Searching for gay fiction & literature - always!

[Jkeeletupelo]

I will start by saying that I am, at least, a voracious reader. I do not watch TV, except for the weather occasionally. I much prefer the radio on in the background and a good book. The problem is, that I cannot seem to find a good selection (and variety) of quality gay fiction that isn't just total porn. Not that I'm opposed to porn - not at all. But, for example, right now I have 3 books on Kindle, several stories here and on other sites and two print books that I am reading. I need more options, and google and Amazon are pretty much all porn, all the time when it comes to anything at related. Does anyone have any alternatives or any idea where to find new reading material?

[Zombie]

Do you like Miss Marple type mystery/detective fiction? Only she’s younger, she’s a he, rides a motorbike, has a nipple ring and a partner and it’s set in the present. So, maybe not like Miss Marple…  

[Mancunian]

5 hours ago, Jkeeletupelo said:

I will start by saying that I am, at least, a voracious reader. I do not watch TV, except for the weather occasionally. I much prefer the radio on in the background and a good book. The problem is, that I cannot seem to find a good selection (and variety) of quality gay fiction that isn't just total porn. Not that I'm opposed to porn - not at all. But, for example, right now I have 3 books on Kindle, several stories here and on other sites and two print books that I am reading. I need more options, and google and Amazon are pretty much all porn, all the time when it comes to anything at related. Does anyone have any alternatives or any idea where to find new reading material?

I may be stating the obvious and suggesting something you may have already tried, if so I'm sorry about that but here goes. 

You might find something that appeals to your tastes by searching through the archives, or even something that expands your tastes. There are many stories in the archives I find are a good read and actually have a story that is not literary porn. I've just posted an entry about it in my blog which you might find interesting. What ever you find let us know we may enjoy it too.

[Jkeeletupelo]

7 hours ago, Zombie said:

Do you like Miss Marple type mystery/detective fiction? Only she’s younger, she’s a he, rides a motorbike, has a nipple ring and a partner and it’s set in the present. So, maybe not like Miss Marple…  

I'm in!

[Jkeeletupelo]

5 hours ago, Mancunian said:

I may be stating the obvious and suggesting something you may have already tried, if so I'm sorry about that but here goes. 

You might find something that appeals to your tastes by searching through the archives, or even something that expands your tastes. There are many stories in the archives I find are a good read and actually have a story that is not literary porn. I've just posted an entry about it in my blog which you might find interesting. What ever you find let us know we may enjoy it too.

I have looked through the archives some, and there are many favorites there, so i will keep you posted on what i find!

[Zombie]

4 hours ago, Jkeeletupelo said:

I'm in!

https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/relationships/two-distinct-divisions/

it’s not the usual nifty porn fest so anyone with urgent “needs” should look elsewhere  and I said “mystery” but there are adventure elements too 

It’s in first person, which I don’t normally go for, but it’s written so well with interesting characters and good storylines that I read all 13 “episodes” and, from memory, it ended at a satisfying point but with the possibility of more to come

I emailed the author at the time asking if he planned to write more and it’s only because I kept that email that I found it. As you’ll see he’s since posted another (#14 in February) but, having done a very quick skim through, it doesn’t look like it continues the previous characters so I can’t comment on this latest addition which was posted 9 years after he finished the 13 episodes

maybe you can feed back on suggestions you receive?  

[Jkeeletupelo]

11 hours ago, Zombie said:

https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/relationships/two-distinct-divisions/

it’s not the usual nifty porn fest so anyone with urgent “needs” should look elsewhere  and I said “mystery” but there are adventure elements too 

It’s in first person, which I don’t normally go for, but it’s written so well with interesting characters and good storylines that I read all 13 “episodes” and, from memory, it ended at a satisfying point but with the possibility of more to come

I emailed the author at the time asking if he planned to write more and it’s only because I kept that email that I found it. As you’ll see he’s since posted another (#14 in February) but, having done a very quick skim through, it doesn’t look like it continues the previous characters so I can’t comment on this latest addition which was posted 9 years after he finished the 13 episodes

maybe you can feed back on suggestions you receive?  

I definitely will check this out and let you know what i thought of it. I'm hopeful there will be some interesting ideas! I like a fairly wide range of genres, and I'm totally open to suggestion!

[northie]

My recommendations come from Audible but they'll be available in other (paid for) formats:

Gregory Ashe: Hazard and Somerset series (16 books so far) - present day police procedural / mystery / life in Missouri smallish town. Great, honest writing.

