Thanks to all of you readers and authors who recommended 130+ of your favourite gay books. Many I knew and some of them I had never heard of, which is what makes this such an exciting list. As I said in the earlier post, this is not a Top 100 or a Top 200 list, it’s a list of favourite M/M books from you, supplemented by many of my favourites, as well as books that have been included as a result of exhaustive searches of booksellers’ sites to identify those that you would consider as keepers.
Many of the books on the list have withstood the test of time and have been around as readers’ favourites for 25 or more years (The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren, The Charioteer by Mary Renault are excellent examples) and more recent favourites such as the PsyCop series by Jordan Castillo Price, the Adrien English Mysteries by Josh 
Lanyon, The Tin Star by J.L. Langley, The Draegan Lords by M.L. Rhodes, to name a few. I have included a few book covers and intend to add to them over the next week
Some of you had excellent suggestions regarding how the list should be categorized, and those recommendations that could easily be incorporated were included in the final list. Obviously this list could not be all things to all people but I hope it will serve as an excellent reference point. There are more than 200 books covering different gay sub genres and I have added memoirs and other books of social significance such as Armistead Maupin’s wonderful commentary about life in San Francisco in the 1970s – Tales of the City – the first book in his 7 book series chronicling life in San Francisco in a memorable period of gay and US history.
I have not read as many of these books as I would have liked so I recently bought quite a few of them and hope to review them over the next several months. A number
of the books have already been reviewed on the site and I hope you will read the reviews. If you recommended a book and it’s not on the list that could be because it is not an M/M romance or gay literature. Please identify any books that have been included which don’t fall within this criteria and I will delete them.
This new list has been classified to make it easier for you, the reader, and there is now a legend. All paranormal and fantasy books have been grouped under Speculative Fiction but the other categories are very familiar to you. A few books on the list are violent and some have no HEA, therefore buyer beware and check the reviews on sites such as amazon or Barnes & Noble!
So here’s your new list of Readers’ Favourite Gay Books which combines your recommendations and the original 118 books.
It would be remiss of me if I didn’t thank Wren Boudreau who helped me list and categorize your recommendations – without her this task would have taken much, much longer. Her help was invaluable.
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LEGEND
C=Contemporary
H=Historical
M=Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
S=Speculative Fiction/Paranormal/Fantasy
W=Cowboy
MEM=Memoir
P=Play
Social History=SH
Favourite Gay Books
-The Classics
(for this purpose books released more than 15 years ago i.e. 1993 and earlier)
A Different Sin by Rochelle Hollander Schwab (H)A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham (H)
A Queer Kind Of Death by George Baxt (M)
A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (C)
Angels in America by Tony Kushner (P)
And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts (SH)
Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story by Paul Monette (SH)
City of Night by John Rechy (C)
Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran (SH) (C)
Dancers of Arun by Elizabeth A. Lynn (S)
David Blaize by E.F. Benson (H)
Gaywyck by Vincent Varga (H)
Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin (MEM)
Kiss Of The Spider Woman by Manuel Puig
Maurice by E.M. Forster (H)
My Dearest Holmes by Rohase Piercy (H)
