Good Gay Novel Recommendation?

I agree that Michael Thomas Ford and all the tales of the City books are good vacation reads. I would not classify the Michael Thomas Ford books as fluff, but not masterpiece theatre either. They are happily in between. I also enjoyed "Like People in History" by Felice Picano.

The Stonewall Book Awards past winners and honor books lists would be a good place to start. DP is a librarian and tells me that as well as the fiction winners and honor books, the recent young adult winners and honor books are also very good.

Wow...Michael Thomas Ford, Cecilia Tan, and Felice Picano are all pals of mine. You guys have good taste!

Anything by Stephen McCauley, David Sedaris, or Alan Hollinghurst.

Has anyone read anything by Robert Rodi, I have a few of his books and they are always cool to read again.

Thanks, for all the great recommendations for gay reading.

I found most of them on Barnesandnoble.com

We'll be sailing on the Carnival Breeze for her maiden transatlantic from Barcelona on Nov 6, 2012 and I'll definitely have a few of these suggestions with me.

I'd like to add: Numbers by John Rechy.

Does anyone have a favorite spot for quiet reading on board?

Rick

I'd like to add: Numbers by John Rechy.

Hmmm...I love Rechy, but hardly think of his work as "vacation reading."

Actually, if you're into erotica, let me recommend a book I (coming out of the CC closet here) edited, the Lammy-award-winning Homosex: Sixty Years of Gay Erotica.

I would second the recommendation of "Two Gentlemen Sharing" for something fun.

If you want something literary, Alan Hollinghurst's recent book "Stranger's Child" was a great read.

Just got back from 10 days on Emerald Princess and took along a couple of the James Lear "detective" stories with the character Edward Mitchell (The Secret Tunnel, The Back Passage, The Sticky End, etc.). A combination of light murder mysteries with enough erotica to keep them interesting. Also recommend Suicide Notes (read that too) - a light hearted read with an excellent and timely message.

In my late teens The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren, published in 1974, was the first gay themed novel I had ever read. Along with its 2 sequels,Harlem's Race and Billy's Boy, they still pull my heart strings 37 years later.

In my late teens The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren, published in 1974, was the first gay themed novel I had ever read. Along with its 2 sequels,Harlem's Race and Billy's Boy, they still pull my heart strings 37 years later.

I second The Front Runner. It was also my first gay themed novel.

I also recommend the Joe Keenan novels, especially Blue Heaven. Hilarious reading.

A fun read is "The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy", by Robert Leleux. A truecoming of age/coming out story.

I second The Front Runner. It was also my first gay themed novel.

 

I also recommend the Joe Keenan novels, especially Blue Heaven. Hilarious reading.

I have Keenan's "My Lucky Star" which is also funny with a lot of sexual misadventure.

OK, here's what I ended up reading on our cruise last month:

Sand & Water (Shae Connor)

He's Bewitched (Ryan Field)

Heart of Texas (RJ Scott)

Cruise for Christmas (Andrew Grey)

Great stories, all of them. If you want to read something fun (great airplane reading), "He's Bewitched". Real fun and one of the characters in the story reminded me of a cross between Endora and Aunt Clara from the 60's sitcom, "Bewitched". A good laugh, and some sexy moments. :)

Just finished rereading Robert Ferro's "The Blue Star," which ends with a cruise on a luxury yacht. Two of my new favorites are by Andrew Grey: "Legal Artistry" and "Artistic Appeal." They have a touch of mystery and some court battles, as well as very hot love scenes.

Do you recommend reading the Andrew Grey books (bottled up series) in order?

Thanks.

Just finished rereading Robert Ferro's "The Blue Star," which ends with a cruise on a luxury yacht. Two of my new favorites are by Andrew Grey: "Legal Artistry" and "Artistic Appeal." They have a touch of mystery and some court battles, as well as very hot love scenes.

I'm reading Legal Artistry right now. Great story, and so far my favorite Andrew Grey novel.

I am a big fan of Michael Thomas Ford... Great reads.

I have all of his books, usually picked up when I am in the US, as we get ripped off, as usual here in the UK. On more than one occasion, I have read the whole thing on the flight home... Whoops!

I am going to start looking for stuff for my Transatlantic Crossing soon...

Do you recommend reading the Andrew Grey books (bottled up series) in order?

Thanks.

Personally I like to read an author's series in order, but I think these are written in a way that you could just read one or two without being lost as to who is who. Characters from other novels in the series do appear and it's explained briefly who they are. But I can't help just reading all the books in the series. The "Love Means..." series is another one, although the first two books are technically out of order. The second book is a "prequel" to the first one that was published.

We usually bring a few good books to read on board, great for sea days in the spa or solarium, or on our veranda.

 

On my last cruise read "Summer Cruising" a really good gay fiction by Dave Benbow, the story takes place on a 7-day Mediterrenean cruise, on the cruise ship RMS Princess Diana, LOL. Little bit of mystery, romance and er, um lots of fun. It was a fun and great read.

 

Anybody have any recommendations for a good vacation read? Thanks! :)

I'm a huge fan of anything by Bob Smith. His first two books are short story anthologies, and his latest two are novels. Also a big fan of Dennis Hensley.

I'm straight but don't limit myself to just straight fiction. It is a wonderful book.

Also, Randy Shilts' "And the Band Played On" and his biography of Harvey Milk, "The Mayor of Castro Street."

On a Panama Canal Cruise half a dozen years ago, one of the 20 or so gay guys onboard brought K.M.Soehnlein's 'The World of Normal Boys.' He blasted through it in a few days and passed it on to me saying,'You have to read this: it's OUR story.' I spent three days not able to put it down and passed it on to someone else who finished it before we reached Ft. Lauderdale. Great coming of age/coming out story. And, yes: everyone I know who's read it sees themself in it.

Of course, Tales of the City.

How about: 'Surprising Myself', 'Hold Tight' or 'Father of Frankenstein' by Christopher Bram?

Check out the swimming pool library by alan hollinghurst

it is very erotic very old british reminds me of the movie maurice enjoy

I downloaded John Simpsons first in a series of 5 novels. "Condor One", his second, "Talons of the Condor" and am now busting through the third, "Condor and Falcon". The first of this series was written in 2008 I believe, but the story takes place during the 2012 presidential election when a gay man is running for office. The story picks up very quickly and is a breeze to read, and really interesting.

The author, John Simpson, is a Vet and worked for the PD, was also a federal agent, magistrate and a bodygard who has earned awards from the VP of the US, etc. His writing style is concise and detailed, obviously he writes from experience. Lots of good ol' lust and lovin in the stories too, but the action and political intrigue is exciting as well.