KJ Charles: mostly historical romance (British). Takes the major tropes, queers them, and adds in historical accuracy. 

LA Witt: contemporary (US / Canadian) romance (sometimes with kink). Engaging and well written.

[Jkeeletupelo]

On 6/10/2022 at 11:49 AM, northie said:

My recommendations come from Audible but they'll be available in other (paid for) formats:

Gregory Ashe: Hazard and Somerset series (16 books so far) - present day police procedural / mystery / life in Missouri smallish town. Great, honest writing.

KJ Charles: mostly historical romance (British). Takes the major tropes, queers them, and adds in historical accuracy. 

LA Witt: contemporary (US / Canadian) romance (sometimes with kink). Engaging and well written.

I'll check them out - thank you!!

[Headstall]

On 6/9/2022 at 3:34 AM, Jkeeletupelo said:

I will start by saying that I am, at least, a voracious reader. I do not watch TV, except for the weather occasionally. I much prefer the radio on in the background and a good book. The problem is, that I cannot seem to find a good selection (and variety) of quality gay fiction that isn't just total porn. Not that I'm opposed to porn - not at all. But, for example, right now I have 3 books on Kindle, several stories here and on other sites and two print books that I am reading. I need more options, and google and Amazon are pretty much all porn, all the time when it comes to anything at related. Does anyone have any alternatives or any idea where to find new reading material?

I hear you, @Jkeeletupelo. It's one of the main reasons I started writing. Some of my stories do contain lovemaking scenes, but they are the farthest thing from porn. Check out my story page... something there might interest you. Cheers... Gary....

Here's the link...

https://gayauthors.org/author/headstall/ 

[W_L]

On 6/9/2022 at 3:34 AM, Jkeeletupelo said:

I will start by saying that I am, at least, a voracious reader. I do not watch TV, except for the weather occasionally. I much prefer the radio on in the background and a good book. The problem is, that I cannot seem to find a good selection (and variety) of quality gay fiction that isn't just total porn. Not that I'm opposed to porn - not at all. But, for example, right now I have 3 books on Kindle, several stories here and on other sites and two print books that I am reading. I need more options, and google and Amazon are pretty much all porn, all the time when it comes to anything at related. Does anyone have any alternatives or any idea where to find new reading material?

You could try reading some of my book reviews, there's a pretty good cross-section of topics and genres.

As a low vision reader, most of my books are on audible or have the ability to be read via Google Books app.

I also know of a few e-book websites with gay e-books on it that I download and convert to supplement my reading from time to time.

[Jkeeletupelo]

1 hour ago, W_L said:

You could try reading some of my book reviews, there's a pretty good cross-section of topics and genres.

As a low vision reader, most of my books are on audible or have the ability to be read via Google Books app.

I also know of a few e-book websites with gay e-books on it that I download and convert to supplement my reading from time to time.

Thank you! I'll do that now, in fact!

[James Matthews]

I think with the new software updates on here you can search for "no sex" which should filter out what you are looking to avoid.

Just my simple little input there, nothing life changing I'm afraid.  

Have fun on your quest Jkeel.

James

[W_L]

On 6/17/2022 at 1:50 AM, Jkeeletupelo said:

Thank you! I'll do that now, in fact!

What are you interested in, I can suggest a few books. I am probably going to start putting up some new gay book reviews again. 

The variety of "no-sex" gay fiction is quite deep: there is a subgenre of non-sexual gay fiction in the mainstream nowadays. Although, once the relationship is cemented, sex does come to play. (To me, sexual orientation is who you find attraction with, while sexuality and romantic desire are how you expressed your attraction.)

Personally, for the "no sex" type gay romance books, I loved "A Kiss before Christmas" by A.E Rycecart to be quite enchanting, comfort, and cheery for Christmas romance by a UK author. There's no sex in book 1, but you don't need it for the set up. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55506115-a-kiss-before-christmas

[Jkeeletupelo]

On 6/20/2022 at 11:00 AM, W_L said:

What are you interested in, I can suggest a few books. I am probably going to start putting up some new gay book reviews again. 

The variety of "no-sex" gay fiction is quite deep: there is a subgenre of non-sexual gay fiction in the mainstream nowadays. Although, once the relationship is cemented, sex does come to play. (To me, sexual orientation is who you find attraction with, while sexuality and romantic desire are how you expressed your attraction.)

