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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 2nd Aug 2010 at 7:46 AM
Default Gay Books?
I'm a Book Geek, I read a lot of genres, and from time to time I read Gay novels, some are good most are not, but I'm very selective with the stories I like, so far from Gay books I've just liked 3 novels, Out of My Mind from M. L. Rhodes, When Irish eyes are Sparkling, (don't remember the author right now) & Without Reservations (don't remember the author either)

So anyone here likes to read? some good book you can advice to me?

it doesn't necessary have to be a gay book, I do read quite a lot of genres =).
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Instructor
#2 Old 5th Aug 2010 at 2:57 PM
I LOVE to read! Ok, here are my favorites…..
Confessions of an Ugly Step-Sister by Gregory Maguire (<-who is a gay man)
“Confessions” is a great retelling of “Cinderella” set in 18th century Holland I think…. But don’t quote me on that… Anyways, it has a great plot that isn’t quite as predictable as you would think. It explores the idea of disabilities (amongst other things) such as being mentally challenged and even poses the question about whether extreme beauty is in its own way a handicap.
Wicked (Also by Maguire)
“Wicked” is a well known reimagining of the Land of Oz, and most importantly, the Wicked Witch of the West. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a bit wordy. Another thing that bothered me throughout the book is the extremely odd names of the characters and places. However it’s defiantly worth reading. It has a LOT of political undertones. It deals with themes such as the true nature of evil, forgiveness, and destiny. One last warning: This is not the Oz from the movies. Also, you shouldn’t pick up this book and try to read it as a companion to the film. While the stories dose an amazing job of meshing the world from the books by L Frank Baum and the classic film together, the best thing to do is to read it from the beginning thinking of it as a separate story. My problem was that the first time I tried to read it I got bored because I wanted it to mention scenes from the movie. The second time I read it, I looked at it as its own story and it was a lot easier to read, and I’ve reread it several times.
The Giver by lowis lowry, and all the Harry potter books are amazing!!!!

I don't take requests. :-)



"You with this lovely baby blue/green huge eyes and this evil touch...couldn't be more adorable" - My Vera
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 7th Aug 2010 at 2:36 AM
Oh! thank you! I'll seek for them =), I don't mind if they are long, I Finished the first book of the HP series in less than a day, the 4 books of the twilight saga in less than a week XD, when I said I was a Book Geek I wasn't kidding LOL, If I find something amazing I'll be posting it here =).
Forum Resident
#4 Old 21st Aug 2010 at 7:34 PM
One of my all time favorite books is "Am I Blue?: Coming Out from the Silence" by Marion Dane Bauer. It's short stories about coming out. Must read in my opinion for all ages. In my finds most gay books are really just porn or really bad, just like the majority of gay film. "Mysterious Skin" is also a really good book as well as a movie. If you like memoirs/essay writing you MUST read David Sedaris, all of his books are amazing. He's gay, and all of his writings are short stories about his life in no particular order. His writing is witty and sarcastic, and after a story or two you feel like you know his entire family. I would start with either "Naked" or "I talk pretty on day". My other favorite author of all time is Chuck Palahniuk, his writing is more of the sarcastic dark and disturbing kind. Again all of his novels are just absolutely amazing, I read the majority of them in one sitting. I would start with "Invisible Monsters", it's about a would be super model who gets shot in the face with a shot gun. While at speech therapy she meets a tranny, and from there they go on a Thelma and Louis-ish road trip to find her dead gay brother. I'll stop there, that should be enough to keep you busy, hope you like atleast one of them.
Field Researcher
#5 Old 31st Jan 2011 at 8:53 AM
2 gay themed books I thoroughly enjoy:

Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
&
Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

both are beautiful, realistic, and not all x-rated pornographic! :D
Test Subject
#6 Old 24th Mar 2011 at 3:18 PM
Desert Sons and Into This World We're Thrown by Mark Ian Kendrick i have read both twice i my self love the story behind them sorry for bump
Instructor
#7 Old 25th Mar 2011 at 12:00 AM Last edited by VampireSim : 25th Mar 2011 at 12:15 AM.
"The Lost Language of Cranes" by David Leavitt.
I read this book before my coming out, more than 20 years ago. It gave me the push.
although I'm a lesbian, i found the book very inspiring.

