Faves of 2011 Day 1: The Books

You all may remember me participating in faves of 2011 (so far) that was hosted by inkcrush back in June.  Well, we've reached the end of the year and she's hosting another faves week, this time for every book read in 2011.  This is a five day process that will go over books, characters, scenes, covers, and some other random things.  So without further ado, let's get into day 1, the books!

1.  Favorite Book Read in 2011


At the midway point it was a tie between The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Feed by Mira Grant.  I definitely still stand by those choices as two of my favorite books of the year, if not all time.  I have read many books that I would add to this list as close runner ups, including Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, Possess by Gretchen McNeil, Blood Red Road by Moira Young, and many more.

However, there is one book that I read this year that really stands out in my mind as just spectacular. That books is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.

I adored this book.  The world set up is just perfect.  I loved the seamless combination of a modern setting and ancient myth.  The water horses and the culture that revolved around them never seemed forced.  I loved the character development, in particular Sean and Corr's relationship.  This book is adventurous, touching, and fantastic story telling.

2.  Most Powerful Book

I had originally chosen The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.  While I love that book, I think The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn was the most powerful book I read.

I don't think I've ever read anything like The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. It is amazing, horrifying, and both a work of magical fiction and brutal honesty. I felt like for the first time I had found someone who could understand how I feel. I identified on so many levels with this book, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

3.  Brilliantly Funny

Back in June I picked Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, and you know what?  It's still my pick.

I love the sense of humor that John Green and David Levithan have, and their writing styles work so wonderfully together.  The banter between the characters is what really makes this book so funny.  I also  absolutely love Tiny Cooper and everything about him.  

4.  Best Ache-y, Heart-Breaking, Tear-Jerker Read

In June I picked The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and I still think this was the biggest tear jerker read of 2011.

I just cried and cried at the end of this book.  It is so sad, not just because it's about the Holocaust, but also because it showed how there were victims on both sides.  Plus father daughter stories always get me all weepy.

5.  Most Beautiful Story

In June I picked Paper Towns by John Green.  And while I still think Paper Towns is a lovely story, I think Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is just a beautiful.

I went into this book thinking it was going to be just another paranormal romance (a Twilight knock off) but oh, was I wrong.  This story is wonderfully explained with rich mythology that is slowly revealed with perfect pacing.  Just when I thought I had figured out the book it would change and go in a direction I didn't expect, and how I loved it.

6.  Delicious Rainy Day Comfort Read

I picked Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan back in June, and while I agree that book is so super stinking cute, I think Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins wins the sugar coated delicious comfort read award for 2011.

While I enjoyed Anna and the French Kiss, Lola was leaps and bounds better for me.  I think this is largely due to the fact that Cricket is pretty much my idea guy.  Tall with dark hair?  Check.  Super freaking smart engineer?  Check.  Adorably shy personality?  Check.  What's not to love, seriously?

7.  Adrenaline Fuelled, Unputdownable Award.

I picked Blood Red Road by Moira Young, but now I think I'm going to go out on a limb and choose something you might not have expected.  I pick The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa.

Confused?  Well, this book is action packed, and Kagawa does not hold back in giving all of the gory details.  Meghan is constantly fighting something, and someone of her party is always bleeding in some form.  Also at the end there's not one, but TWO major battles, full of bloody descriptions.  And when the character's aren't fighting they're busy making out, which can be just as adrenaline fuelled as a full on war.

8.  The Beautiful Prose Award

I had originally picked Blood Red Road by Moira Young again, and I still agree this book is fantastically written.  However, I have to also add The Scorpio Races to this award as well.  The reason I loved these books so much is largely due to their unique writing styles.

9.  The Most Atmospheric and Vivid Setting

In June I picked The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  And I agree, the setting is fantastic and I really can't count it out.  I want to add The Scorpio Races to this category as well, because the setting is fantastically described (can you tell I loved this book?).  I also really loved the setting in Daughter of Smoke and Bone.  Not only was Prague fascinating, but I loved Brimstone's workshop and the Marrakesh markets as well.  I really read so many books this year that just had amazing setting, I couldn't pick just one.

