, yes, I have been paying for a website for 6 months that I can’t even use. 

2.  To participate in a 5k once every quarter this year. 

•   Miles for Smiles was to be this past Saturday.  However, the weather didn’t cooperate.  I did get out and do my own 5k.  You can read my recap of that here. 
• I have also picked out three more 5ks:
  • The Komen Race for the Cure – I’m already registered. 
  • Stirrup Hope Fund Walk and Run 5k
  • JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes (2 miles instead of a 5k)
• June Update:  Well, Bob and I registered for the Komen race, paid our dues, and all that.  But at the last minute, he decided that he would rather get away for the weekend.  So, I had planned to do my own personal 5k.  I haven’t done that yet.
• To be honest, since I found Yoga, I have NO interest in walking right now.  I get bored with it, I don’t like the way I feel after it, ….I just don’t want to. Maybe once I lose some more weight, I can start the Galloway method into running.  But yeah, I don’t like the walking right now.  So I’m putting this goal On Hold.

3.  To learn Adobe Captivate.

• Still trying to figure out how to do this.  The software is over $700.  So then I thought about trying a class on it.  Those are close to $800.  In the end, it would be cheaper for me to buy the software, but I can’t see that happening while I’m unemployed.  Not giving up, though.

4.  To learn Pivot Tables in Excel.

• No work on this yet.

5.  To create and maintain my online portfolio.

• Completed!

6.  To work out with Ashley (my trainer) at least twice per month.

• Met up with Ashley once this month to get a gameplan going.  Will meet with her the week of the 22nd.  
• June Update:  Ashley is going to be leaving to raise her impending firstborn child.  Again, since Yoga took over, I’m focusing on that.

7.  To learn about eating a raw diet. 

• Still working on this one.  I think as the weather improves, I will be able to get further with this.  When it’s cooler outside, I want a hot meal. 
• June Update:  SO excited.  Whole Foods has a Raw Chef now and Robbin and I are going to our first Raw Foods class next week. 

8.  To make time for one dinner out per week with friends. 

• This is hard.  I want to leave this one for the weekends.  It’s too hard for me to do it during the week, as it’s the time I get to spend with Future Hubby. 
• June Update:  Well, Yoga has, again, taken the time that I would be able to put toward this.  HOWEVER, I have made new friends through Yoga and am enjoying that!

9.  To answer emails in a timely manner. 

• I was doing great on this, but am sucking at it again.  My oldest email is Feb 21.  Not as bad as when I first started this goal, but I know I can do better.
• June Update:  I am doing much better on answering comments on my site, but not as well with some emails. 

10.  To commit to walking, then jogging 4 miles per week.

• Week of Feb 15 – 3 miles
• Week of Feb 22 – 6 miles
• Week of Mar 1 – 6.5 miles
• Week of March 8 – 5 miles
• These are all walking, so I’m going to call it In-Progress until I’m running.

11.  Financially, I am just surviving until I get a job.  So, I’ll revamp those and make financial goals after I get one.  If I ever get one. 

• Still no job.

12.  If I can swing it, I want to do some traveling this year.

• Future Hubby and I have gone away every month this year and we are going away again a the end of March.
• June Update:  Bob and I have continued to take trips here and there, but nothing significant.

13.   Start to learn Italian. 

• Nothing yet.

14.  Volunteer at a local animal rescue on a regular basis.   

• Nothing yet. 

15.  Organize a charity walk for Cozy Cat Cottage.

• Nothing yet.

16.  To join a CSA. 

• June Update:  Didn’t happen.  Money was an issue. 

17.  Learn how to can veggies and fruits.  Goes along with #16.

• This will not begin until fall.
• June Update:  I can still do this even without #16. 

As you can see, Yoga has really taken over my life, but in a good way.  I am working out 5 days per week, I feel really good – it’s made a huge difference in my life.  Obviously, I didn’t know I would fall in love with Yoga this way at the beginning of the year.  So, I am probably going to do some changes to my goals for the year.

