I love books. They’re good entertainment, great fiber and keep me from having to talk to people in public. They also can be quite perceptive and entertaining in the gay world. With technology where it is these days, just about anybody can publish a book. And with that freedom comes the explosion of topics, giving the gay community more opportunity to be represented and heard. Check out our top 5 books every gay guy should read and see what you think.
Title: Mommy Man: How I Went from Mild-Mannered Geek to Gay Superdad
Author: Jerry Mahoney
Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
Why it’s awesome: With all of the talk about gay parenting, there aren’t exactly a lot of (positive) books written on the subject. In this hysterical, uplifting, and downright true memoir, Mahoney tells the story of struggling with his gay identity as a teen, his awkward dating while in L.A., the meeting of his lifelong partner, and the adventures of the two men as they swim the current of surrogacy. With a solid, 5-star rating on Amazon, this is a book you can’t afford to miss.
Title: Turning Sixteen
Author: Perie Wolford
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Why it’s awesome: Fans of this YA book agree: if you love John Hughes films (“Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”), you really need to give this novel a shot. Watch Sam as he dreads each bad-luck birthday even more than the last, hoping that his 16th will be different if he catches the eye of a cutie. The story’s editing may be a little lacking, but it otherwise proves to be a light, uplifting, nearly belief-suspending read. And seriously, we need more of that in gay fiction, especially for youths. Growing up gay doesn’t have to be a tearjerker. It can be awesomely ridiculous.
Title: Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America
Author: Jeff Chu
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Why it’s awesome: There continue to be not enough books about homosexuality and religion. When it comes to Christianity in particular, we often only hear about gay-hating Bible-thumpers incorrectly reciting holy passages for their own agendas. But what about gay guys who, you know, believe in God? Refusing to give up neither his evangelical roots nor his sexual orientation, Chu documents his adventures through religious America—from Westboro Baptist Church to the Metropolitan Community Church—as he tries to answer the ultimate question: Does Jesus love him?
Title: How to Bottom Like a Porn Star
Author: Woody Miller
Publisher: Woodpecker Media
Why it’s awesome: Okay, so we’ve been a little too pure on this list so far. A big part about being gay is (hopefully) phenomenal sex. And Miller is here to help you crack that code. Part erotic, part incredibly educational, the author interviews all sorts of gay porn stars to give you a plethora of information on bottoming in a relatively short book. While sex is certainly on the agenda, Miller also tackles bottoming stigma, the problem with labels, and the rampant use of poppers and other recreational drugs. If you want to learn about it, it’s probably here.
Title: Mundo Cruel: Stories
Author: Luis Negrón
Publisher: Seven Stories Press
Why it’s awesome: Translated from its original Spanish by Suzanne Jill Levine, this book won this year’s Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Fiction. In this series of short stories in a noticeably slim (but worthwhile) book, Negrón not only delves into laugh-and-cry situations of gay life, but particularly in Puerto Rico. Quite simply, aside from the great narration, it was refreshing to see a gay work that focused not only on non-white individuals, but also outside of America. From pastors to taxidermy to cocaine, there’s a reason this story won one of the best LGBTQ book awards around.
