I am a sucker for historical fiction which is why I was excited to read this month's selection, despite the fact that it is far too heavy to comfortably hold while reading in bed.  I don't even need to know very much about the time period in order to enjoy it.  There are loads of books that fall into this historical/religious fiction category, or at the least - borrow from historical fact to spin a good tale:  The Red Tent by Anita Diamont, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Forever by Pete Hamill, One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus, Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.

Do you enjoy reading historical fiction?  Do you find that it changes your perspective about a time or event?  Do you ever find yourself confused about how much is fact and how much is fiction?  Do you care which parts are invented?  Do you think that historical fiction can provide anything to the reader that a non-fiction account of the same time cannot?