Favorite books with a gay/bi theme?

[DustyWolfe]

Yeah.. I stole the idea lol...

But seriously... This is something that I do wonder. I real alot, so I've come across some pretty interesting books, and some of them weren't meant to be outright gay, they just have gay undertones, or gay characters.

Bitter Harvest by Nevada Barr was a great book. Took place in the 1800's in the wild west. A teacher gets attached to a student, the student is forced into an abusive marriage. The teacher gets outed and in her flight takes the girl with her. She has to live as a man so that they are able to make a life for themselves.

The Last Herald Mage trilogy (part of the Heralds of Valdemar) series by Mercedes Lackey. Three books...
Magic's Pawn
Magic's Promise
Magic's Price
In these books, the main character is gay, there is heart break, sweet love stories, acceptance... I quite enjoyed these three books.
Mercedes Lackey has gay/lesbian characters in alot of her books in theHeralds of Valdemar series. Mercedes Lackey seems to be quite fond of gay/lesbian people

I'm trying to think of some others, but I cant think of anything off the top of my head.

 

[Raimondin]

I'm trying to think of some others, but I cant think of anything off the top of my head.

Wow, I can't say I've read anything with a gay/lesbian theme lately. In the past I've really enjoyed reading some of the more gothic type novels, mystery, etc. I guess I'm mainly thinking of the Anne Rice's vampire chronicles, that had lots of gay undertones. Meantime thanks for the titles you've mentioned. I'll look them up.

 

[Mike260]

A poem, not a book:

"Howl"

 

[WyldSpirit]

My favorite book with a lesbian theme, I haven't read it in AGES, is actually geared for teens. It's called "Annie On My Mind" I really think that it is a must read for everyone, it is such a touching story.

 

[Xectxny19X]

Sarah Water's "Fingersmith"

*sigh* There's a tv adaptation on BBC. I can't watch it until it comes to America or until they ship the dvd to America. *screams...f*ck!*

I also love "Dare, Truth or Promise." I'd advise reading that book for any girl just figuring herself out. "Summer Girls" I'm in love w/ the character Jade. If a girl like her really existed somewhere...hmmm...I don't know. *innocent look*

 

[Xectxny19X]

My favorite book with a lesbian theme, I haven't read it in AGES, is actually geared for teens. It's called "Annie On My Mind" I really think that it is a must read for everyone, it is such a touching story.

awww...I read that one, too. It was really sweet.

 

[The Mutt]

http://www.geocities.com/bearbare58/rawhidekid2.GIF

 

[The Mutt]

http://www.geocities.com/bearbare58/rawhidekid-book.GIF

 

[College_geek]

I randomly picked up Babji in Barnes and Noble one day when my roomie was looking for a book and started reading. I liked it so much I went back in a few days later and bought it. Haven't finished it yet, but there are lesbian themes in it, as the main character attempts to seduce a neighbor and the new maid at some point. It's more a book about sexual exploration and revelation, but it has gay and bi themes.

 

[Raimondin]

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1575665956.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
In a nutshell, very well written and touching coming of age story set in the late '70's New Jersey. Young Robin McKenzie at 13 growing up in a suburban family where alcoholism, parental abuse, and school peer pressure, are the backdrop to his life. Secretly he longs for the love of another boy, but soon realizes the stigma of secretly being gay in such a blue collar family upbringing. The author K.M. Soehnlein flawlessly maps out his life with such introspection, emotional (and physical detail), at the same time making it funny. A story of growing up breaking through barriers and finally seeing the light at end of the tunnel.

 

[College_geek]

In a nutshell, very well written and touching coming of age story set in the late '70's New Jersey. Young Robin McKenzie at 13 growing up in a suburban family where alcoholism, parental abuse, and school peer pressure, are the backdrop to his life. Secretly he longs for the love of another boy, but soon realizes the stigma of secretly being gay in such a blue collar family upbringing. The author K.M. Soehnlein flawlessly maps out his life with such introspection, emotional (and physical detail), at the same time making it funny. A story of growing up breaking through barriers and finally seeing the light at end of the tunnel.

That sounds like such a sad book, but enlightening as well. It's nice to read a book with gay/bi themes that isn't all about a stereotypical hedonistic life (I've seen a few like that).

 

[Raimondin]

That sounds like such a sad book, but enlightening as well. It's nice to read a book with gay/bi themes that isn't all about a stereotypical hedonistic life (I've seen a few like that).