10. I so Want to go There Award


I had originally picked the Mediterranean Sea as depicted in Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson. I read another book by Johnson, The Name of the Star, which was set in London, England.  I've already been to both places and I would just love to go back, so this award goes to all of the awesome locations Johnson write about in her books.

 

11.  Most Original and Imaginative

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.  Done.

12.  Best Under Appreciated, Hidden Gem Book

I had picked Blood Red Road by Moira Young, but I have another that I really want more people to read and recognize as the awesome book it is.  Possess by Gretchen McNeil is freaking awesome.  Seriously.

Possess has a lot of suspenseful moments but McNeil has a great sense of humor that really lightens a would be otherwise dark and scary tale.  Also, there's great kissing scenes.  And creepy ass dolls.

13.  I Had No Idea I Would Love This So Award

So I judge books by their covers.  Sue me.  And I totally judged Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.  I hate this cover so much, I just couldn't get past that.  I thought no way is this book going to be any good.  You know what?  I love this series (minus book 4, that was bad).

14.  Most Haunting Story

I had originally had a tie between Shine by Lauren Myracle and The Book Thief.  Now looking back I realize The Book Thief has stuck with me this entire year, even though I read it back in March.  This book is truly special, and I have yet to meet it's equal.

15.  Outside My Comfort Zone but Gosh How I Loved It

I choose The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver in June, but then I read Want to go Private by Sarah Darer Littman.  I can't really say that I "loved" this book, but it stuck with me.  It was shocking and horrific and definitely not something I was comfortable with.  This may not be a favorite, but I feel like it is an important book about a topic that is very relevant to teens today.

16.  Series That I'm Loving.

I had chosen the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa and The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead, and I'm not changing my answers.  I've finished all of the VA books and I'm on book three out of four for The Iron Fey, and I love them both, oh so much.

17.  Always Recommending This Book

I am constantly recommending people read Feed by Mira Grant.  This is such a great book, it has a little something for everyone.  It has great zombie action as well as touching emotional scenes and government conspiracies.  I read this back in March and it's definitely one of my most favorite books of 2011.

18.  Completely Awesome Premise Award

In June I gave this to Battle Royale by Koushun Takami, and I totally think the premise of school kids forced to kill each other in a survival game is awesome (Hunger Games anyone?).  But I also wanted to mention a book that I had such high hopes for, but fell flat for me.  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin had such a cool premise and marketing strategy that I thought for sure I would just love the book.  While the book lost me halfway through, the premise is still awesome.

19.  Would Make the Best Movie

I read a lot of books this year that I could see being turned into movies.  I love the idea of Blood Red Road and Divergent being made into films, but I also want to add Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares to the list.  They are two completely different books, but I think I would love movie versions of both of them.

20.  Want to re-read Already

Yes, I still want to re-read Nevermore by Kelly Creagh and I probably will as the release date to Enshadowed (the second in the series) comes closer, but I also want to add The Hunger Games because I want to read the book again before the movie comes out.  I may also re-read Daughter of Smoke and Bone before the release of the second book in that series as well.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Published in 1999 by Harper Perennial Modern Classics
5 Stars


Goodreads Review
Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 2000: As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price along with his wife and four daughters off to Africa in The Poisonwood Bible, you can be sure that salvation is the one thing they're not likely to find. The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they've arrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse?

In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Biblerevolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.

The Poisonwood Bible is arguably Barbara Kingsolver's most ambitious work, and it reveals both her great strengths and her weaknesses. As Nathan Price's wife and daughters tell their stories in alternating chapters, Kingsolver does a good job of differentiating the voices. But at times they can grate--teenage Rachel's tendency towards precious malapropisms is particularly annoying (students practice their "French congregations"; Nathan's refusal to take his family home is a "tapestry of justice"). More problematic is Kingsolver's tendency to wear her politics on her sleeve; this is particularly evident in the second half of the novel, in which she uses her characters as mouthpieces to explicate the complicated and tragic history of the Belgian Congo.

