had a good time with DFTD but i want novels with more lovely language and a more poetic voice, and yes the more melancholy and existential the better

Hyperbole?

Here's a link to the titular article, for those with access to read it: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/30/books/review/the-disappearers-marlon-james.html

I have read neither the article nor the book but would very much like to. I brought it up in the Booker Prize thread.

Anyone?

Floorbound is a raw, unique, and courageous memoir of self‑discovery from author R.J. Bowe, exploring the complex intersection of innocence, sexuality, and unconventional yearning.

As a child, a seemingly innocent yet unusual discovery became the foundational architecture of R.J.’s adult identity—a moment where comfort, confusion, and connection collided. That early, private fascination with his father’s socks and the strange allure of “trampling” set the stage for a lifetime spent navigating secrecy and shame.

The narrative takes a surprising turn when his blue‑collar father chooses a path of radical, unwavering acceptance. That pivotal support allowed R.J. to safely explore the complexities of his emerging identity and desires. Yet every major adult decision traces back to that early imprint—including the moment he realized he had finally gone too far.

Floorbound is a candid exploration of the universal human experience of embracing our true selves. It invites readers to confront their own biases, celebrate individuality, and find inspiration in a world that often prioritizes conformity. With a bold narrative that is both innocent and taboo, this memoir challenges societal norms and celebrates the beauty of being unapologetically you.

Order your copy 👇
Floorbound on Amazon

Not at all an LGBT novel by any means. I really enjoyed it. After reading a lot of HIV/AIDS literature (The Great Believers, Nova Scotia House, Borrowed Time, Such Times) that takes place in the 80s and early 90s, it was interesting to see that time period portrayed with zero mention of HIV. Everything was so debaucherous and carefree.

I’m not a huge reader but have committed to reading more over the last year or two. I try to mix it up from fiction to non-fiction. I like Queer YA. Self Help. History. A little bit of it all I guess.

I wasn't supposed to survive.

This is not a metaphor. Not a literary device. Not an attempt to inflate the price of my story. This is a fact I still roll in my mouth like a bitter pill. Ten years in a relationship where you're systematically stripped, layer by layer, of your will, your self-worth, your friends, your money, your sense of reality. Such relationships don't end with an exit. They end with death, madness, or a slow fade into being a shadow of someone else's life.

I was on the verge of all three. Not at different times, at the same time. I stood in the kitchen and looked at the knives, and I wasn't thinking about killing myself. I was thinking that if I just disappeared, he'd have no one to scream at. I lay in bed and couldn't move because my nervous system said: "That's it. We're closed. You're on your own from here." I forgot the taste of food. I forgot how to sleep without pills. I forgot how to want.

And here's what I only now understand, as I write these lines: I didn't survive in spite of it. I survived because I took myself apart and put myself back together.

This book is not a confession. Not a victim's diary. Not a psychology textbook. It's a fucking autopsy report. An autopsy of one soul that walked through hell and came back with a map. I don't want your pity. I want the one who's sitting in their kitchen at 3 AM, typing encrypted notes so their partner won't find them, to know they're not alone. I was there. I know the taste of that bottom. And I know how to push off from it.

This is the map. Read it. Then pass it to someone who needs to wake up.

“Survived Larrikin”

Read it here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HG7VZPQ8

Looking for your recommendations of queer stories set in Australia/New Zealand. Bonus points for literary fiction.

Hi, from what I understand, in the pre-Stonewall riot period, serving alcohol to gay people was illegal and bars were run by the mafia, who exploited queer people, this relationship is very fascinating to me, albeit it being very sad, and I want to learn more about it, be it from fiction or nonfiction, preferably fiction cause it's more fun for me 🙃

Most of what I found about this was very U.S. specific, the closest thing to this dynamic that I could find was in Japan, so books about that will also be very appreciated, as well as anything like this from other countries, though from what I found this wasn't a universal dynamic, I think England had Molly Houses or something like that, but it seems to be different.

So, do you of any books that match these descriptions?

Thank you kindly for your time ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

I’m a gay Nigerian writer, and The Moon Knows All the Secrets of the World is my fourth book.

The stories draw from African cosmology, folklore, spirituality, and the mysteries of existence to explore the strange threads that connect us to one another, to those who came before us, and perhaps even to those who come after us.

There is a lot of homophobia on the African continent, and as someone who has experienced the world from the margins, I’ve often thought about what it means to belong to a place that does not always know how to make room for you.

With my writing, I want to explore another possibility: that beneath all our differences, we are profoundly connected. That grief can connect us. Love can connect us. Memory can connect us. The dead can remain connected to the living. And perhaps all of us, despite everything that separates us, are still living beneath the same moon.

The book contains nine stories about reincarnation, grief, love, dreams, war, power, technology, and the mysteries that exist between worlds.

I hope the stories remind you that the world is stranger, more interconnected, and perhaps more magical than we sometimes allow ourselves to believe.

