Reviews (70)

Definitely kept my attention
This was my first E. Lynn Harris novel.I bought it because it was the only African American fiction at the airport I was in at the time.I completely finished the book over the course of my roundtrip flights, so it is definitely a page turner.Light, easy reading to take your mind off things.

Actually 2 and 1/2 stars
I love E. Lynn Harris!I own every book he's written and have been to all his book signings.This book was boring and seemed really personal.This is the worst book he's written.I still love E. Lynn though!

A favorite fan
I love all of E Lynn Harris novels, he is an outstanding author and his novels touches people from the inside out.Janie De Coster author of Man of My Dreams? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African American bisexuals    2. African American gays    3. African Americans    4. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    5. Fiction    6. Fiction - General    7. Fiction - Romance    8. Gay    9. Literary    10. Political    11. Romance - General    12. Fiction / General    13. Gay men   

Reviews (203)

A Mixed Bag...
Julia Glass's Three Junes is a somewhat successful, somewhat disjointed narrative following a Scottish family through two generations, from their own perspective and from those of another whose life intertwines with theirs. The first part of the novel, 'Collies' is by far the strongest and describes how Paul both fell in love with and married Maureen and the aftermath of her death. The chronology, as others have noted, is slightly convoluted, but in this section it is much clearer than later in the novel. It is in these first few pages that I think Glass dazzled the National Book Award committee as her ability to subtley capture Paul's mourning as well as reveal a terrible secret really shows of her skills as an author; these skills, however, desert her in the other two parts of the novel. The second part of the novel is told in the first person through the eyes of Fenno, one of the three boys Paul and Maureen have. His story is by far the most interesting, but somewhat crudely done - the beautiful range of emotion that we experiences in the opening pages is replaced by something I still can't fully describe, other than say everything seems more clumsily done causing me to wonder why Glass even chose to continue her story, as the first part was published originally on its own. Fenno's role as caretaker to Mal, an opera and music critic often seems unbalanced. The final section finds us learning about some characters who we originally only see on the periphery of Fenno's narrative, who presumably are supposed to enhance our understanding of this family. Unfortunately, Glass seems to preoccupied with filling the pages with cliches about love and trying to leave the reader with some deeper understanding of live and relationships that she forgets to really finish her tale. I really do think she should have stopped the story after the first part.
Just okay
I was disappointed with the novel, based on the fact it was a National Book Award winner.Perhaps it was too "literary" for me, but I found myself not really caring about the characters.Although I'm far from a prude, I felt the parts about the gay character was way more than I needed/wanted to know.
Three Junes -Where did They Get That Name?
Sometime ago I read my Sunday paper and noted that "Three Junes" was listed as a popular book choice.The title sounded interesting so I bought it.That was 2 months ago and I am still trying to get through the paperback edition.It is difficult to follow the timeline, to understand the characters and where they fit, and to get involved in the storyline.I will finish the book because that's my style.It has not been a book that I could not wait to get back to.
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Subjects:  1. Fathers and sons    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Gay men    5. Literary    6. Long Island (N.Y.)    7. Psychological    8. Scots    9. United States    10. Fiction / Literary    11. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (5)

0% believable - 100% fun
This fun, racy, raunchy who-dunnit is all of what it promises to be.It's the type of early 20th century English mystery that Agatha Christie would have turned out if she'd been born a gay man.There's just enough of a mystery plot to keep it from being total porn and just enough of the porn to keep it from being boring.
What Do the English Do at Home?
This book has all the elements to keep one entertained from the very beginning until the end; viz., this is a don't-put-me-down book until finished.It is well written and there are some surprises but still believable.I like this author and look forward to reading some of his future titles.It takes place in the 1920s and elucidates all the double-standards that was prevelant for the English "upper & lower crust" during that time period.If you liked Maurice by E. M. Forrester, you will also love this book.It is a good example of today's gay and lesbian literature.

