nothing posted yet??

So, who's reading what? As a Brit I am depressingly reliant on US imports for my fix of gay books. Not that we don't have any ourselves, but the market is in no way as developed as it is in the States, the specialist shops are under threat and the chainstores have APALLINGLY limited range. Dare say that is a common enough complaint amongst all gay readers...
Anyway, I'm finally getting around to reading (The Line of Beauty) by ((Alan Hollinghurst)) following its recent dramatisation on the BBC. All recommendations gratefully received from trash to something with a bit more depth!
cheers, russ

Imagine being only half-Brit (half-Portuguese) and living in a country that though not overtly homophobic has yet to come to terms with publishing "gay" books at all - unless they have been awarded prestigious prizes or made into successful films...
OK, to the point. Have you read Full Circle
by Michael Thomas Ford? I liked it more than I had been expecting. Sorry I couldn't 'touchstone' the title - the only "Full Circle" they know of is by Michael Palin (sigh)...

One I'm always recommending is China Mountain Zhang, there's so little good gay SF (Samuel R Delany is the only other author that comes to mind).
I found the characters in Line of Beauty so unsympathetic that by the end I really didn't care what happened to them; The Folding Star is still my favourite Alan Hollinghurst novel

I read china mountain years ago, not sure if i still have it or if it went in a periodic charity shop clear out, but remember enjoying it. I've never been able to get into Samuel Delaney despite trying :(
the quality of alan hollinhurst's writing is keeping me going so far, but i hear what your saying about unsympathetic characters, though since we're talking about Thatcher's 80's England perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised ?

LOL of course, you should probably worry a little if you did find yourself warming to them, but I agree his writing is very fine. Especially compared with old stodge like Edmund White, which I find it a real effort to finish.

fine writing, but unfortunately not enough to keep me going any longer. i did try! (never give up a book within the first 100 pages) I'm gonna read me some lighthearted trash instead on the grounds that summer isn't quite over yet.

I agree with you about Edmund White. He is a very good writer, but I give up before finishing. I'm reading My Lives now and he comes across a so sad almost pathetic.

That is how I feel about Andrew Holleran, sad and pathetic. I have never been able to read any of his stuff. He has nary a positive viewpoint in his body of work. I try but just can't get beyond the first few chapters/stories.

As far as authors I enjoy reading and CAN finish are Christopher Bram and Jim Grimsley. Dream boy or Winter Birds by Grimsley are very good I think. Almost History and Father of Frankenstein are two of Bram's best.

Not sure why the touchstones won't work for Grimsley and Bram.

It was just too hot here in Texas (over 100F or 39C for forty days this summer, blech) to attempt Hollingsurst or finish (ick) Edmund White's My Lives. I went totally trashy with gay reading: Tab Hunter Confidential and Someone Killed His Boyfriend by David Stukas. Suited my mood, and I had a wonderful time with each.

Re: #8, I loved Father of Frankenstein when I read it ten years ago, and loved the movie they made of it, Gods and Monsters. Gorgeous stuff. Wonder if I can touchstone Christopher Bram...seems to work....

Re: #2, Kieren, Michael Thomas Ford's a boyfriend fiction factory, isn't he? "Pleasurable reading within" will be my tag for him when I get around to opening those boxes.

I really enjoyed While England Sleeps by David Leavitt. I have to admit I also only dip and skim with Edmund White. I have never yet read the Gordon Merrick chestnuts but will get to them some day.

Hi, I absolutely agree with you. I read The Line of Beauty and couldn't feel attached or even remotely sympathetic to one of the characters. Maybe it's just because I'm not a native speaker English, but I just felt disappointed. Next to the Folding Star I also liked The Spell a lot.