The Readers Block

The Blood Countess is a fictionalized retelling of the life of Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and the life of her descendant- Drake Bathory-Kereshtur. The story tells of how their lives touch through mysticism, passion, and upheaval- creating passages to each other in the flow of time. Personally, I felt the accounts of Elizabeth's crimes in this book was mild, considering the legends attached to her. I have read other reviews that the book was too gory and the reviewers had to stop reading it, but that wasn't the case in my experience. I feel that the author was trying to show that while Elizabeth was guilty of cruelty, torture, and murder, she wasn't the monster history and legend have made her become. Or maybe she was. In either case, it was enough to get me interested in the history of Hungary and the current situation in that part of the world, so off I go to find more. =) The Blood Countess by Andrei Codrescu My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Today I woke up. And I cried. I ironed my husband's dress shirts, and carefully chose my own clothes, and I cried. I don't want to wear these clothes. I don't want to see my husband in his suit, or see what clothes our family and friends have chosen to wear themselves this day.  More importantly, I don't want to see the clothes that have been chosen for Tyler today,  or think of Sabore's family needing to choose what they'd like him to wear, what his baby is going to wear.  Because they should be here. Tyler should be skating. Sabore should be holding his child.  They should be with their families.  They should be going to work. They should be  laughing. They should be . But pennies are more important than people, so they are not.  And I am angry. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2015/11/bayonne_man_killed_on_route_440_had_passion_for_sk.html#incart_2box_hudson%22He https://www.change.org/p/mayor-davis-build-a-pedestrian-bridge-on-the-back-highway?recr