Actually it's more "real" than sad. You're right though. So many gay/bi books and novels just keep perpetuating stereotypes of what gay life is, or is supposed to be. Not often enough, but it's nice that little gems like this one come around once in a while.




(I like you AV pic CG)

 

[College_geek]

Actually it's more "real" than sad. You're right though. So many gay/bi books and novels just keep perpetuating stereotypes of what gay life is, or is supposed to be. Not often enough, but it's nice that little gems like this one come around once in a while.




(I like you AV pic CG)

What hooked me on to Babyji in only six pages was that the name character (who's 16...the book is Lolita-like) goes against some of the Indian beliefs and becomes lustful towards this older woman. Not sure how it's going to play out...how the woman will act, whether she'll go along with it or freak out. I also like it because I can learn about some aspects of India's culture (I like to learn about stuff like that).

 

[Raimondin]

What hooked me on to Babyji in only six pages was that the name character (who's 16...the book is Lolita-like) goes against some of the Indian beliefs and becomes lustful towards this older woman. Not sure how it's going to play out...how the woman will act, whether she'll go along with it or freak out. I also like it because I can learn about some aspects of India's culture (I like to learn about stuff like that).

That's very interesting. It seems there's been quite an explosion of Indian culture here in America what with their popular movie industry (or "Bollywood" as it's called). I live in a city (Central Calif.) where's there's a very visible ( and growing) Hindu and Punjab community. We even have a Indian TV channel. Have you finished reading the book?

 

[College_geek]

That's very interesting. It seems there's been quite an explosion of Indian culture here in America what with their popular movie industry (or "Bollywood" as it's called). I live in a city (Central Calif.) where's there's a very visible ( and growing) Hindu and Punjab community. We even have a Indian TV channel. Have you finished reading the book?[/COLOR]

Nowhere near the end. ^.^() But there has been a bit of an Indian culture explosion in the US, notably with Bend It Like Beckham (even though is was mainly a British film) and Bride and Prejudice. I'll tell you one thing though...I wouldn't mind the cuisine to become more popular in the states. Indian food is so tasty (especially mango Lassi...mmmm).

 

[Raimondin]

Nowhere near the end. ^.^() But there has been a bit of an Indian culture explosion in the US, notably with Bend It Like Beckham (even though is was mainly a British film) and Bride and Prejudice. I'll tell you one thing though...I wouldn't mind the cuisine to become more popular in the states. Indian food is so tasty (especially mango Lassi...mmmm).

Ha! Wow! That's funny you mention "Mango Lassi". There'a also a very funny comedy movie titled "Mango Souffle" (2004) about a group of gay Indian guys at a dinner party where all the skeletons in the closet come out when the main character's sister and her new fiancee arrive to the dinner party. Supposedly India's first mainstream gay movie. Sorry, couldn't help throwing in this bit of movie trivia.
http://www.tlavideo.com/images/catalog_gaybase/206178.jpg



Meantime, I'll have to try mango lassi, as there's an Indian restaurant down on the corner from where I live.

 

[DarkAurora]

I love Indian culture too. I don't know why homosexuality is such a stigma in Indian culture. Hinduism is a very sexually-open religion and there's nothing against homosexuality in it as far as I know.

 

[Raimondin]

I love Indian culture too. I don't know why homosexuality is such a stigma in Indian culture. Hinduism is a very sexually-open religion and there's nothing against homosexuality in it as far as I know.

So true. In fact isn't The Kama Sutra from them? I think homosexuality (or the idea of it) is such a double standard in just about every culture or society, even in the most liberal. Maybe it's this "procreation" vs "non-procreation" issue so *****ded in the psyche of the human race that this will always be.

 

[Etoile]

Written on the Body, Stone Butch Blues, Dykescapes, The Drag King Book, Buddy Babylon, Dagger on Butch Women...I have a pretty damn big GLBT library, it's hard to pick just a few.

Daughters of a Coral Dawn/Daughters of an Amber Noon too.

Not Rubyfruit Jungle, though. It may be a classic, but I didn't like it.

I'm hoping to get my hands on Tea from the public library.

 

[DarkAurora]

We can't forget the classic children's book, "Heather Has Two Mommies"

 

[SophiaY]

A sampling::

Once Upon A Dyke: New Exploits of Fairy Tale Lesbians

Anthology of absolutely funny and sexy stories by Karin Kallmaker, Julia Watts, Barbara Johnson and Therese Szymanski.


