The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

Every year I do a different topic on the blog promoting other LGBTQ authors/books. This year I'm looking for lgbt books that you thought were fantastic, but for one reason or another didn't seem to get the attention they deserved.

I am pulling from several lists around the web and contacting authors for an appearance. I'm finding a lot of list with lgbtq romance, but little else.

So, if you have a (non-romance) recommendation, or a list, feel free to contact me here, or on my website. (Readers only please.)

http://brandonshire.com/category/lgbt...

I suggest a new book by J. Carter Swift, "Stories of The Boy with the Yellow Socks." Beautiful sentences, great word sense, and the stories are all "gems." Go to amazon and read the first story, The Baseball Glove, for free as a "peek" into the book. It's only five pages, but what a five pages.

Brandon I just finished Fearless by Chris O'Guinn. If you are considering YA reads too, then this one qualifies as under-appreciated. It is really quite fantastic for a YA read. There is a romantic element in there but it is very behind the actual story of friendship in the most unlikely of places.

TY, I'll take a look. Tara wrote: "Brandon I just finished Fearless by Chris O'Guinn. If you are considering YA reads too, then this one qualifies as under-appreciated. It is really quite fantastic for a YA read. There is a romantic..."

I read Make Do and Mend by Adam Fitzroy last year. It's set in Wales, in WWII. It stayed with me long after I finished reading it, and was hard to banish from my mind enough to start another book. It had an interesting and complex plot which was well pace and always kept me gripped. It was a clever idea to make the main source of conflict the fact that one of the characters was a conscientious objector, rather than the fact he was a homosexual. The British setting was well drawn and the description of the rural community rang very true. Although the book won a Rainbow Award (the reason it came my way) I haven't seen it mentioned much by the main sites.

Mr Fitzroy is published by the small Manifold Press, and I have never read a poor book from them.

Here are some suggestions for non-romance genre reads:

The Academician and its sequels

Promised Valley Rebellion and its sequels

Captive Prince: Volume One & Captive Prince: Volume Two

Shirewode & Greenwode

Songs for the New Depression

The Lonely War

A Map of the Harbor Islands

The Definitive Albert J. Sterne

These Things Happen

Sighs Too Deep for Words

The Blackwater Lightship

Ha! Julie Bozza is already booked for 2/7. Both Alan Chin and Kergan have been on the blog previously with these. Great list.

I'll take a look for sure. Rachel wrote: "I read Make Do and Mend by Adam Fitzroy last year. It's set in Wales, in WWII. It stayed with me long after I finished reading it, and was hard to banish from my mind enough to start another book. ..."

Brandon wrote: "Ha! Julie Bozza is already booked for 2/7. Both Alan Chin and Kergan have been on the blog previously with these. Great list."

Good on ya! Just this week I received a lovely reply from Heather Domin updating the release of the sequel to The Soldier of Raetia and there it is on your blog.

Just a couple more suggestions then:

The Wolf at the Door

The Archer's Heart

The Boy I Love

Welcome Home, Captain Harding and the two books before.

The Administration series

The Seventh Veil and the sequels

Boots for the Gentleman & sequel

Chris O'Guinn will be on the blog in April. Thanks for the suggestion.

Tara wrote: "Brandon I just finished Fearless by Chris O'Guinn. If you are considering YA reads too, then this one qualifies as under-appreciated. It is really quite fantastic for a YA read. There is a romantic..."

Stan wrote: "I suggest a new book by J. Carter Swift, "Stories of The Boy with the Yellow Socks." Beautiful sentences, great word sense, and the stories are all "gems." Go to amazon and read the first story, ..."

Okay, we've gone through almost this whole list of previous suggestions and had some great interviews. You can read them here: http://brandonshire.com/category/lgbt...

If you have more suggestions, let me know. I'm setting up for the last 2 quarters of the year.

Note: Please make sure they're a Goodreads author (easier to contact)

Brandon wrote: "Okay, we've gone through almost this whole list of previous suggestions and had some great interviews. You can read them here: http://brandonshire.com/category/lgbt...

If you have more sug..."

Thanks for getting such interesting insights from authors I love on your site Brandon. Adam Fitzroy, Ron Fritsch, William Sibley, Julie Bozza are amongst my favs.

I'm thrilled to see that Marion Husband and Jameson Currier have upcoming books and am still waiting impatiently for Heather Domin's sequel to her The Soldier of Raetia. I still have to get round to posting my thoughts on Currier's The Wolf at the Door ....

Highly recommend Boystown 6: From The Ashes: A Nick Nowak Mystery by Marshall Thornton; the sixth in the Boystown gay mystery series is just as good as all the rest. Also would recommend, Safe by Mark Richard Zubro - considered YA gay mystery, but adults will greatly enjoy the solid mystery involving the suspicious death of a high school teen. Are you only looking for books released in 2014?

Books from 2014 are not considered. No one has had a chance to discover them yet. Next year book from 2015 will not be considered, etc.

Jon wrote: "Highly recommend Boystown 6: From The Ashes: A Nick Nowak Mystery by Marshall Thornton; the sixth in the Boystown gay mystery series is just as good as all the rest..."

Brandon wrote: "Books from 2014 are not considered. No one has had a chance to discover them yet. Next year book from 2015 will not be considered, etc.

Jon wrote: "Highly recommend Boystown 6: From The Ashe..."</i>

Okay - scratch those I listed since they came out this year; instead, I'll suggest [book:Boystown 5: Murder Book by Marshall Thornton, by far my most favorite book in the Boystown series to date;. Also, His Name Is John, a unique mystery/thriller by Dorien Grey that combines a well-sketched mystery with paranormal ghostly elements that make the novel hard to put down!

I'll take a look. Thanks for the suggestions. :)

Jon wrote: "Brandon wrote: "Books from 2014 are not considered. No one has had a chance to discover them yet. Next year book from 2015 will not be considered, etc.

Jon wrote: "Highly recommend [book:Boystown ..."

I personally loved the two mystery books by A. J. Raven about a bisexual teenage male lead

Missing in Somerville (book1)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/missi...


The Game Master of Somerville (Book2)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-g...

Thanks. I'll check into them.
Tempestraven wrote: "I personally loved the two mystery books by A. J. Raven about a bisexual teenage male lead

Missing in Somerville (book1)

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/missi...?..."

i recommend It Was a Riot!

it's the author's debut novel and it talks about the realities of being gay in 1990s england. it was such an interesting read :)