Social Disease by Paul Rudnick (SH)
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner (S)
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (SH)
Teot’s War/Bloodstorm by Heather Gladney (S)
The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal (C)
The Best Little Boy in the World by Andrew Tobias (M)
The Catch Trap by Marion Zimmer Bradley (C)
The Charioteer by Mary Renault (H)
The Dreyfus Affair by Peter Lefcourt (C)
The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren (C)
The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy (series) Titles – Magic’s Pawn; Magic’s Promise; Magic’s Price; by Mercedes Lackey (S)
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (C)
The Night G.A.A. Died by Jack Ricardo (M) (SH)
The Object Of My Affection by Stephen McCauley (C)
The Persian Boy (series) other books – Fire from Heaven; Funeral Games – by Mary Renault (H)
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (S)
While England Sleeps by David Leavitt (H)
Vampires Anonymous by Jeffrey N. McMahan (S)
- - Current
(for this purpose books released 15 years ago or less i.e. 1994 or later)
A Bit of Rough by Laura Baumbach (C)
A Face Without A Heart by Rick R. Reed (S)
A Land Fit for Heroes (series) by Richard Morgan (S)
A Note In The Margin by Isabelle Rowan (C)
Adagio by Chris Owen (C)
Adrien English Mysteries (series) Titles – Fatal Shadows; A Dangerous Thing; The Hell You Say; Death of A Pirate King; by Josh Lanyon (M)
Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger (C)
Always by M.L. Rhodes (includes Hearts and Bones & Never Let Go) (C)
An Agreement Among Gentlemen by Chris Owen (H)
And the Two Shall Become One by Mychael Black and Shayne Carmichael (S)
Angel Land by Victor J. Banis (S)
Angel’s Evolution by T.A. Chase (H)
Angels of the Deep by Kirby Crow (S)
Any Kind of Luck by William Jack Sibley (C)
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann (H)
At Swim, Two Boys by Jamie O’Neill (H)
B. Quick by C. S. Laurel (M)
Backtrack by Joseph Hansen (M)
Back Where He Started by Jay Quinn (C)
Bad Case of Loving You by Lainey Cairo (C)
Bareback by Chris Owen (W)
Bay City Paranormal Investigations (series) Titles – Oleander House; What Hides Inside; Twilight; Closer; An Inner Darkness; by Ally Blue
Blood Claim (anthology) Laura Baumback, Angela Fiddler, Jet Mykles (S)
Blue Ruin (series) Titles – Some Kind of Stranger; Close to Me; Chains of Love; by Katrina Strauss (C)
Border Roads by Sarah Black (C)
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan (C)
Breakfast With Scot by Michael Downing (C)
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (W)
Cambridge Fellows Mysteries (series) Titles - Lessons in: Love; Desire; Discovery; Power – by Charlie Cochrane (H) (M)
Captain’s Surrender by Alex Beecroft (H)
Caught Running by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux (C)
Channeling Morpheus (series) – Titles – Payback; Vertigo; Mannikin; Rebirth; Tainted; by Jordan Castillo Price (S)
Chrome by George Nadar (S)
Collision Course by K.A. Mitchell (C)
Cowboy Blues by Steven Lewis (M)
Crossing Borders by Z.A. Maxfield (C)
Cut and Run by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux (M)
Dancer from the Dance by Andrew Holleran (C)
Dangerous Moonlight by Mel Keegan (H)
Dave Brandstetter Mysteries (series) by Joseph Hansen (M)
Deadly series Titles – Deadly Dreams; Deadly Slumber; Deadly Wrong; Deadly Nightshade; by Victor J. Banis (M)
Death’s Head (series) Titles – Death’s Head; Equinox; Scorpio ; by Mel Keegan (S)
Details of the Hunt by Laura Baumbach (S)
Detective Lane Mysteries (series) by Garry Ryan (M)
Deviations (series) Titles – Submission; Domination; Discipline; Bondage; by Chris Owen and Jodi Payne (C)
Discreet Young Gentleman by M J Pearson (H)
Donald Strachey Mysteries (series) by Richard Stevenson (M)
Drawn Together by ZA Maxfield (C)
Dreaming of Dragons/Here be Dragons by T.A. Chase (S)
Duval’s Gold by Chris Hunt (H)