Ridiculous.
Ridiculously fun.
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Subjects:  1. Americans    2. England    3. Erotica - Gay    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - Adult    6. Gay    7. Investigation    8. Murder    9. Mystery & Detective - Traditional British    10. Mystery And Suspense Fiction    11. Upper class    12. Erotic fiction    13. Fiction / Gay    14. Literature of special Gay interest   

Editorial Review

Light and funny, with a bitter aftertaste, the action of Read more

Reviews (96)

I Loved It! Waiting for a Sequel!
I bought this book on the spur of the moment looking for something entertaining to read. The book surpassed my expectations! It's an awesome read. Fun, wickedly funny. LOL at times. I like books similar to this, like Tamarias Tyree's Delicious Housewives! which spoofs Desperate Housewives and other TV series including a chapter where the wives turn up as guests on The Jerry Springer Show. Sellevision isn't as (sexually) graphic as Tyree's book, but they have a similar tone. The books are kind of alike in the way they take jabs at pop culture!

WICKEDLY FUNNY!!
There's a laugh a minute in this satirical page turner about the trials, tribulations and foibles of the ego driven staff at "Sellevision".

Formulaic, trite, smellevision?
I bought this book because I went to a conference in which Burroughs gave a pretty decent speech.I read two of his books (Magical Thinking and Sellevision) and the humor must have gone over my head.I don't really care what grown ups do in their spare time, as long as it doesn't frighten the horses, but this one seems cliche-ridden and the jokes fall flat.I know the literary marketplace has niches, but Sellevision's only redeeming virtue was that it was a quick read.He missed some of his best opportunities at humor, and the "poetic justice" fizzled out when the exploititative director of programming John Smythe winds up happily divorced with his jailbait girlfriend at a cheap motel.Max, the gay protagonist goes from flop (no pun) to failure to porn star (I wondered how long it would take for him to get there, since the plot development almost telegraphed it). Thin on plot, two-dimensional characters with cardboard brains.How long did it take the author to dusctate this one? Mybe John Watters could do something with it, but he would have to bring it to life with a decent writer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay men    4. General    5. Humorous    6. Popular American Fiction    7. Scandals    8. Teleshopping    9. Television personalities    10. Fiction / General   

Reviews (9)

Summer Reading
Summer Cruising is light, entertaining summer reading.Anyone who has taken a cruise recently (or plans to take one) should enjoy the extensive descriptive content.I would describe it as a mystery/romance.

A PLEASURE CRUISE FOR THIS OR ANY SUMMER
As a teenager, I loved reading Jacqueline Susann novels. They were always delightfully detailed, deliciously naughty, and dynamically entertaining. I'm way past my teens now, but it sure is nice to know I can count on Dave Benbow to provide me with the same kind of wonderful reading experience.
Great for Romance Lovers
I really enjoyed this tale of action and romance at sea. A fresh and new story about a gay cruise that is full of romance,mystery and erotica. There are several main characters in the story and I thought this worked well since the story was about a gay cruise.It was nice to focus on several different characters in one story.It reminded me of the old TV series "The Love Boat" with a little more action when you add a bad guy and a sinking ship.Fast paced and full of romance, I really liked this story. After reading this book I went back and brought Mr. Benbow's other books, Male Model and Daytime Drama.I like that he has characters from his other books in his new stories. His writing style and sense of romance is just what I need when I want to read an entertaining tale of romance and adventure. I look forward to his next book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. Gay    3. Romance - Adult    4. Suspense   

Reviews (9)

To B. Sahl
Mr. or Ms Sahl -- ever stop to think that perhaps the character you so denigrate was a metaphor of the times Mr. Ford was writing about.This IS a common literary technique and was never intended to be taken literally.Duh!