I have most of the books of Rita Mae Brown.
Retired
retired moderator
#8 Old 9th Apr 2011 at 11:00 AM
Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin is essential reading.
All of Edmund White's work, as well.
Myra Breckinridge and Myron by Gore Vidal are hi-friggin-larious, but also an acquired taste.

CAW Wiki - A wiki for CAW users. Feel free to edit.

GON OUT, BACKSON, BISY BACKSON
Test Subject
#9 Old 31st Oct 2011 at 10:51 AM Last edited by Morgmweh : 6th Mar 2012 at 1:46 PM.
Favourite authors include Aleksandr Voinov, Kirby Crow, Rachel Haimowitz, Andrea Speed, Violetta Vane & Heidi Belleau, Richard Rider, Erastes, Rhi Etzweiler.

My GR: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2554553-volya


I do read some non-fiction as well.
Test Subject
#10 Old 11th Mar 2012 at 2:23 PM
You said that you read a several different genres, so I thought I'd suggest a couple of my favourites. I don't read much specifically gay literature since I'm rather heavily into fantasy novels. However, the lovely thing about fantasy is that each world can have it's own ideas about love, acceptance, and the nature of sexuality. As a result I do have a tendancy to gravitate toward stories with gay content. Since 'Wicked' has already been brought up, I thought no one would object to a couple of suggestions along similar lines from me. (As an aside, I agree that 'Wicked' can be rather hard to read in a single go because it is - as stated above - rather wordy. Still, I think it's worth the time to slog through some of the slower parts.)

Anyway, as for other speculative fiction books you might be interested in - I cannot recommend Jacqueline Carey's 'Kushiel's Legacy' books too highly. The woman is a truly AMAZING writer and her stories are riveting. The society she creates views sexuality and the act of sex VERY different than we do. They don't even have terms like gay or straight, as it seems to be more or less taken for granted that everyone has at least some bisexual tendencies - whether they ever act upon them or not. Even terms like fidelity can have different meanings. The most important theme in the series deals with the nature of love - whether we're talking about a romantic or familial sense. Okay, that sounds dull. It's really not. The first book in the series is called 'Kushiel's Dart'. And, like I said, I cannot recommend it too highly.

Another series worth looking at is Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series. One of the interesting things in this series is that there are several different cultures involved, each with their own ideas about sexual norms and expectations. While sexuality is not the focus of the stories, it plays an important part. Two cultures with rather different ideas of sexuality are represented in the two main characters in the series and one of them goes through an understated, but very interesting, sexual identity crisis as his friendship with another man develops into more. The first of these books is called 'Luck in the Shadows'. Well worth taking a look at.
Alchemist
#11 Old 11th Mar 2012 at 6:31 PM
I think many gay people would appreciate Yann Martel's novel, "Self". It's kind of all ABOUT gender, and, well, self.
Test Subject
#12 Old 19th Aug 2012 at 8:56 AM Last edited by biancoest77 : 20th Aug 2012 at 6:57 AM.
luv books... i guess most of the girls know sarah waters (fingersmith, night watch, tipping the velvet) and jeanette winterson (oranges are not the only fruit, written on the body, passion). i would like to suggest sofi oksanen's baby jane. i also enjoyed susan sontag's essays (illness as metaphor, aids and its metaphors). stephen fry has written loads of brilliant books :D
there's also an interesting piece written by russian psychologist and sexuologist igor kon - faces and masks of same sex love: moonlight at dawn. i guess i like to read papers on social studies.
 
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