Despite these weaknesses, Kingsolver's fully realized, three-dimensional characters make The Poisonwood Bible compelling, especially in the first half, when Nathan Price is still at the center of the action. And in her treatment of Africa and the Africans she is at her best, exhibiting the acute perception, moral engagement, and lyrical prose that have made her previous novels so successful. --Alix Wilber

Review: 

There are two big questions that The Poisonwood Bible raises.  First, why does helping people in poverty have to be tied in with religious ambition, and second, why does religious fervor cause people to forget their common sense?  I don’t understand why religion, especially (though not only) evangelical Christianity, causes people to act like Nathan Price.  On one hand I’m ok with religion when it acts as a moral compass to guide life decisions that affect only you, and I’m even more ok with it when it guides people to help others out of a desire to be more God/Christ-like.  However, what I do have a problem with is when people try and force that religion on others and try and change a person’s culture to make it fit into a prescribed box of what people are “supposed” to be.  And when the desire to control other’s and make them just like you takes precedence over the safety and welfare of your family, well then you’ve just gone too far.  People need to realize that while you may have chosen a particular path, other people may not choose it.  And those other people may indeed be your wife and kids.

Ok, religion rant over, back to the book.  I absolutely loved the first two thirds of the book.  I loved the culture clash of a middle class white family being thrust into a tribal African culture.  I also adored the five different viewpoints of the story.  Each character had a distinct voice that added to the overall texture of the story.  The African culture in this book is richly presented, with wonderful descriptions that show just how much the Price family was like a fish out of water.  It also showed that people have to adapt in order to survive, and some members of the Price family welcomed the change while others fought it tooth and nail.

The last third of the book was when the story started to go downhill for me.  Not that the political climate of Africa isn’t fascinating, but I felt myself emotionally disconnecting the more macro the story got.  I was more interested in the effects that Nathan’s blind religious zeal had on his family and the African community than sweeping political commentary. 

Overall The Poisonwood Bible is about how intolerance and ignorance does nothing but destroy the very thing you’re trying to build.  Rigidly following religious doctrine only causes the people you’re trying to help resist you more.  In order to bring about change you have to be bending and considerate. 

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

Published in 2010 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
3 Stars


Goodreads Review

Patty and Walter Berglund were the new pioneers of old St. Paul--the gentrifiers, the hands-on parents, the avant-garde of the Whole Foods generation. Patty was the ideal sort of neighbor, who could tell you where to recycle your batteries and how to get the local cops to actually do their job. She was an enviably perfect mother and the wife of Walter's dreams. Together with Walter--environmental lawyer, commuter cyclist, total family man--she was doing her small part to build a better world.

But now, in the new millennium, the Berglunds have become a mystery. Why has their teenage son moved in with the aggressively Republican family next door? Why has Walter taken a job working with Big Coal? What exactly is Richard Katz--outré rocker and Walter's college best friend and rival--still doing in the picture? Most of all, what has happened to Patty? Why has the bright star of Barrier Street become "a very different kind of neighbor," an implacable Fury coming unhinged before the street's attentive eyes?

In his first novel since The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen has given us an epic of contemporary love and marriage. Freedom comically and tragically captures the temptations and burdens of liberty: the thrills of teenage lust, the shaken compromises of middle age, the wages of suburban sprawl, the heavy weight of empire. In charting the mistakes and joys of Freedom's characters as they struggle to learn how to live in an ever more confusing world, Franzen has produced an indelible and deeply moving portrait of our time.


Review:  

I really enjoyed Franzen’s writing style.  He is clear, descriptive, and intelligent.  I had a clear picture of the main character’s objectives and their inner struggles.  Their backgrounds were laid out in a way that allowed me to see their growth without feeling like there was a massive info dump to get there.  However there were times when I thought Franzen was trying too hard to be “cool”, in the way a 6 year old boy thinks poop and dead bugs are cool.  There are some really weird analogies used that do not help me connect to the story (using the phrase “a firm little clitoris of discernment and sensitivity” to describe a woman’s intelligence for example….???? I’m sorry but I don’t know anyone who would describe a person as being a clitoris of anything.  Just saying).