Promises Fulfilled with Ford's "Full Circle"
Rarely in today's mass-market paperback world does a reader have an opportunity to savor the depth and breadth of a novel like Michael Thomas Ford's "Full Circle". Epic in scope while intimate in story, "Full Circle" chronicles nearly six decades in the lives of two longtime friends and sometimes lovers and the enigmatic third wheel who becomes a driving force in their lives. Ned Brummel and Jack Grace are inseparable boyhood friends growing up in a 1950's middle-class Philadelphia suburb. As they enter adolescence, they add sexual exploration to the usual teenage pastimes of scouting, star gazing, and comic books and seal a seemingly impenetrable bond. As the boys morph into men and enter their formidable college years, they meet the free-spirited and sexually ambiguous Andy Kowalski. With the shadow of the Vietnam War looming, Andy becomes the catalyst for bittersweet lessons in loyalty, betrayal, expectations, sexual identity, and the lasting bonds of love and friendship. The book follows the three friends through the ensuing thirty years, as they encounter an eclectic and thoroughly believable cast of secondary characters who crisscross the various intersections of their lives.
Well I Finished the Book
Like another reviewer, I had trouble finishing "Full Circle." I got through this four decade history of gay life in America only because I liked the three main characters (Ned, Jack, Andy). Michael Thomas Ford was determined to place his characters at every gay event, movement and tragedy (as well as the Vietnam war) since the mid-1960s. I believe he only missed Stonewall. I stopped caring about the background geography and events half way through & concentrated on the three guys and their lives during the AIDS years (the best section of the book) because of the next paragraph.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Popular American Fiction    5. Fiction / General    6. Literature of special Gay interest    7. Modern fiction   

Reviews (122)

Absorbing, entertaining and intelligent
This was an addictive read for me! I loved the hisorical setting, the passionate by-play, and the well developed charecters. Overall, this satisfied my requirements for an intelligently written novel - intriguing, entertaining, witty, an excellent setting and playfully bawdy.

Excellent writing, but no "feel good" in this story
Mary Saunders is a young girl who yearns after pretty things. She offers a ribbon vendor a kiss in exchange for a scarlet ribbon, but the vendor takes the kiss further.
Refreshingly Realistic
As a history major, I often cringe when many writers take it upon themselves to shape character's attitudes or actions to standards of today, AKA revisionist history. Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue may be dark, gritty, and disturbing, but rightly so. How does one think the life of an eighteenth century prostitute was? It certainly wasn't glamorous, and Donoghue brings readers directly into this tragic world.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Historical    3. Gay    4. Historical - General    5. Lesbian    6. Fiction / Historical    7. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (4)

Show Me Rather Than Tell Me
Christopher Bram's latest novel EXILES IN AMERICA is essentially about four characters. Zack Knowles, a psychiatrist, and Daniel Wexler, an art professor at a college in Williamsburg, Virginia, have been together for twenty years. Their lives are as bland as a bad pastel. They no longer have sex, they watch old movies, and Zack reads Victorian novels. Then their lives run amuck when they meet Abbas Rohani, an often sullen, almost always insufferable Iranian, and his Russian wife, Elena, when Abbas, another art instructor, is hired at Daniel's college.
Loved it!
This is the first novel I've read from this author and now I want to read them all!Such a great book, an interesting dynamic!You won't be disappointed but it will leave you w/many questions.I couldn't put it down, what a great read!

An original and thought-provoking story
Christopher Bram has written his most thought-provoking novel to date. He delves sensitively but deeply into a number of topics currently rocking the American cultural psyche: the definition of marriage and family, the gulf between East and West, the tension between security and xenophobia, etc. It's a great read that will leave you asking yourself questions for which there are no easy answers. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Gay couples    5. General    6. Literary    7. Painters    8. Popular American Fiction    9. Psychiatrists    10. Psychological    11. Fiction / General   

Reviews (17)

Everett's HOT, the book IS NOT !
This book appears to have been written for a British audience.It is typical British farce, and left this reader flat.Unless you truly adore this type of humor, avoid it.

