Good Gay Novel Recommendation?

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

Last March I had the pleasure of meeting Christopher Bram and having him autograph my copies of his books at the Rainbow Book Fair in NYC. I do enjoy his work.

Very excited to read Andrew Grey's latest, "Love Means ... Healing." It just came out. The "Love Means ..." books are sweet reads.

Some years back I read Fred Hunter's "Government Gay" & "National Nancies". Don't remember the details, but they were mysteries with gay detectives.

Steve

I rarely read fiction but my all-time favorite gay novel is "Dancer From The Dance" by Andrew Holleran. A great story about gay life and love in NYC and Fire Island in the 70's, before the gay world was changed by the AIDS epidemic. It's funny and touching and Holleran is a beautiful writer. I've read all of his books but this one is my favorite.

One of my all time favorites is mysterious places, mysterious dreams by Steven Rivellino. I have read it too many times to count!

Just a few weeks away from our cruise, and I've received a Kindle Fire for Christmas. All I have to do now is load it up with some great reads for those lazy afternoons on sea days (and for killing time during the airport and other waits before and after). Happy New Year, everyone!

I'm a writer, but I'm not going to recommend my own work. If you want something upbeat, I think Joe Keenan's Blue Heaven is about the funniest thing I've ever read. David Sedaris is also hysterical, but most of his work isn't fiction.

I'd forgotten about David Benbow's book. I will have to look for it. Also, I had no idea that Tapas on the Ramblas took place on a cruise ship. That book is on my shelf, so now I'll have to read it. I follow Anthony Bidulka on Facebook, and he was just on a Caribbean cruise with Silversea. I don't really know him, but he and his partner seem to travel a ton. I keep hearing his mysteries are great.

I also enjoy Greg Herren's mysteries, especially is darker series, and I read one book by Josh Lanyon called Someone Killed His Editor that was great. Those have nothing to do with cruising, but they're still excellent.

There is a book called Carnal Cruise by Hank Edwards. That's extremely racy and kind of silly. I don't think people who enjoy a lot of literary depth to their novels will enjoy it and the mystery plot is wafer thin. It's still silly (x-rated) fun. The ship, if I remember, is called the Dominatrix (!) and their itinerary included Acapulco. It's the second book in a series, but I hadn't read the first and was fine.

There was a short e-book called Port of Call Me which, eh, wasn't for me although the author did a nice job of creating a rotten boss at the ship's spa.

I'd love to find more books that take place on cruise ships so I'll be checking back again. :)

I recommend "Normal Miguel" by Erik Orrantia. Available from Amazon in print or Kindle.

If you have any interest in Mexico, you will love this book. I found it extremely engaging because I know something of gay life and culture in Mexico. Well written... not a fluff piece. No gratuitous sex, but what there is is beautiful, and brutally honest where appropriate.

I have just started reading Orrantia's "The Equinox Convergence," again set in Mexico. Enjoying it as well.

I am compiling all of these suggestions to share with the BajaBoyz on our annual cruise. :)

I'm a writer, but I'm not going to recommend my own work. If you want something upbeat, I think Joe Keenan's Blue Heaven is about the funniest thing I've ever read. David Sedaris is also hysterical, but most of his work isn't fiction.

 

I'd forgotten about David Benbow's book. I will have to look for it. Also, I had no idea that Tapas on the Ramblas took place on a cruise ship. That book is on my shelf, so now I'll have to read it. I follow Anthony Bidulka on Facebook, and he was just on a Caribbean cruise with Silversea. I don't really know him, but he and his partner seem to travel a ton. I keep hearing his mysteries are great.

 

I also enjoy Greg Herren's mysteries, especially is darker series, and I read one book by Josh Lanyon called Someone Killed His Editor that was great. Those have nothing to do with cruising, but they're still excellent.

 

There is a book called Carnal Cruise by Hank Edwards. That's extremely racy and kind of silly. I don't think people who enjoy a lot of literary depth to their novels will enjoy it and the mystery plot is wafer thin. It's still silly (x-rated) fun. The ship, if I remember, is called the Dominatrix (!) and their itinerary included Acapulco. It's the second book in a series, but I hadn't read the first and was fine.

 

There was a short e-book called Port of Call Me which, eh, wasn't for me although the author did a nice job of creating a rotten boss at the ship's spa.

 

I'd love to find more books that take place on cruise ships so I'll be checking back again. :)

We read, "Someone Killed His Editor" and enjoyed it very much as well. My partner and I are Northern California natives, so it was interesting to read the geographical background of his story (I wished he had more personal experience, as there were portions of the story which did not seem to correctly identify where he was at, at the writers conference...we were both perplexed). Thanks for the other tips: Mysterious Places, Tapas on the Ramblas and Carnal Cruise...understanding the Carnal Cruise would be a little fluff. ;)

I'm not sure if I mentioned it previously but Unexpected Vintage was a fun cruise story. It was not a thought-provoking literary masterpiece, but for cruise ship reading, it was really fun. A little bit of "who done it", some racy scenes, and a quick read - but fun.

Are your books available in e-reader format by chance? If you don't mind, I would love to check them out as we burn through probably 4 or 5 a month. If you're more comfortable messaging me, I'm at scorpgc@gmail.com

Happy cruising everyone!