Well, let me tell you….

Tonight I want to die (Wait, I shouldn’t wish for that either!).  The pain is even worse than last week and again, I can’t take anything stronger than Aleve. 

Except, I’m thinking I make drink myself to sleep tonight.  Seriously.

I have to say, I didn’t feel any pain at all during the extraction.  Bob had gone to this place before, The Gentle Dentist, and I went to them last week for the infection.  They really want to make it as pain-free and fearless as possible for you.  

Today I went in and was offered nitrous oxide.  I’d never had it before and I said, Yes Please!!  I loved it so much, I asked for some to go.  They nixed that one. But it was great and I think it should be used for everything now – visits to the gynecologist, manicures, pedicures, grocery shopping, sex (when you want to jazz things up), prostate exams, you know, whatever.

They also numbed me up and that was even painless.  They had used a tasty topical numbing agent first and then shot me up three times.    That’s what hurts the most right now, I think – the injection points, as it’s in the top of my mouth and near the bone.

The actual removal of the tooth was painless as well.  He just worked my head back and forth until he could get it out.  And let me tell you, that was one ginormous tooth – and half of it was gone already!    The tooth behind it cracked a bit, too, unfortunately.  I am going to have to go back next week to have that taken care of. Oh yeah, so far this has cost $350.

Now, the problem is:  I don’t bleed.  I never need a bandaid after blood is drawn.  Which is great then.  Not great for this – they want you to bleed so that you have a blood clot ready to protect the socket.  Doesn’t happen on me.  So they had to put in some sponges and stitch me up to protect it. 

After I was done, I went to Whole Foods to get some soft foods to help me through tonight and tomorrow.  But I really haven’t felt like eating.  I haven’t eaten since 1pm and I really don’t feel like eating now.  And I’m running a fever.

Thank you to all who have checked in, who have left me encouraging comments on Facebook and on Twitter. I really appreciate it.  I am just trying to get away from the pain somehow.

Love to all.  Talk to you tomorrow.

Yes, I know, Bob and I were the LAST people to see this movie.  Whatever.

We only watched it because we went to visit my mom and my brother had loaned it to her.  So it was free and I didn’t have to go get it.

First of all, let me explain why I didn’t want to see the movie:

1.  I hate James Cameron and I didn’t want to give him money.

I guess that was the main reason.

Oh, and then I heard rumors that it was very one-sided and blah blah blah.

Okay – so what were the positives?

1.  I thought that the special effects were quite amazing. 

2.  I thought that the acting by Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver was top notch.

3.  It was nice to see Giovanni Ribisi in a role that didn’t make him into a developmentally challenged person or victim of pedophilia. 

4.  The story was somewhat interesting.

What did I hate about it?

1.  The message that all military people are bad.

2.  The message that you can’t possibly reap the benefits of nature without destroying everything.

3. Zoe Saldana’s voice.

4.  The fact that we’d already seen this movie when it was released as Dance with Wolves.

5.  Michelle Rodriguez – WHY are people still hiring her?

Overall, the movie made everything appear very black and white – The Na’vi (surely a play on the word Native) are good because they are innocent and do no harm to the planet.  The humans are evil, because they need the “unobtanium” (really?  that was the BEST you could come up with, James Cameron?), which is clearly meant to represent oil.

Of course I think that we can take better care of our planet and that we need to respect living things.  I am on board with that.  But does that mean we only destroy rather than try to live harmoniously?  I don’t think so.  I think it’s wrong to imply that and only feeds ignorance on both sides

Day of the Dead (2008 film)

I love zombie movies.  This one was just okay.  When did the zombies get fast??  In the original Night of the Living Dead, the zombies were really slow and you could knock them over quite easily. 

Also, Nick Cannon seems like a moron.  And, as he did marry Mariah Carey, I rest my case.

It was also nice of Mena Suvari to keep her clothes on.

Very weak script.  No wonder it went straight to video.