Edward Unconditionally by Lynn Lorenz (S)
Eye of the Storm by Lee Rowan (H)
Faith & Fidelity by Tere Michaels (C)
Falling by Cameron Dane (S)
Falling by M.L. Rhodes (S)
False Colors by Alex Beecroft (H)
Fingering the Family Jewels by Greg Lilly (M)
Fire Season by Lex Valentine (S)
First You Fall by Scott Sherman (M)
Freeman by Clare London (C)
Frost Fair by Erastes (H)
Glad Hands by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks (S)
Golden Boy by Michael Nava (M)
Golden Boy/Golden Man by Claire Thompson (C)
Gym Dandy by Storm Grant (C)
Heat by Tory Temple (C)
Heaven Sent (series) Titles – Heaven; Purgatory; Hell; Faith; Genesis; by Jet Mykles (C)
Hell Cop (series) by Astrid Amara, Ginn Hale, Nicole Kimberling (S)
Henry and Jim by J. M. Snyder (C)
Henry Rios Mysteries (series) by Michael Nava (M)
Her Majesty’s Men by Marquesate (C)
Heroes & Ghosts by S.A. Payne (S)
Hidden Force by Shayla Kersten (C)
High Line by T.A. Chase (C)
Hot Cargo by Nikki Bennet and Ariel Tachna (S)
How Long has this been Going On? by Ethan Mordden (SH)
In The Strangest Places by Willa Okati (C)
Jack Dorm (series) Titles – Dar & Greg; Drew & Vince; David & Connor; by Bobby Michaels
Jackson’s Pride by Lynn Lorenz (H) (S)
Kind Hearts by Evelyn Martin (C)
Kirith Kirin, by Jim Grimsley (S)
L.A. Heat by P.A. Brown (M)
L.A. Mischief by P.A. Brown (M)
Labryinth (series) Titles – Melusine; The Virtu; The Mirador; Corambis; by Sarah Monette (S)
Like Coffee and Donuts by Elle Parker (C)
Lola Dances by Victor J. Banis (H)
Longhorns by Victor J. Banis (W)
Lord and Master by Jules Jones (C)
Lord John Grey Novels by Diana Gabaldon (H)
Love & Loyalty by Tere Michaels (C)
Love in an Elevator by Sean Michael (C)
Lover’s Knots by Katherine Cross (H)
Mahu series by Neil S. Plakcy (M)
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (MEM)
Men of Smithfield (series) Titles – Happy Ending; Gobsmacked; by L.B. Gregg (C)
Mexican Heat (series) by Josh Lanyon and Laura Baumbach (C)
Mr. Clive and Mr. Page by Neil Bartlett (H)
My Fair Captain/The Englor Affair (series) by J.L. Langley (S)
Naked by David Sedaris (MEM)
Neg UB2 by Rick R. Reed (C)
Nick Hoffman Mysteries (series) by Lev Raphael (M)
Nicky D’Amico (series) Titles – Habit for Death; Ice in His Veins by Chuck Zito (M)
Nightrunner (series) by Lynn Flewelling (S)
9-1-1 by Chris Owen (C)
Nocturne by Mel Keegan (H)
Notturno by Z. A. Maxfield (S)
On Fire by Drew Zachary (C)
Orientation by Rick R. Reed (S)
Out of the Blue by Josh Lanyon (H)
Out There in the Night by Laura Baumbach (S)
Pandora Project: Runaway Star by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox (S)
Paul’s Dream by Rowan McBride (S)
Phoenix Rising: Strongman by Denise Rossetti (S)
Practical Purposes by Yeva Wiest (C)
PsyCop (series) Titles – Among the Living; Criss Cross; Body & Soul; Secrets; Camp Hell; by Jordan Castillo Price (S)
Raised by Wolves (series) by W. A. Hoffman (H)
Ransom by Lee Rowan (H)
Regularly Scheduled LIfe by K. A. Mitchell (C)
Rough Canvas by Joey Hill (C)
Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs (MEM)
Russell Quant Mysteries (series) by Anthony Bidulka (M)
Scarlet and the White Wolf series by Kirby Crow (S)
Shadow Hunt by LM Prieto and Jayson Taylor (S)
Shadow of a Wolf by Jez Morrow (S)
Slave Boy by Evangeline Anderson (S)
Sleight of Hand by Katrina Strauss (S)
Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon (H)
Soul Mates (series) Titles – Bound by Blood; Deceptions; Sacrifice; Secrets; by Jourdan Lane (S)
Speak Its Name (anthology) by Charlie Cochrane; Erastes; Lee Rowan (H)
St. Nacho’s by Z. A. Maxfield (C)
Standish by Erastes (H)
Stealing Life by T A Chase (C)
Sweet Oblivion (series) Titles – Brazen; Snare; Fluid; Swarm by Jordan Castillo Price (S)
Sweet Topping by Carol Lynne (C)
Tangle (anthology) by Astrid Amara, Ginn Hale et al (S)
The Administration (series) Titles - Mind Fuck; Quid Pro Quo; Games & Players; Control; by Manna Francis (S)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon (S)