I'm not sure if I mentioned it previously but Unexpected Vintage was a fun cruise story. It was not a thought-provoking literary masterpiece, but for cruise ship reading, it was really fun. A little bit of "who done it", some racy scenes, and a quick read - but fun.

Andrew Grey's "Unexpected Vintage" was a really fun read! He's got a new series out right now that continues in the action/who done it vein, starting with "Legal Artistry." These have been keeping me glued to my kindle fire and I'm not even on a cruise. We've booked AOS for January 2013 and I can't wait, though!

Andrew Grey's "Unexpected Vintage" was a really fun read! He's got a new series out right now that continues in the action/who done it vein, starting with "Legal Artistry." These have been keeping me glued to my kindle fire and I'm not even on a cruise. We've booked AOS for January 2013 and I can't wait, though!

Yes, Legal Artistry was a fun read. We just downloaded the two sequels to it!

Reading this thread prompted me to recall the first gay novel I read, "Quatrefoil" by James Barr. It was between my junior and senior year in high school. That summer I got a job that allowed me to travel from my small hometown in Pennsylvania to New York where a whole new world was waiting. Wow, that book was an eye opener! So, for my next cruise I decided to re-read it. I found a copy on ebay and look forward to the Seabourn Quest sailing in August when I can enjoy reading it once again.

I have just completed five of Mark Abrahmson's books. They all are set in San Francisco (mainly the Castro) and are fun, funny, quick reads. I like that because i can read for a short time, head to the bar, read a short time, head to the spa, read a short time, take a nap........well you know, the things you do on a cruise ship.

I also like Ellen hart, Greg Herran, Lev Raphael, Anthony Bidulka, Joe Keenan, Rick Kopp and Mark Richard Zubro.

Have read the last 3 novels from Christopher Rice. All 3 were excellent reads, and all have gay characters or themes to the murder mystery plots. Will have to check out the first two. Oh, and he's Anne Rice's son.

If you like a sporty theme - just read a book on my Kindle called Disadvantage Line by Ron Davis. All about rugby players. Damn it's good!

If you like a sporty theme - just read a book on my Kindle called Disadvantage Line by Ron Davis. All about rugby players. Damn it's good!

;) Mmmm! Will have to look for it.

Hey I downloaded "Don't Read in the Closet". Big collection of short stories, some are pretty steamy. Just like to read one or two short stories in between a longer novel. Also if you have an e-reader, check out Omnilit.com and click on the "Romance" tab - tons of good gay novels, not all are romance - you can download the Dont Read in the Closet for free here, a good thing.

Reading "Master of SeaCliff" novel by Max Pierce right now, a little on the Gothic side, turn-of-the Century, mystery, etc.

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

I would start with Wings of Love followed by Treasure of Love then Bounty of Love all by Scotty Cade. They are a wonderful m/m love story set in Alaska and Seattle so these would be perfect.

I would start with Wings of Love followed by Treasure of Love then Bounty of Love all by Scotty Cade. They are a wonderful m/m love story set in Alaska and Seattle so these would be perfect.

I agree with you dr_joo, we read those three and loved every one. Excellent stories. Would be perfect for an Alaska cruise! I read them over the Thanksgiving and Xmas holiday, definitely a page-turner. :)

For a great vacation read, island-related if not cruise-related, I'm loving Andrew Grey's "Unconditional Love." It's set in part on Chincoteague Island, a favorite vacation spot. Beautiful, tender story--needed lots of tissues.

I dont know if the OP is still looking for a book but my suggestion is "Midnight in Savannah". Before anyone thinks I made a mistake and says "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" I know the difference. Midnight in Savannah is the deliberately more explicit, and more entertaining alternative to the John Berendt / Clint Eastwood Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. For more than a year after its appearance in 2000, it was one of the best-selling GLBT books in the Deep South.

The PsyCop series by Jordan Castillo Price is a good holiday read if you enjoy something with a paranormal/police slant. Having read through the series twice I've moved onto her other titles....some are standalone, and some are series. It's worth searching for her site (just Google "Jordan Castillo Price books) as she self publishes & has better prices/bonus goodies than Amazon etc......her new series "Turbulence" is free via her site (payable via Amazon) & tells of a regional jet crew flying into the Bermuda Triangle.

One of my all time favorites is mysterious places, mysterious dreams by Steven Rivellino. I have read it too many times to count!

Thanks for mentioning this book; I read it and thought it was great but couldn't remember the name or author. It's not a novel, its a memoir about a young man whose first job was aboard a cruise ship. It was facinating to read about what things were like aboard a cruise ship on a round-the-world cruise before the age of the modern mega-liners. A great book to read on a cruise.

One of my all time favorites is mysterious places, mysterious dreams by Steven Rivellino. I have read it too many times to count!

I've just read this & as the book was written in 2004 I wonder if Steven ever found out what happened to Arne Kristiansen :confused::confused:

Mid-way through another John Simpson series in the following order:

Muder Most Gay

Task Force

Rent Boy Murders

Murder on a Queen (QM 2)

Hopefully I'll be ready for the Queen Mary 2 novel on our upcoming trip!

Was recently at a book fair/signing in Washington, D.C., and met John, and Andrew Grey. Sounds like you've got some fun reads planned!