Therese Szymanski.’s Bret Higgins mysteries. Well written with romance and steamy sex woven beautifully into the stories – and the dreamiest butch protagonist (that is saying a lot, for me. My tastes run to futch women; feminine appearance, masculine attitude)

Karin Kallmaker’s romances. The leading writer in the genre. A delight.

C.C. Saint-Clair. Aussie novelist with more realism in her stories than most. More sensual than steamy, but her books make you reflect…

 

[Netzach]

My favorite bisexual and genderfucked storyline has to be in jeanette winterson's The Passion.

 

[Metrodance]

Sarah Water's "Fingersmith"

*sigh* There's a tv adaptation on BBC. I can't watch it until it comes to America or until they ship the dvd to America. *screams...f*ck!*

I didn't know they filmed Fingersmith? Tipping the Velvet (another Sarah Waters) was done by the BBC and it was great - lesbian film on the Beeb! Fingersmith is a great book and so, of course, is Tipping the Velvet, although the TV series does not follow the book accurately. If you wish to follow them up, both are by Sarah Waters.

 

[FurryFury]

I love Nevada Barr and Mercedes Lackey, well some of her stuff.

The witch series she quit cause of nutso's was great.

Haven't read that particular Nevada Barr but now I will.

Here is a series I really like.

Greg Herren's Bourbon Street Blues, featuring Scotty Bradley - stripper, P.I., psychic, and droll commentator on gay life (his own and everyone else's) - hit a chord with readers everywhere. Now, the buff, blond ex-go-go boy is back, embroiled with a few good men and a murder case that is turning the Big Easy into anything but.

Doing something, anything, everything could be Scotty Bradley's M.O. He's certainly no saint, but when you live in the equivalent of the gay man's candy store, it's a bit hard to be monogamous. Unfortunately, his straight-arrow, FBI agent, sort-of-boyfriend Frank has other ideas-deep, committed love ideas that are turning Scott's Hot Daddy into a decidedly less-than-sizzling puppy dog. It's enough to send a guy into full-fledged slut mode, and that's how Scotty ends up nursing a massive hangover in a hotel room with cutie pic Bryce Bell - he of the rounded backside and sheepish grin. As if that weren't enough, Bryce turns out to be the hottest young skater in the U.S. He's also hiding a secret bigger than his Joe Boxers.

*lix*

Good stuff!!!

Fury

 

[DustyWolfe]

I love Nevada Barr and Mercedes Lackey, well some of her stuff.

The witch series she quit cause of nutso's was great.

Haven't read that particular Nevada Barr but now I will.

Here is a series I really like.

Greg Herren's Bourbon Street Blues, featuring Scotty Bradley - stripper, P.I., psychic, and droll commentator on gay life (his own and everyone else's) - hit a chord with readers everywhere. Now, the buff, blond ex-go-go boy is back, embroiled with a few good men and a murder case that is turning the Big Easy into anything but.

Doing something, anything, everything could be Scotty Bradley's M.O. He's certainly no saint, but when you live in the equivalent of the gay man's candy store, it's a bit hard to be monogamous. Unfortunately, his straight-arrow, FBI agent, sort-of-boyfriend Frank has other ideas-deep, committed love ideas that are turning Scott's Hot Daddy into a decidedly less-than-sizzling puppy dog. It's enough to send a guy into full-fledged slut mode, and that's how Scotty ends up nursing a massive hangover in a hotel room with cutie pic Bryce Bell - he of the rounded backside and sheepish grin. As if that weren't enough, Bryce turns out to be the hottest young skater in the U.S. He's also hiding a secret bigger than his Joe Boxers.

*lix*

Good stuff!!!

Fury

I've loved all of Nevada Barr's (Flashback was a bit slow though). As far as Mercedes Lackey goes, I'm still working on her Valdemar series, almost done with it but I took a break to read "New Spring" by Robert Jordan which is a prequel to the Wheel of Time series. So now I've been reading that, I'm up to the 4th book in the series now. I guess I wont be reading any books with a gay or lesbian theme for awhile lol.

I will say that I've finished The Wheel of Time series and Valdemar I will have to take a break and read Greg Herren, the excerpt you posted sounds quite good

I will also have to take some time and check out some of the other books and writers mentioned in this thread.

Oh.. back to the witch series... Is that the one about Diana Tregarde? (I've not read the series but I bought it for my friend).