The Archer’s Heart by Astrid Amara (S)
The Assignment by Evangeline Anderson (C)
The Back Passage by James Lear (H)
The Bonds of Love by J. M. Snyder (S)
The Bones of Summer by Anne Brooke (M)
The Boy I Love by Marion Husband (H)
The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage and My Family by Dan Savage (MEM)
The Draegan Lords (series) Titles – True of Heart; Lords of Kellesborne – by M.L. Rhodes (S)
The Elegant Corpse by A.M. Riley (C)
The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek (S)
The God in Flight by Laura Argiri (H)
The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant by Dan Savage (MEM)
The Larton Chronicles by James Anson (C)
The Long Way Home by Z.A. Maxfield (S)
The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (C)
The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt (C)
The Married Man by Edmund White (C) (SH)
The Mercenary’s Tale by Lynn Lorenz (H) (S)
The One That Got Away by Madeleine Urban & Rhianne Aile (C)
The Phoenix by Ruth Sims (H)
The Price of Temptation by M J Pearson (H)
The Protector by N.L. Gassert (C)
The Rest of Our Lives by Dan Stone (S)
The Shadow of the Templar (series) by M Chandler (C)
The Tin Star by J.L. Langley (W)
The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox (H,S)
Three Fortunes in One Cookie by Cochrane Lambert (C)
Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy (C)
Timeless by Patric Michael (C)
Transgressions by Erastes (H) 
Turnskin by Nicole Kimberling (S)
Two Gentlemen Sharing by William Corlett (C)
Uneven by Anah Crow (C)
Untamed Heart by Ally Blue (C)
Utopia X (series) Titles – Looking For Some touch; Seeking Something Wicked; Exploring Savage Places by K.Z. Snow (S)
VGL Male Seeks Same by Rick R. Reed (C)
Want Me by Rowan McBride (S)
What Love Means to You People by NancyKay Shapiro (C)
Where Flows the Water by Sean Michael (S)
Where The Boys Are by William J. Mann (C)
Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen (H)
Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale (S)
Windbrothers/Guardians of the Wind by Sean Michael (S)
Winds of Change by Lee Rowan (H)
Windows in Time by M. Jules Aedin (M)
Without Reservations/With Caution J.L. Langley (S)
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon (MEM)
Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville (C)
Young Adult
A Better Place by Mark A. Roeder (C)
A Boy’s Own Story by Edmund White (C)
A Really Nice Prom Mess by Brian Sloane (C)
A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W.Day (S)
All Lost Things Josh Aterovis (M)
Bleeding Hearts by Josh Aterovis (M)
Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman (C)
Changing Jamie by Dakota Chase (C)
Common Sons by Ronald Donaghe (C)
Dream Boy by Jim Grimsley (C)
Freshman Pledge: The Magic of Love by Larry Coles (C)
Hero by Perry Moore (S)
Leave Myself Behind by Bart Yates (C)
Masks (series) Titles – Rise of Heroes; Evolution; Ordinary Champions – by Hayden Thorne (S)
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (C)
Now is the Hour by Tom Spanbauer (H)
Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (C)
Reap The Whirlwind by Josh Aterovis (M)
Strings Attached by Nick Nolan (M)
Thinking Straight by Robin Reardon (C)
Two Steps Up by Sean Kennedy (C)
Uncle Sean by Ronald Donaghe (C)
Vintage – A Ghost Story by Steve Berman (S)
Without Sin by J. Tomas (C)
Recommended YA Authors
Steve Berman
Brent Hartinger
Alex Sanchez
Hayden Thorne
David Levithan
Josh Aterovis
Peter Cameron
Martin Wilson
Perry Moore
Hey Wave! Thanks to you and everyone who helped compile the list….it is going to be a wonderful resource for me. I have read many of the titles on the list, but I see there are many more I would like to add to my library. Thanks to all the readers who shared their favorites. I am always looking for new stuff to add to my library, and this list will definately be helpful. Wonderful job!!!