In particular I enjoyed Joey’s transformation.  I loved how he went from a spoiled and entitled little shit to a man who had to make some huge choices.  He started off with that “nothing bad can ever happen to me” mentality that so many teenagers seem to have, and then when something REALLY bad happened he learned to take responsibility for not only his actions, but the ethical and moral implications of those actions.  In the end he turned out to be one of the most stable characters, which was something I could not predict based on his character at the start of the book. 

The character I could relate to the most was probably Patty.  I can completely understand how she can have everything she’s “supposed” to want and still be horribly unhappy.  I can also understand how a husband can do everything right and still be wrong, and that the man who does everything so horribly wrong can be the only man you can love.  It’s not healthy, but I get it. 

The only character I didn’t like was Richard.  I couldn’t understand his point of view or his motivations.  I didn’t like how he said he cared about Walter so much but couldn’t have enough self-control to stay loyal to the one person who always stood by him.  I also didn’t think this character was all that realistic.  Sure he was a “rock star” but I didn’t think he was neither famous nor rich enough to have women just throwing themselves at him.  He didn’t come across charming or sexy, just dirty and rude.

I think the overall theme of the book was a person’s sense of duty and if they were too cowardly to live up to their duty or if they had the courage to seek the freedom from duties that made them miserable.  Every single character had to make a decision about their duties in life, whether it be to their children, spouse, friend, company, country, or themselves, and if they were going to meet expectations or not.  More often than not they have to choose between two conflicting duties, which is not an easy thing.  This was probably my favorite aspect of the book, and the development and choices of the characters were both expected and surprising. 

Overall Freedom is like one of the videos on the weird side of youtube.  Whether it’s a dog scratching its balls or a kitten randomly puking, there’s something freakishly fascinating about it.  That’s what Freedom is; equal parts captivating and disgusting.  I can really only recommend this book to you if you’re willing to take a look at the nastier side of people and can handle seeing some of that reflected in yourself. 

Top Ten Tuesday 12/13/2011: Top Ten Books I Want To Give As Gifts

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN BOOKS I WANT TO GIVE AS GIFTS

1.  The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - The books of my childhood are perfect gifts for any 11 year old.

2.  The Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead - This is the perfect series for anyone looking for something to read "post Twilight".  Although in my opinion, it's way better.  I'd give it to any of my girlfriends looking for a sexy adventure story.

3.  A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin - I love this complex high fantasy, and I would give it to my super nerdy uncle. 

Deception Point by Dan Brown - This is my favorite action book by Dan Brown, and with it's government espionage and crazy science it's perfect for my father, who is a mechanical engineer and a big John Grisham fan.

The Body Sacred and The Circle Within by Dianne Sylvan - These are two of my favorite religion books, and I would give them to anyone interested in paganism.  Sylvan has an excellent writing style and I love her sarcasm and practical (while still having extremely poetic moments) style of writing.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - This is a great book again for "post Twilight".  I loved the romance in this book as well as the mythology.  It's an excellent start to the series and one of my favorite books of the year. 

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - The Scorpio Races is a perfect book for an advanced teen reader.  It has lots of elements that make up a great YA book, romance, adventure, family drama, but is written in a distinctly adult voice.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan - I have a couple of LGBT friends, and I think this book is the perfect gift.  My friend Matt in particular I think would LOVE Tiny Cooper, show tunes and all.

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh - I'd give this to my mom, because I love Varen and I want to talk about him with her.  No other reason, really.  

Feed by Mira Grant - I'd give this awesome zombie book to any of my friends who liked a little science with their horror, and this is one I'd for my boyfriend to read.  

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Published in 2000 by Regan Books
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave among the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks?

Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household -- and the treacherous truth of her former life.