1. deedee9:14:  An awesome design blog by someone who loves orange as much as I do (and as much as you should.) 

2.  My First Bub:  Jess just gave birth to her first baby.  Now, I know I don’t want kids, but for some reason, I’m enjoying reading about her experience. 

3.  The Pink Orange:  First of all, how could I not love that name?!?!  Second of all, Rebecca creates the most gorgeous invitations and announcements.

4.   The Suburban Life:  Mindy cracks me up with her observations about daily life in the suburbs.

5.  Very Inviting Paper:  I know it’s silly – I mean, I don’t ever mail anything.  But I just love stationary!

6.  Foxy Blunt:  The Pioneer Woman had this on her site and I haven’t stopped laughing yet.  These are the cards you wish Hallmark had sold when you shopped there. 

Regular Amazon Price:  $15.81  Price I paid at Target:  $17.99  Kindle Price:  $9.99

Overage:  $12.17

First, let me explain.  I bought this in hardcover from Target way back in January.  And started to read it and left it at my mom’s.  And then I bought the Kindle.  And then I went to my mom’s and retrieved the book.  But after reading books on a Kindle, I found I couldn’t stand to hold this book and read it, so yes, I bought it for the Kindle.   So no savings. 

I had read Julie and Julia and enjoyed Powell’s writing.   This book is also well-written.  It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, as it does follow her quest to learn to become a butcher.  She describes in detail cutting up many different animals. 

This is not a feel-good book.  Her marriage is faltering and that is detailed as well.  Her escapades with her lover are detailed. 

Personally, I think that the majority of this book should have remained unpublished.  If I were her husband, I wouldn’t have wanted these details published. 

From Amazon:

Julie Powell tries in her second book to show the world that she has an important voice of her own–that she can do more than ride on the coat-tails of greater talents that have gone before her. So it is a far from encouraging sign that she starts by stealing a title–double entendre and all–from another memoir published not ten years earlier ("Cleaving: The Story of a Marriage," by Dennis and Vicki Covington).

Just sound and fury, people. Sound and fury.

A Passion Most Pure (Daughters of Boston, Book 1) by Julie Lessman

Regular Amazon Price:  $10.19  Kindle Price:  $0.00  Savings:  $10.19

Amazon offers the first book of a series on Kindle for free at times, hoping that you will get hooked in and want to read more.  They won that war with me and the Rachel Morgan series. 

I typically only go for the books that are rated very highly.  And so I downloaded this one.  It’s Christian Lit, which doesn’t bother me.   I was surprised, though, but the amount of sex in a Christian Lit book – not put off, just surprised.  I’m glad though, as sex is a part of any great romance. 

The characters were well-written, to the point that I wanted to smack the crap out of the antagonist.  She is evil with very little reason to be. 

I did become frustrated with the protagonist as well.  She had a hard time making up her mind and that just irritates the crap out of me sometimes.

Overall, though, I liked it and will probably read the other two books in the series.

From Amazon:

This was a wonderfully rich historical romance that kept me guessing until the last few pages about who will win Faith’s heart. I love those kinds of books! I couldn’t stop reading because I had to find out how everything turns out.

I highly recommend this novel. Fans of Deeanne Gist will probably enjoy this one.

The 9th Judgment by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Original Amazon Price:  $14.50  Kindle Price:  $14.99  Overage:  $0.49

You know, I loved these books when they first started. 

But James Patterson, you suck. 

First of all, I doubt you write that much in these books.  But I am sure you get all of the credit.   Second of all, the storyline sucked.  You didn’t use the characters at all.   I think that the criminals had more pages than any of the four women in the Women’s Murder Club. 

And I think you chose the crimes for the shock value, which again means, you suck.  You tried to use that as an excuse to carry the story.  It didn’t work.

From Amazon:

Hypothetically speaking, let’s say you are cleaning up your yard and you find something that is unpleasant. Use your imagination. But instead of disposing of it as you should, you try to conceal it by spray painting it gold. Well, of course, the unpleasantness is still there, but it just looks better.