Hi Elaine
You’re very welcome. The work was well worth it and I hope you enjoy spending your money
Thanks so much for doing this! I know it wasn’t easy to compile such a eclectic list for a variety of tastes!
It was enlightening to see how many of these works I own and cherrish, how many I ‘dismissed’, and how many I had no idea that even exsisted!
The only thing that I would have added (and this is in NO WAY a complaint on my part, just a personal whim) – I would have loved to have seen what year the book did come out (as I have only been collecting m/m books little over a year – and over 2000 of them are e-books.)
Thank you for this great list! Now I am off to collect what I didn’t have before!
PS – anyone know if there is a DVD list of gay movies like this?
Hi Abby
Thank you for coming by. I wanted to have an inclusive list of favourite gay books, many of which would be chosen by the readers and I hope that I achieved that objective.
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The reason I broke out the list the way I did was because I thought that “the classics” which had stood the test of time would be a good reference point for readers new to the genre.
**
Re M/M books, since this is a relatively new sub genre most of the books have only been around probably since 2003. I read Bareback by Chris Owen, my first “real” M/M book at that time. Of course gay fiction and gay romances have been around for decades but the explicit romances that are on the market today have not been around that long.
Thanks so much for compiling this list Wave and Wren! I see many of my favorites on there but also lots I haven’t read that I’m looking forward to getting.
Hi Nichem
I’m sorry I couldn’t include all of your recommendations about how to structure the list, but I hope that this compromise works for you.
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Enjoy spending more money.:)
Hi Guys
but we struggled through and I think the effort was worth it. Many of the books I didn’t know about so I’m on a buying spree.*g*
It was a lot of work, really a lot of work
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I could look into putting together a similar list of gay movies much later – I don’t think there’s one in existence – but I know someone who has an incredible movie library and I’ll ask her if she knows of an existing list that maybe I could piggyback on to. However that project will have to wait for a little while so that I can get back to my life. Wren did a terrific job in helping to put the list together!
Oh wow! I wanted to stop by and –first of all– thank you for a great list of books from me, a reader, and then to express my gratitude as an author to everyone, anyone, who considered me worthy to be on that list!
Thanks,
~ZAM~
Hey Zam
Your fans, of which I’m one, really love your books. I remember reading Crossing Borders and thinking WOW!:)
Thanks for all the work and time you put in this list. New books to add to the tbr pile.
Wow! What a fantastic list, and I can’t say how honoured I am to see my books in there, rubbing shoulders with so many of my favourites!
I think I’ll bookmark this and work my way through it from the top to the bottom
Cool!
Alex
You know I love your books since I first read Captain’s Surrender and it’s one of my favourite romances, not just my favourite historical romance!
What a great resource! Thanks for all your hard work!
Josh
It was a wonderful project and I hope that the readers fine it a useful resource.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sloan Parker. Sloan Parker said: RT @jessewave: Readers' Favourite Gay Books just posted. Thanks for your input! Check out the new list. Link http://tinyurl.com/yavjmhs [...]
I’m honored to see my titles included in this list. The best part about it is that I’m in such good company! Thank you for your hard work in compiling this.
Love the list! Some of my faves are there and lots of stuff I need to get now! Hopefully, some day I’ll rate being included here, maybe with the antho I’m in that will be out in October at MLR. Thanks for providing us with such a great resource, Wave!
Lex
Fire Season was on the list but because I was working from 2 different lists it was dropped by error – my fault. I have corrected the error.*g*
Hi Wave,
A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood was published in 1964. Although it was re-released in 2001 from the University of Minnesota Press, I think for the purposes of this list, it belongs with the classics.
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Great list, thanks for all your hard work pulling this together.
*
L
Thanks very much Leslie. I’ll move it up. Many times, no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find the original published dates for some of these books so I went with the most current information available.
Wow what an excellent resource! I’m going to be referring to it for a long time.
And wow…I made the list? I’m flattered and very honored by whoever thought it should be there. Thank you.
Elle Parker
It’s a wonderful list, Wave. I’m honored to be included on it. Such a gathering of distinguished authors!