Brilliant Satire!
It has to be doesn't it? Contrary to the book jacket this can't be a thinly veiled life of Rupert Evertt, but instead a ruthless commentary on the "jet set." It's the written equivalent of "people watching"...
Filled with colorful characters, funny situations, and a surprisingly strong narative thread, "Hello Darling" is a real treat & a great summer read.There's a sick joy in watching a newly broke character still having to mingle with his still high-in-the-hog living friends.Great concept!Great characters!Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. General    5. Humorous    6. Fiction / Gay    7. Modern fiction   

Editorial Review

Many years ago, when the first volume of Read more

Reviews (127)

For Once, the Movie is Better Than the Book
Gabriel Noone is a 53 year old gay man with his own radio show which comes on at 11 PM. He's upset because his lover of 10 years has left because he needed space. Into his life comes a book written by 13 year old Pete Lomax (although it took him 2 years to write the book and he began it when he was 12 - so he should be at least 14) about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his parents and the pedophiles they sold him to. Pete has been listening to Gabriel's show and admires him very much.
MAUPIN'S PROSE IS ENTHRALLING - HIS VOICE ARRESTING

Intriguing Story but lacks any unexpected turns
The overall story and concept of this book was very interesting butas a whole lacked some depth and real character as a whole.The characters were loosey based on real people in the author's life, but I just feel like he didn't mold them into anything that was all the interesting.IN short, the book has turned me off to the idea of watching the movie, but I don't regret the time I spent going through it.Accept for the graphic gay love scenes...I'm not against people living their lives the way they please, but just with I had some warning for some of the descriptions of what went on. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abused children    2. Adopted children    3. Father figures    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Gay    7. General    8. Radio broadcasters    9. Fiction / General   

Reviews (2)

For all OtRFK fans.
First of all, I'm very disappointed with DMP's editing of the context... So many missing quotation marks... and some lines that are supposed to be /thoughts/ aren't even italicized or anything. Some of the translation was a bit rough and awkward in diction as well... but, that part I can excuse since they try to translate as literal as possible. Please keep in mind that English and Japanese writing styles differ, and it is impossible to translate so that it fits the English reading mind 100%. I do wish they keep honorifics though... One mistake they're still repeating is the placement of the illustrations... sometimes they appear few pages before the scene actually happens, and sometimes after it happens. At the very least, I was hoping the layout be correct, but apparently not.
Great story, but...
...DMP needs to proofread their novel translations!Geez.I can't tell you, since I actually lost count, how many easily identifiable mistakes were in this printed novel.I actually think this one had more than the first novel for this series.It wasn't that there were mispelled words, no.I'm sure DMP ran MS Word Spellcheck on it at some point, but that seems to be where they ended.There were words that were obviously meant to be other words and numerous mistakes that I could believe someone who did not read and write English as a first language would make grammatically.I would hope that a major publisher of yaoi manga in America would hire someone to do the job of an editor and fix these kinds of things, though.The translation was a little awkward, but I'm not about to blame the fact that English and Japanese are such different languages on the publisher.I can however complain that the writing style in the translation lacked cohesiveness.Sometimes thoughts were in quotations, but often they were not, and as the reader I had to spend more time trying to figure out who was saying what, or if they were saying it at all.It also seemed that in a number of the instances where thoughts were not quoted, that they originally had been, because the first letter in those thoughts was still capitalized.There were also a lot of punctuation mistakes.Some of them were unfinished sentences, and a few seemed to be the result of a paragraph or sentence being broken in the middle, but the punctuation to correct this not being added.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Gay    4. Graphic Novels - Manga    5. Graphic Novels - Romance    6. Graphic Novels-Manga    7. Comics & Graphic Novels / Graphic Novels / Romance    8. Graphic novels    9. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (10)

Enjoyable, and extremely well written
To say the least I enjoyed this book tremendously.Not only for the story itself, but because of the creativity of the writing.The way the story was told it is as if I had stood next to these characters throughout their lives and lived with them through their journey. And it is a journey we all have faced at one time or another. I have become a fan of Mr. Perronne, and the way he made his creation become a treasured part of my collection of books. I can't wait to read more from this very talented writer. A job well done!

a work at a very middle-school/high school writing level.....