Also, before I read this book I knew what misogyny is. It’s the degradation of women. Of course, misogyny is wrong. But this book made me wonder what the word is for the degradation of males, for there are many bits about slovenly, warped, and murderous males in this novel. The word is misandry.

This Time Together:  Laughter and Reflection by Carol Burnett

Regular Amazon Price:  $13.75  Kindle Price:  $9.99  Savings:  $3.76

My favorite childhood memories revolve around watching The Carol Burnett Show.  Sure, it was in reruns, but that didn’t bother me as a child.  I loved all of the sketches, especially the ones with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman.   I loved all of the characters – Eunice, Sis and Family, Starlett O’Hara, etc. 

If you have never watched the show, for God’s sake, find a way to do so!!

Anyway, this book was a quick read, but a lot of fun.  Carol Burnett can do no wrong in my eyes.  It was a fun trip down memory lane.

From Amazon:

About a week ago, I read an article in the New York Times about a new book coming out this week penned by the incomparable Carol Burnett. Needless to say, being quite intrigued (having read One More Time at least twice), I decided to take the plunge on this one blind (which I do not recommend you do unless you’re a fan like me). Am I ever glad I did!

In summary, if you want negativity, meanness, and other such things that are oh so common these days, this book isn’t going to satisfy that in the least. However, if you want something that is all too rare these days, such as class, sweetness, humor when it’s necessary, and something 100% genuine, then this book is for you.

I am walking in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k.  Bob is going to walk it with me.

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it on here before, but Bob’s late wife died from breast cancer.  He took care of her the entire time. I tear up whenever I think about how much heartbreak he endured through that.  It also made me fall even more in love with him, because I knew that if he had treated her so wonderfully, he would do the same with me. 

If you would like to donate to my walk for this cause,  

 please go here. 

• Regular Amazon Price:  $7.99  Kindle Price:  $7.99  Savings: $0.00

The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book 6) by Kim Harrison

• Regular Amazon Price:  $7.99  Kindle Price:  $7.99  Savings: $0.00

White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows, Book 7) by Kim Harrison

• Regular Amazon Price:  $17.15  Kindle Price:  $7.99  Savings: $9.16

Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan, Book by Kim Harrison

• Regular Amazon Price:  $17.15  Kindle Price:  $12.99  Savings: $4.16

See previous reviews of Kim Harrison’s book here and here. 

I am totally in love with these books. And of course, now that I’m all caught up on the series, I am missing it terribly.  I hope she continues it for quite a long time!!   Because I’ve read so many, I’m going to let Amazon do the talking.

From Amazon about For a Few Demons More:

In many ways, Rachel Morgan’s problems come full circle in this fifth installment of the Hallows series. With enemies drawing closer than they ever have before, her palette of choices is fast becoming slim to none. In one power play after the next, Rachel’s about to fall behind enemy lines, instead of the one step ahead we’ve been seeing.

It’s back to Cincinnati after her desperate attempt to save her pixie partner’s son and her ex-boyfriend, Nick. Rachel harbors a rather nasty curse trapped in a bone prison, the focus, which threatens to twist the realities of Weres and vampires alike, both of whom squabble over it like children. With Trent vying for it, someone killing for it and our favorite demon Al lusting after it, Rachel once again has to find a way to undo another problem forced upon her. As the delicate balance between her and Ivy begins to come to a roiling boil, it’s all the earth witch can do to stay this side of good, acceptable magic. With her special blood and desire to help others though, it’s near impossible for her to deflect the trouble that comes looking for her with a vengeance. Unable to unload the focus on just anyone, she’ll have to decide who’s the best choice…and none of them are looking particularly stellar.