Actually, Madeleine, your books came up several times and Caught Running is one of the covers to be added:)
Ooh, lovely to see The Bones of Summer in the least – thank you so much!
Axxx
Anne
the Bones of Summer was a Recommended Read on the site and Jen, who reviewed the story, absolutely loved it (as did yours truly).*g*
And by “least” I meant “list” – sorry! I’m still recovering from Day One of Freshers’ Week – arrgghh!!
Axxx
Great work on compiling this list! I’ve read some from the list, but have so many more.
Eeeee, I’m on it! *ahem* Sorry. *puts on mature face*
Thanks so much, Wave; it’s an honour… and probably the ONLY time I will ever see my name in a list with some of those others mentioned. I might just screencap it…
Hi Jules
You’re welcome. If you want to see more of your books on the list when it’s updated you’ll have to write faster.:)
I need a magic writing serum. Hmph.
I am going to have to quit my job to have enough time to read all these great titles. Then again I’ll need money to buy them… hmm… what a delightfully vicious circle!
Diane
I have already spent much more money than I intended since starting this project. Vicious circle indeed!
This is outstanding! Thanks so much for putting it together!
Thanks so much for including me on your list, Wave.
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Also, thank you for putting one together. I see a lot of authors I enjoy reading and quite a few I haven’t read yet. I plan on working my way through the list, getting to those I haven’t read yet.
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Thanks again.
Hi TA
This list kicked my butt and I’m so thankful for Wren who was an enormous asset.
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Re including you on the list – you’re one of the writers whose books I love to read.
Wave, you know that I was honored to be of assistance on this project! Thanks for your…um…thanks *g* This will be a great resource for so many readers. I love the covers you’re including, too. And I’ve only thought of 37 more books we should have added. *giggle* just kidding!
Wren
I probably embarrassed you by thanking you all the time, but you truly deserve it. Did you say 37 more books? Would you like to be smacked and stomped into the ground? !!!! Do you know how much typing I did over the last couple of days?
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This was a worthwhile project and I’m really pleased with the way it turned out. Now we have to work on a similar list of gay movies, I’m told.:)
*gulps* No, no smacking or stomping! Sheesh – I said I was kidding. *grumbles about people whose fingers are nubs from lots o’ typing*
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Movies, eh? I’m completely unschooled in gay movies. Perhaps some research is in order?
I was ready to put on my grape stomping shoes.:)
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Any research on gay movies can be accommodated right here. I believe there’s a post which is still receiving the highest number of hits on the site.
Wow, it’s so gratifying to see my work here. Thank you so much!
Hey Jordan
You’ll soon have to pay for so much free publicity!
Wave!
Thank you so much for all your hard work compiling this list. I’m in reader heaven!
And oh what a joy to see “The Dancers of Arun” in the classics. The very first book I ever read with gay characters, long, long before I crawled out of my closet. What a blast of pleasant nostalgia.
Thank you!
Hi Patric
I’m glad some of the selections pleased you and I guess many of the authors hope that you’ll go out and spend some money:)
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You may have noticed that Timeless is also on the list. *g*
Laugh. I told someone way back at the start of all this that I would go broke seven dollars at a time, and danged if I didnt! I get what I can.
And yes, I DID notice Timeless was on the list. I did the page search, found it, then went back and read the list from the top. I freely admit I got caught up seeing Dancers on the list.
By the way, dear heart, have you seen the MLR anthology “To Die For” featuring stories by Victor J. Banis, P. A. Brown, and *cough* me *cough*?
Kris Jascen, the editor, did a fantastic job of matching these stories together. Check it out.
Yes, shameless plug, I admit it, but Kris is worth plugging. grin.
Hi Patric
Yes I did get To Die For to review a few days ago and am looking forwarding to reading all of the stories. Oh, do you have a story in the book? I never noticed:)
Wow! This is an amazing list…what a great resource for those of us who love gay fiction! And I feel incredibly honored for some of my books to be included. Thank you so much, Wave! To you and all who made suggestions.
Hi M.L
Thanks for dropping by. Your books are always mentioned when I talk to anyone about great M/M books, so it’s no wonder that so many of them ended up on the list.:)
What a great list! Thank you for putting so much hard work into this Wave, and Wren too.
