I agree that no novel is "gay" in its own right.

I have, however, read some novels that were pretty lame. 

You mean books DON'T have genders and therefore can't be either hetero or gay??? What a concept!

It's a gay novel if the characters and the plot revolve around the characters getting into gay relationships, or even hookups. So if the little twink with the big dick gets the football player (or the coach), with a big sister or otherwise untouchable female whose got the twink's best interest at heart (even if she's clumsy about it), then you've nailed it. Also, one of the pair needs to end up in the hospital so that the other one can prove their love.

It's a gay novel if the characters and the plot revolve around the characters getting into gay relationships, or even hookups. So if the little twink with the big dick gets the football player (or the coach), with a big sister or otherwise untouchable female whose got the twink's best interest at heart (even if she's clumsy about it), then you've nailed it. Also, one of the pair needs to end up in the hospital so that the other one can prove their love.

I do believe Doc has the formula pretty well nailed down.

I've always hated the terminology, gay book, gay actor, I'm gay,  I don't live a gay lifestyle, I am human who happens to find gentleman of the same sex attractive.  I am human.

That being said, it is nice to be able to find characters that are the main plot focus that resemble the man I see when I look in the mirror.

Luckily, in the last fifteen years or so, the talent of those writing gay themed stories have improved ten fold.  It used to be ninety percent stroke stories, and now its more like sixty percent are written solely to stroke one out.  

I am looking forward to the day when I find an author that can capture my imagination like Jordan, Eddings, Brooks, Rimbaud, Thomas, Poe, just to name a few.  So for now, I keep searching.

J