The first of Harrison’s series to be offered in hardback, it’s a worthy installment for it, tipping the scales even further towards excellent. For a Few Demons More wraps up some of the problems that Rachel has been having over the course of the other books while of course unraveling others even further. Trent comes back into play and it’s a totally different side of him than readers have read before. Ceri, the powerful ex-demon familiar, shows Rachel just how much she respects her and Rachel’s pack mate David takes on a major role. The demon Newt is back and we get some interesting information and insights into that character too, though whether they help or hinder the outlook on Newt is the reader’s choice. Ivy’s dilemma with Piscary is excruciatingly dealt with and it was a struggle at certain points to get past the powerful emotions Harrison has written surrounding Ivy and Rachel. As always, Harrison manages to insert a shocking twist, one I never saw coming, involving Rachel and another of her closest friends. For a Few Demons More is inundated with its fair share of pain, angst and utter despair and readers most certainly may feel closer to Rachel than ever before because of it. It’s not without it’s glimmer of hope though and some very interesting new characters are introduced that I hope will continue to make appearances in the next book, most notably a mysterious organization of demon practitioners and Dr. Ford Miller, a psychiatrist for the FIB (Federal Inderlander Bureau, the human division to deal with Inderlanders). In the end, as much as Rachel has had to deal with, she’s never appeared stronger to me. As always, the once-a-year release of Harrison’s Hallows series just can’t come fast enough and I only hope that there will be many, many more to come.

From Amazon about The Outlaw Demon Wails:

Over the course of five Hollows novels, Harrison has teased and alluded to readers about Rachel Morgan’s true heritage. Is she really a witch? What did Trent’s father exactly do to her DNA? Why does Ceri never let on about what she knows regarding Rachel’s unusual talent in kindling demon magic? How is it related to Trent’s research for the elf race? Why do demons gravitate towards her as if they have an ulterior motive? Why? Because they do!

Finally, Harrison lets the cat out of the bag in a big way…but she doesn’t give it to us all in one big enchilada. The entire meat of the book is a lead in to what we have been waiting for but we stop a few times, glean more along the way.

Two main aspects to this latest tale that stand out significantly are: 1)there is more of a presence and focus on family ties both from Rachel’s true family and her urban Hollows one i.e., Rachel’s mom has a very dark secret related to Rachel’s father, Keasley is revealed, Quen is in dire trouble, Rynn Cormel, the charismatic new Cincy vampire master makes an appearance, Ivy and Rachel come to an agreement of sorts with their blood balance, David the Were appears more nurturing, the addition of Marshal (the witch from Mackinaw Island) provides a potential new love interest, and Ceri…well she’s got a bun in the oven from an unlikely source and 2) Rachel’s true heritage.

It even gets more complicated and spicier as the search for Kisten’s killer ensues, Trent asks Rachel to go on a mission to the Ever-After so that she can retrieve a piece of ancient Elven DNA-that might be able to repair the damage that the demons wrought in the last war. Couple this with Al on a nightly release when some mysterious person keeps summoning him from his jail in the Ever-After-even Minias is hard pressed to catch him. All in all, it’s not just a bad day for Rachel but a bad week-Halloween week no less.

Readers get the big payoff and a glimpse into one possible direction that Harrison might be taking the series-one that is freaking irresistible! I felt like giggling and skipping around in a circle chanting a mantra: "We’re going to the Ever After- We’re going to the Ever After" like it’s a really neat school field trip. Well hell…it is! My permission slip is signed and I’m ready to go!

After staying up nearly all night to finish reading (got the book early), and a triple espresso in the shower to wake me up, it was well worth every minute. Worth savoring and re-reading!

Kudos Harrison, did it again!-Laughter in One Word: `mouse burger", and the dialogue between Jenks and Bis was so freaking funny I laffed so hard and loud, that I probably woke my neighbors!

From Amazon about White Witch, Black Curse:

I loved this latest installment to the Hallows series! Note to the wary: If you are not the kind of person who enjoys an involved, series-long master plot that needs to be carefully followed, you might not enjoy this book. On the other hand, if you like books that make you keep track of multiple plot lines and get very involved in gritty character development, this will be a great series. And do start with the first book first- you’ll miss most of the sub plot references if you don’t.