Insightful and moving story of growing up gay in the South
As a straight female from the midwest, I was not sure I could relate to a novel about growing up gay in the South, but Perronne does an amazing job of making you care about his protagonist, Mason. Universally, teenagers face the challenge of discovering who they are, but Perronne brings to life the special problems of a gay teenager. One of the things I liked best is that not only does Perronne deal with Mason's sexuality, but he also shows that many of Mason's concerns (whether to go to college, relating to his sibling, etc.) are those of every teenager. Perronne also does an excellent job of bringing to life the eighties era in the tale. I would not say the interest in this story is limited to gay people - it brings understanding about the tribulations of growing up gay, as well as simply being an engaging coming of age story. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. Romance - General    5. Fiction / Gay    6. General & Literary Fiction   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (86)

Unparallelled subtlety of observation
Hollinghurst's unparallelled subtlety of observation was almost physically hurting me as I was reading this great novel and that is something I have never experienced before. Apparently, this is literature that reaches places other literature does not reach. I am very much in awe of Mr Hollinghurst's uncanny art and the negative reviews I found here on Amazon prompted me to write this review. Highly recommended for the maybe more experienced reader.

Well....
The writing is very good, but the true and simple test of a novel is to ask oneself these questions:Do I care about the characters?Can I stop reading this book right now and never wonder about how it ends?If you answer no to the first question and yes to the second, it is not a good work of literature.The Line of Beauty is, unfortunately, one of these novels.Tedious, overly mannered and stifling.

????????
i liken this book to fitzgerald's "tender is the night." and that is not a good thing. people of no substance plod through hundreds of dull dull pages. are people really this shallow? this empty? probably. but, my god, do i have to read about them? no. i do not. i simply could not finish this book (and that is rare). i wasted valuble reading time for about 300 pages, then had to admit it just wasn't working. because of all the critical acclaim this book recieved, i was very much looking forward to reading it. what a major disappointment! i am truly puzzled by the positive response this thing gets from so many people. great writing? really? i just did not see much of that here. shouldn't a book have at least one interesting character in it? it seems that dullness is making a comback in critical circles these days. too bad. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Gay    4. General    5. Literary    6. Novel   

Reviews (2)

Excellent and original story--great Yaoi
This has to be one of the best Yaoi titles available in English.I completely agree with the other reviewer.The story is so much more than the description suggests, and the artistry is beautiful.Even without Gerard's profile, he has more depth than most Seme characters.And, Jacques isn't the typical underdog uke (though he is naive).He is spoiled and has no appreciation for how "commoners" live.
Highly Recommended Outstanding Yaoi!
This Yaoi surpasses my expectation. The summary does not do it justice as the story is so much more. Labelled "Mature", the theme in G&J is compatible to Target in the Finder, even heavier than Embracing Love and Kizuna. No bondage sex but rape, M/M, M/F and M/M/F sex. The plot took place just before the French Revolution in Paris which was plagued by class distinction between the common folk and the aristocrats.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Fantasy    4. Gay    5. Graphic Novels - Manga    6. Graphic Novels-Manga    7. Historical - General   

Reviews (34)

The 'Angels' have come!
This remarkable play writen by the best playwrite since Shakespeare has achived not only rocking your mind with it's beautiful prose, language, and story, but also has gained the title of the most wonderufl play in modern liturature (counting plays). Its star-stricken plot will not make you put it down! It is truly wonderful.

The 'Angels' have come!
This remarkable play writen by the best playwrite since Shakespeare has achived not only rocking your mind with it's beautiful prose, language, and story, but also has gained the title of the most wonderufl play in modern liturature (counting plays). Its star-stricken plot will not make you put it down! It is truly wonderful.