The moon knows all the secrets of the world can be found on Amazon and Selar.

I have been a big fan of Sherlock and Watson. I’m wondering if others could recommend modern novels in detective or espionage genres that feature two male leads in collaborative, romantic or not romantic capacities.

This was one of my favorite recent reads. I lived for decades as an American expat in Europe. I was interested to see if there were any parallels in this book. The main character is a gay black male in Japan so already different than my life in Europe. But I was also amazed by the similarities.

The book is more than finding your way as a foreigner in a different culture. It is also a tale of a mother and son’s relationship. And the book also touches on the mother’s own experiences in a foreign country and her relationship with her gay brother.

I really enjoyed thinking about the paths we seek as gay men in finding friends and creating a life.

This popped up as a suggest last night.... has anyone read this yet?

"An engrossing account of one queer man’s journey through a life filled with danger, yes, but also great joy. A beautiful read that adds nuance to the stories of so many refugees.” —Garrard Conley, author of Boy Erased

It's a bittersweet book. It made my blood boil, but I also had jiggles and tears. Even though I grew up in a different society, culture, and time, there were little things that resonated with me thinking back on my journey of coming out. It made me grateful for the time I'm living in despite what we are facing now and what I'm dealing with. And it made me want to be stronger and braver, and to live honestly.

Hi all,

Have any of you read this book yet? And your thoughts? It seems like a book I’d enjoy but the online reviews are mixed. Thanks

Hey! Pretty specific thing I am searching for, not sure if it exists… Currently reading ’Never stay gone’ by Tal Bauer and although I love his books and his style I’d like to read something even more focused on the crime solving, but still keep the ‘crime solving duo gay romance’.

- Modern day (or end of 20th century but no victorian era please)

- More plot than smut (open door scenes are fine as long as they aren’t 1/2 of the book)

- Male author if possible

- The plot makes sense, has research behind it…

- big plus if it’s a series :)

Hi everyone!

This is our Indie team's first Boys' Love (BL)/Otome Visual Novel. You can play as a Male, Female and Gender Neutral protagonist.

If you enjoy story-driven visual novels, we'd love for you to give it a try and let us know what you think.

You can play the demo for free. Full version of the game is also available for purchase.

Game: The Failure Even Death Rejects (Complete Version)

Platform: itch.io

Read this one a while back and really enjoyed it. Set in 1700's England, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a thriller set in the Molly houses (gay clubs) of London. At a time when being gay could get you executed, someone is betraying the mollies. A carpenter who also serves as a bouncer at one of the houses is tracking down the spy, hoping against hope that it isn't Thomas True, the sweet, cute (kinda dumb) guy that just came to town. The book is well-researched without needing to bog you down in every bit of minutia.

Hi everyone, I’ve just been getting into queer books this last year and have enjoyed Song of Achilles, Young Mungo and I’m currently enjoying Bath Haus

I’ve got a festival coming up and would love a good queer thriller to read in between the dancing when I’m sat in a field with little else to do!

❤️

I wish I could find a free place that tell some type of current data of book readers. Sure, I found out that the area I am in are mostly women, told me a basic age group.

But that doesn't tell me what they are looking for in a book. For example, would they prefer a gay romance to have only guy characters? If it was a gangster book, does the leader have to be gay? Is interracial preferred?

Comments?

Guys… I am really enjoying this book. Started it yesterday and devoured the first two-thirds in one sitting. (I am on vacation by the water so this was easy.) I can’t wait to finish—though I’m frightened I’ll be yearning hard for the second book to come out. I read Thirty Love earlier this summer and though it is striking how similar they are (the protagonist in Open loves Gilmore Girls, the protagonist in Thirty loves Golden Girls), it turns out I am strictly nonmonogamous when it comes to mainstream gay tennis romance. Having read HR (before the revolution) and long contemplated the gender politics of MM romance authorship, I think both books are successful at speaking to and from an authentic Gay experience—The Open Era perhaps slightly more so. Has anyone else read this yet? What are your thoughts!

I loved this book! I finished it in a few days, it was such a page turner. It’s a gay psychological thriller about a man whose secret trip to a bathhouse turns violent, forcing him into a web of lies and deceit that quickly spirals out of control.

I’m fairly new to the reading hobby, but I’m currently hooked. Can anyone recommend a similar book? Something dark, gay, suspenseful etc? :)

Thanks

I found this to be an interesting insight into being gay in South Korea. It is also about a mother/son relationship. I always find it fascinating to read about gay life in other countries and compare the parallels with gay life in the US. This is a good read about a young gay man figuring out his place in the world and his relationship to family.

You’ve probably seen this all over booktok or Instagram but DAMN does this pack a punch and deliver. Trigger warning for so many things (sex, drugs, addition, abuse) but it’s giving me flashbacks to the first time I read Chuck Palahniuk, I can’t get enough of this book.

Full review https://queerbookclub.org/reviews/fruit-fly-josh-silver/