There’s a nice twist in the series plot with this book. At the end of "Outlaw", it looked like we were going to be taken back into the ever after to see Rachel trained as a demon with Al. In reality, we go into some very murky Interlander/human politics, with a good, up-close look at vampire politics specifically.

We also get to see Edden be a typical dad. We get to see Glenn accept his tomato fascination. And we get to see Rachel learn to love raspberry Esspresso!

***** Spoiler part coming up!! *****

That said, I like how Kim Harrison handled Kisten’s death, using it to force both Rachel and Ivy to face their true natures. This books sees Ivy being forced to accept her vampire nature and why she needed blood even though she wasn’t yet dead. Rachel was forced to acknowledge the darker side of her magic and the fact that she’s not really a witch anymore. It delves into the whole Jenks/Matalina dying side of things. And with a brief cameo, Trent is set up to maybe do some big personal growth in the next installment.

We got to meet a few characters who are a critical part to our main characters: Rachel’s brother, Ivy’s sister, and the FIB psychologist Ford. We got to see Art from Ivy’s short story and her obnoxious ex-boss Dennen die in a satisfying but gross way. We got to meet Rachel’s ghost witch again. We learn a bit more about the gargoyle, Bis, and what he’s capable of being for Rachel in future novels. We get to meet the darker side of Rymm Cormel (he’s not evil in the traditional sense, but he’s not all that different from Piscery).

Ok, I’d keep going, but there is just too much going on in this book. Read it for yourself and make sure you take your time reading it. This book had me laughing and crying, sometimes at the same time, and riveted from the first page to the last.

From Amazon about Black Magic Sanction:

I often find it difficult to review a new book from a favorite series because my feelings are pretty simple. They boil down to, "I love this series, I love this book, I wish I didn’t have to wait a year for the next one!" That’s how it is with Kim Harrison’s books anyhow. I am totally hooked on The Hollows.

I figure if you’re reading this review you’re probably not new to Kim Harrison. The Hollows is not a series that can be read out of order (for any newbies who’ve found there way here: start with Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1)). If you’ve enjoyed the direction that the series has been heading over the past few books, Black Magic Sanction will fill you with glee. If not, what’s wrong with you?

What are some little plot teasers I can throw out. Well, the villain of Black Magic Sanction is the coven of ethical and moral standards. As judge and jury to the witch population, members of the coven tend to be ruthless and power hungry…so it shouldn’t be any surprise that these ruthless, power-hungry witches have found a way to use white magic for dark purposes. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel – seeing a witch with an aura as clean freshly windexed glass use white magic to do some pretty black deeds, for selfish reasons, really drives home the point that however ugly Rachel Morgan’s sooty aura is, she’s the one fighting the good fight. Sometimes appearances really are deceiving.

We see a lot more of Pierce, the former ghost, who serves as this book’s dangerous love interest. We don’t see enough of Trent, who makes a couple of brief yet crucial appearances. Nick turns up again, and boy, if you thought you couldn’t hate Nick any more than you already did, you will find out that you were wrong. That little snothead is just about the most despicable fictional character I’ve ever encountered. But the sexy/evil enemy/ally that really shines in this book is Algaliarept. I’ve always thought Al was a great character; when he appears in a scene, I know it’s going to be fun to read (even if I know Rachel won’t enjoy what happens very much). But until Black Magic Sanction I was never even slightly tempted by him as a romantic interest for Rachel. That’s right, I said "until," and no, I am not explaining any further.

There’s one really major thing that happens in Black Magic Sanction that all of Harrison’s devoted readers have been dreading for a while now. We know that pixies have short life spans – and Jenks and Matalina have reached the ripe old age of 20, the sunset years of their species. But just try to imagine The Hollows without Jenks. It’s impossible, right? He’s the magic ingredient. Him and his whole family. Well, we get a day of reckoning in Black Magic Sanction so keep your tissues handy. I cried big fat tears over this one.

That’s about it. Ugh, another year until the next book!