(I noticed that “A Home at the End of the World” is listed in both the Classics List and the Current List, but I’m not sure if it’s borderline and qualifies for both.)
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I’ve been looking to buy some more books, since our Aussie dollar is doing very well at the moment. I can see there are lots to choose from here.
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If you’re looking for a “Gay Movies” list, Afterelton.com does one every now and then. Their latest can be found here:
http://www.afterelton.com/movies/2009/9/greatest-gay-movies?page=0%2C11
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(I’ve linked to the last page, since someone has written out the full list in an easier to read format.)
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Hi Gaye
Thanks for pointing out that I’ve listed A Home at the end of the World” twice. This book was reprinted several times and I found yet another reference on amazon about a 1990 print. I should have deleted it from the “current” list.
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I had forgotten about After Elton which is an excellent site.
*smacks head* I may not have 37 to add to the list, but I can’t believe I forgot it when the list was being compiled. The Last Herald Mage Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. One of my first in gay speculative.
Hi Kim
Even I had heard of The Last Herald Mage by Mercedes Lackey and it should have been on the original list – I don’t know how everyone forgot about it. So I’ll add it because it truly is ground breaking.
Well, that’s my reading list for the next year (or five!) sorted out.
Thanks for putting this together. It’s a fantastic resource.
JFM
This will give you a running start.:) The problem with lists like this is that they need updating almost as soon as they are put together, because everyone remembers those important books that they should have thought of initially.
Wow, thanks for including me – especially “Two Steps Up”, which is only a short little story but actually means a lot to me.
I am dying to get hold of “The Catch Trap” ever since I saw someone talk about it a while back, but it seems almost impossible. If any book would get a boost in being reprinted, I’m sure it would be this one.
Hi Sean
I loved Two Steps Up and the length of the book doesn’t matter, it’s the content that’s important.:)
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I bought a copy of The Catch Trap from amazon as a used book. It cost about $8.50 Here’s the link
http://tinyurl.com/ygzrwzg
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You will probably have to pay about $15 S & H but it’s well worth it
I can’t find the place to reply to the worst book cover poll, so I’ll answer here and hope you can transfer it. Used to be in glorious days of old that painted covers were glories of publishing. Out of your present carousels “The Captain’s Surrender” lives up to that grand tradition. But few of the other painted covers do. “The Mercenary’s Tale” is a prime example of really clumsy painting despite its good review as literature. In fact, most of the recent painted covers are, for want of a better word, unfortunate. And that’s a shame.
Hi Ken
You’re quite correct about some of the “painted” covers. There are great examples and some of them that should never seen the light of day. I have a wonderful example which will be on the site on Monday, October 5 – the cover of The Golden Age of Gay Fiction which was specially commissioned. Most covers today are either stock photos or designed by cover artists like Anne Cain.
On the other hand, some covers are so good that they demand purchase. James Lear’s “Secret Passage” is such. And I cannot tell wether it is painted or photographed. Maybe it would be more rewarding to give a best cover award.
You’ve got the titles mixed up — not hard to do, I’ve done the same thing. It’s The Back Passage and The Secret Tunnel, both by James Lear. Similar covers, both good. The Back Passage was the better book, though, imho.
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L
Actually Ken I have both books as well as Hot Valley and I prefer the cover of The Back Passage. The photographer is Louis LaSalle and here is his site –
http://www.louislasalle.com/
Both The Back Passage and The Secret Tunnel were reviewed on the site and you’re right, The Back Passage is the better book.
BTW last December I did post my favourite covers and I intend to do the same this year.:)
Job well done! I’m keeping a copy of this list for when I win the lottery.
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Big thanks for including the Utopia-X series. I’m honored Jenre recommended it.
Probably because it’s “cute.” Muwahahahaha! (Sorry; inside joke.)
Hi K.Z.
You don’t have to win the lottery – some of the classics are available as used books on amazon.
I’m very happy to have Utopia X on the list and you will notice that I listed each book in the series. My fingers are raw from all of this typing. What’s the inside joke?