Review:  I don't know what it is about Gregory Maguire, but I keep reading his books thinking I'll like them and I end up being disappointed at best, but more often than not annoyed and put off. I love the ideas of his novels, but every single one is a let down. Confessions is not so terrible as Mirror Mirror or Lost, but I'm still leaving feeling like he could have done so much more. There is all of build up in this novel and the ending feels rushed, like he got bored half way through and just decided to stop writing. Also, I am surprised at the lack of sexuality in this book, which is a very prominent topic in some of his other books. This story seemed ripe for sexual exploitation, and if there was any it was only hinted at. There were many aspects of this book that I thought were almost good, but just not quite developed enough.

I think I will always try and fail to enjoy his writing.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Published in 2006 by Scribner
4 Stars


Goodreads Review
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.


For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

Review:  This book made me rage! I was listening to the audio book in my car and literally yelling "you jerk! Don't give him money! Get a job! No, quit whining! OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?!" And yet at the same time part of me loved her parents. I honestly don't know how to feel about it. They seemed like such intelligent people, but without a drop of common sense. In the beginning I was like, ok they're weird but they're teaching their kids and they love them and while they might not have anything very rich, overall their life is ok.  
 

I think it was once they moved to West Virginia that things went to hell. I spent a lot of that part of the book wondering why they stayed there; surely they were all more happy in Arizona? Alcoholism is a horrible disease, and my heart just aches for Jeannette's father, because I really think if he'd never gotten addicted their lives would have all been so much happier. The mom I think was a lot more emotionally scarred than we knew. We only got the story from Jeannette's perspective, and she seemed much closer to her father. I think if Maureen or Lori had told the story we'd understand their mom a lot more.


I feel bad for Maureen, but in a way her story makes sense. The other kids had their desert childhood to remember, but Maureen only knew West Virginia and the horrible conditions of their life there.   She didn't know the lovelier parts of their lives, before dad fell completely into his disease and mom checked out.

There's a quote from Brian that really sums up this whole book.  "You know, it's really not that hard to put food on the table if that's what you decide to do."  Brian realizes that it's not too difficult to to provide for your family as long as you work hard and make the welfare of your children your first priority.  His parents sadly didn't do that and no matter how much you argue for their loving and spiritual nature makes them, in my eyes, failures as parents. 

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Published in 1997 by Picador
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tentcombines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

Review:  The Red Tent is an interesting perspective of one of the most know stories from the Bible.  The story of Jacob and his many sons, in particular Joseph and his "Amazing Techno-color Dream Coat", have been told in many movies, books, and even Broadway musicals.  The Red Tent tells the same tale but from the woman's perspective; a side that is sadly under represented in the Bible.

I really loved this book.  Like REALLY loved this book.  I absolutely loved the tribe aspect for the women.  I think in modern times we look at ancient tribal cultures and see the women as repressed "possessions" of the men in the tribe.  This book really shows how the women have their own culture, support systems, and contentment with their woman-ness.  They aren't meek submissive pets.  They stand up for themselves, are shrewd business women, and sexual beings aware of their bodies and the natural cycle of life.  Being on their period wasn't the curse so many women complain about today.  The Red Tent was their retreat, their place of solace where they could congregate and share in each other's wisdom. 

There are a lot of people who dislike this book, and I think it's largely the people who cannot see history as any way other than what is exactly in the Bible.  The idea that the "heroes" of the Bible may not be so heroic after all scares them because it causes them to question their faith.  I think that it's very important to not read the Bible as literal fact for modern times.  It has to be looked at within the context of a two thousand year old nomadic nation and that the Bible was written two thousand years ago in ancient Hebrew.  There's bound to be some things that are lots in translation and through cultural evolution.  For example the word "rape".  Was Dinah raped in a modern sense, with violence and anger, or was she raped in an ancient sense, as in having sex out of wedlock?  The same word but with two very different meanings and implications. 

Overall I think The Red Tent is a very important book for women's spirituality.  It presents the story of one of the most under represented figures in the Bible and gives her a voice.  It never strays from the original backdrop of the Biblical story, but expands on this untold story with grace and beauty.