a little fantasy * a little sci fi * a little love
They say, write what you know. This is evident in Emma Grey's beautiful novel, The Last Love Note. It's the story of Kate, a thirty-something woman who is married to her soul mate, Cam, a young English professor who is suffering from Alzheimer's. This story begins several years after Cam has passed, then flits back …
Continue reading "Book Review – The Last Love Note by Emma Grey"
First off, the plot is perfect for a movie. It lends itself much easier to a screen adaptation than Holden Sheppard's other works - each dramatic cinematic beat is here. Two earlier scenes really resonated, setting up Jack Brolo's low opinion of himself, and later, his state of mind returning to the town he grew …
Continue reading "Book Review – King of Dirt by Holden Sheppard"
I'm not the audience for this autobiography. But this doesn't cloud my judgement about how well this is written for the readership it is intended for. So I'll start by explaining why it didn't totally capture my attention. I was thirty-three when out football star, Ian Roberts' autobiography came out. And while I enjoyed it …
Continue reading "Book Review – Caught in the Act by Shane Jenek a.k.a. Courtney Act"
I could tell you the whole plot in one paragraph. Yet instead of a light tale stretched over the length of a novel, Revolutionary Road is a deep study of its characters. The story revolves around Frank and April Wheeler, a young married couple who believe they are more clever than they actually are. Frank …
Continue reading "Book Review – Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates"
Something odd happened. A review came out for The Midnight Man which complained about the graphic sexual content. I was confused as the opening chapter has the only sex scene. It's not a scene which titillates because its purpose is to show the reader how unhappy the main character is in his relationship. There are …
This is not a book for the faint-hearted. When I first began reading this I was reminded of Alanis Morissette's brilliant song, 'You Oughta Know'. The author takes us back to when he was bullied in school, spitting venom at his tormentors in the same manner as Morissette attacked her ex. As a homosexual, I …
This novel would make an excellent film. It has all the elements of a box office smash or a highly streamed miniseries. Period drama. Likeable characters. Sneaky dealings. A love story. Two teenage boys meet one evening just before the second world war. James is Irish and from a very poor family. Otto is the …
This book is a time capsule. It is of an era when gay life wasn't part of the mainstream. The story is told by young American man, David, who is living in Paris during the 1950s, hanging around older homosexuals he criticises for being too effeminate. While his girlfriend is in Spain, he begins an …
Continue reading "Book Review – Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin"
Most of us know this story. I've seen two movie versions and a stage play. These focussed on the horror elements as well as the philosophy Wilde weaves into the tale - the idea of whether our soul is tainted by our actions. This uncensored version restores gay content which the novel's first editor feared …
Continue reading "Book Review – The Uncensored Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde"
This is a collection of short stories which reads like a novella. In the first tale, Kent meets Spencer when they are both kids in 1966. Spencer is the new boy in school and Kent is drawn to him. But Kent’s domineering sister, Suey, doesn’t like Spence because he stands up to her bullying. Each …
Continue reading "Book Review – Mercedes General by Jerry L. Wheeler"
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