I love this book!
I'm a college student majoring in Theater Design.I had to read this play for one of my classes my freshman year.So I sat down expecting to plod through a story that I'd never read again.Boy was I shocked!I loved it!I couldn't put it down until I'd read the last page, and then I got right online and ordered the sequel.Honestly, I'm not as big a fan of the second book.I haven't read it in a while, but from what I remember it's more offensive, and honestly, a little more like smut.There's an angel with 7 vaginas and it has sex with one of the characters...one of the gay characters..go figure.The second book also seems to take more pot shots at God, which I didn't appreciate as a Christian.Anyway.This is a review of the first book, not the second.(just reminding myself!)I have 7 big bookcases of books at my parents' house, plus my dad is a librarian, so I do a LOT of reading.This book is ALWAYS one of the few "Chosen" books that I take to college with me to keep in my dorm.And just as a side note, I'm not gay, so this book is NOT just for gay people like some of the people whom I've talked to seem to think.BUY IT! You'll be enlightened and inspired to think. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American    2. Cohn, Roy M    3. Cohn, Roy M.    4. Drama    5. Gay    6. Gay men    7. General    8. Jewish - General    9. Plays    10. Plays / Drama    11. Drama / General   

Reviews (11)

Great addition to the series
This was a great read. I enjoyed the evolution of the relationships. The core characters become more interesting without betraying their essential elements. This is a fantastic series to read and reread. I can't wait for the 4th to arrive.

A Definite Must Read!
Dr. KT O'Bannon, is a woman at the top of her game. Her life as a surgeon is a dream come true. Often times confident and sometimes brash, she's living life large and in charge. Then the unthinkable happens and KT is suddenly faced with the possiblity of losing the only way of life she knows.
Best in this series
All the books in the Provincetown series are entertaining. But I found the the first two to be very average Radclyffe fare which relied too much on her usual formula and stock characters.
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Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - Mystery/ Detective    3. Fiction / Lesbian    4. Fiction / Romance / Contemporary    5. Gay    6. Mystery & Detective - General    7. Romance - General    8. Erotic fiction    9. Lesbian    10. Lesbian fiction    11. Romance - Adult    12. Romance - Contemporary   

Reviews (22)

Don't Be Afraid of the Subject Matter
This book appears at the right time - 25 years into the epidemic, addressing a subject that has been singularly overlooked.There has been so much focus on the dead and dying, little thought has been given the survivors.And yet, when I picked this book up, I hesitated and left it to buy another time when I might feel more brave.I'm trying to get past my grief, after all, not dwell in it.But on a second trip to the bookstore, perhaps feeling more confident, I bought it.I read much of it on DuPont Circle, where much of the action in the book takes place.
A Gift to Literature
As we age, as we move beyond the terror of AIDS, what lies in store for us afterwards? For many of us, the 1980s brought a reign of horror in which friends died with the days, and the liberating lovemaking that defined us began to attack us. The immediacy of the pain of the now filled our hearts; but as the unnamed narrator claims in Andrew Holleran's new novel, Grief, it was for a time the disease du jour, and now we, as a nation, have moved on.
Disappointment
After hearing the NPR review of this book I raced out to buy it.How disappointed I was when I read it.Although easy to read (Mr. Holleran has a lovely style) it was essentually empty of emotion.I felt nothing.I wanted to say to all of the primary characters "Get over yourself".All of the main participants were beautiful, clever, intelligent.Well, fine.Just come to grips with your lives.Stop whining. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. American Contemporary Fiction - Individual Authors +    2. College teachers    3. Death    4. Fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. Gay    7. Literary    8. Loss (Psychology)    9. Parents    10. Fiction / Literary    11. General & Literary Fiction    12. Literature of special Gay interest   

Reviews (4)

A book for everyone
While at first glance this book may seem like it is only for the gay market, I have to tell you this is not so.As a hetro male who is into movies this book was everything I could hope for.Bravo to the author for the research done for this book, had to be a labor of love.Love old movies?Not me, until I read this book.Now I want to see Valentino's films.What sets this book apart from others is the authors's comments, always on target and usually funny.The author's own personal relanship with the actors and movies also makes this a great read - and every one will have someone they would rather have seen in this book - such is the joy of any list

A Labor of Love
Michael Ferguson's "Matinee Idol," subtitled "A Shameless Celebration of Male Beauty in the Movies," makes a fitting companion to Daniel and Jackson's "Bent Lens," not becuase it's about gay film, or even gays in film--it is not--but because it rewrties Hollywood history from the point of view of a gay (male) voyeur.The journey i