Chiming in here LATE, thanks to the EDJ, but big thanks to Wave and Wren for all your hard work putting this list together! I’m thrilled to death to have MY books on here along with so many other authors and works I admire. I’m still squeeing
Ally
It’s my pleasure to have your books on the list. These are only some of my favourite “Ally” books and I still have Easy, Eight Arms To Hold You and Forgotten Song on my TBR list.:)
Great list Wave! I’m sure I’ll get lots of good recs out of this
The classics section is of particular interest, as it’s the less familiar to me. I’ve only read one of those listed there – the one I recommended you. 
Shame on me, I didn’t even know Angels in America was a novel, I only knew of the miniseries because we had the DVD for rental at my old video store. And I actually didn’t remember it was gay anything, I had put it on my must-watch list because of the angel thing 
. (as you can guess, 5 years later, I still haven’t rented it. *sigh*)
. Tell me if you ever read Heroes & ghosts by the way. It’s a fascinating story.
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I see that you added Heroes & Ghosts and Winds of Change. Yay! Thank you
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I like the little C-S-H-etc notes beside the books’ titles. Another good idea there.
Hi Mary
Angels in America is a 7-book series about life in America in the ’70s and I guess it’s more a history of the gay movement than a novel.
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No, I haven’t read Heroes & Ghosts as yet. Is this another of your recs. that I will fall in love with.:)
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Classifying the books was a lot of work and some of them may not be exactly right, but Wren helped a great deal.
Woa this is fabulous! The list is BIG! Good choice too!
Nice work Wave!
Larissa
Now you can give your credit card a workout!
Then I extend my thanks and congratulations to Wren as well
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And there is a fair chance that you’d fall in love with Heroes & Ghosts. It’s a terrific story and I know you enjoy speculative fiction. Lots of typos in the book, unfortunately. There were so many that even I was able to see (no doubt there are even more than I think) that I ended up grabbing a pencil and correcting them. But the story, characters and world are great. You can read the first three chapters for free on the author’s website( http://www.sapayne.com/hero/hero.html ) , then to read the read, also online on the site, you need to subscribe (10$ for a month, and I think that gives you access to all the other stories of the site too). Of course, I bought the print copy myself
[...] of you have written me since the list of Readers’ Favourite Gay Books was posted, asking for a recommended reading list every month, based on reviews on the site. So [...]
I just stumbled on this site so this title may be listed but I haven’t seen it – Special Forces by Marquesate & Vashtan. It’s a free e-book, though, and over a million words but those who love MM action romance will love this epic novel. The voice is very male, as it should be, but often isn’t when the authors are female, but while I’m not sure if Marquesate is a woman or not (I think yes), Vashtan is male.
A note of warning if you haven’t read it – SF contains some scenes of hardcore violence since it is set in the midst of the two men’s missions in Afghanistan. The sex scenes are definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Hi Elaine
I left you a message on the other post. I’m familiar with Marquesate’s books and one of them is on the list – Her Majesty’s Men – she’s female BTW. I haven’t read Special Forces and probably the reason is it’s length.:-D
Wave thank you so much for compiling this list. I found some new books that I had not heard of before. I took a chance and got two off the list I just finished Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger. It was fantastic. What a ride and so funny but heartfelt all at the same time. It is definitely a book anyone would enjoy not just m/m readers. Just wanted to say thanks! Lisa
Hi Lisa
Some of the books are reviewed on the site such as Almost Like Being In Love which I reviewed last month. I fell in love with all the characters in the book.
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If you liked that one you might want to check out The Dreyfus Affair by Peter Lefcourt. That’s another one I have re-read several times.
[...] PANDORA PROJECT: RUNAWAY STAR has been chosen as one of Reviews By Jessewave’s Favorite Gay Novels! See the entire list here. [...]
Now that I FINALLY have a new computer and broadband I can visit – YAH! This list is….WOW! Thank you so much! I’m going to go through it very slowly – so many books I’ve heard about that I want read.
Can I just say I’m so glad to see The Administration series by Manna Francis. That series was my first foray into m/m
Hi Orannia Looking forward to seeing your comments on posts as well as on the free books. 
I’m very happy that you are now able to visit and enjoy all the goodness.