Personally, for the "no sex" type gay romance books, I loved "A Kiss before Christmas" by A.E Rycecart to be quite enchanting, comfort, and cheery for Christmas romance by a UK author. There's no sex in book 1, but you don't need it for the set up. https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55506115-a-kiss-before-christmas

I'm not so much opposed to sex in the story, but sex AS the story, if that makes sense at all. If you've searched Amazon or Google gay literature and fiction sections, you know exactly what I mean. You literally have to dig through pages of (some of the worst) porn to find stories like the "Something Like" series, which i have started but not finished yet. I guess i am more disappointed that that's how the marketing departments of the two biggest online retailers see us than anything else. I'm becoming cynical in my middle age!

[W_L]

2 hours ago, Jkeeletupelo said:

I'm not so much opposed to sex in the story, but sex AS the story, if that makes sense at all. If you've searched Amazon or Google gay literature and fiction sections, you know exactly what I mean. You literally have to dig through pages of (some of the worst) porn to find stories like the "Something Like" series, which i have started but not finished yet. I guess i am more disappointed that that's how the marketing departments of the two biggest online retailers see us than anything else. I'm becoming cynical in my middle age!

Sex is part of the spice of life, but I understand what you mean, it can sometimes get a bit too much if  you are not in the mood for that kind of story. One reason why I enjoyed Leta Blake and Keira Andrews so much was how they crafted their characters and stories, whether they are based on real-world scenarios, fantasy concepts, or locations. A good plot, theme, and concept go hand-in-hand when you enjoy a book. I know they write very detailed sex scenes in their books, but it feels deserved by the characters and the situation.

Of course, I also enjoy just simple smut too 😛   I've read enough ABO (Omegaverse stories) to shrug off any sense of being high-brow about my reading habits. To me, reading gay literature like Maurice, Persian Boy, or modern controversial books like The Prophets with racial and gender components coexists with reading omegaverse books from authors like Susi Hawke (she also writes more serious fictional scenarios under her other pen name, Susan Hawke). I'm no expert on gay literature or judge of any tastes, except my own, but I can offer you books, recommendations, and genres if your have criteria.

----------

You said your trying to finish "Something Like..." series, I've got that in my queue for reading and review sometime next year. It's a very long series at 12 books, but cute, despite the challenging love/angst. 

If you like modern romance, I'd also recommend Aristotle and Dante series. I'll probably review these books before I get to Something Like... series

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12000020-aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56980548-aristotle-and-dante-dive-into-the-waters-of-the-world

It's rare to read about a young mixed-race gay couple and be engaged in their storyline. There's a cool modern perspective there for those interested.

I love exchanging reading ideas with people, if you have any books you think I should get into, feel free to offer. My interests are eclectic and nothing is out of bounds. 

[James K]

On 6/20/2022 at 4:47 PM, James Matthews said:

I think with the new software updates on here you can search for "no sex" which should filter out what you are looking to avoid.

There are lots of good stories which don't use the tag "no sex" and are not books with graphic sex scenes. I remember reading a story set in France, I think it was titled Milo, I forget the author. Then there is James Carnarvon's series, which I am reading now and does have the tag. I guess you take a chance, but in my reading experience if the author doesn't use the tags for sex, like anal etc. it is a good bet the story is not graphic, so you could also search: without .... highlighting all the sex tags you don't want.

[TetRefine]

Some of my personal suggestions off the top of my head:

1. Dancer From The Dance, by Andrew Holleran
2. The Lost Language Of Cranes, by David Leavitt
3. Christadora, by Tim Murphy
4. Our Young Man, Edmund White
5. City Of Night, John Rechy 
6. Like People In History, by Felice Picano 
7. Some Dance To Remember, Jack Fritscher 

[Zombie]

“The Lost Language Of Cranes, by David Leavitt”

@Jkeeletupelo btw it’s not a wildlife book (or movie)  

[Jkeeletupelo]

On 6/23/2022 at 12:56 AM, W_L said:

Sex is part of the spice of life, but I understand what you mean, it can sometimes get a bit too much if  you are not in the mood for that kind of story. One reason why I enjoyed Leta Blake and Keira Andrews so much was how they crafted their characters and stories, whether they are based on real-world scenarios, fantasy concepts, or locations. A good plot, theme, and concept go hand-in-hand when you enjoy a book. I know they write very detailed sex scenes in their books, but it feels deserved by the characters and the situation.

Of course, I also enjoy just simple smut too 😛   I've read enough ABO (Omegaverse stories) to shrug off any sense of being high-brow about my reading habits. To me, reading gay literature like Maurice, Persian Boy, or modern controversial books like The Prophets with racial and gender components coexists with reading omegaverse books from authors like Susi Hawke (she also writes more serious fictional scenarios under her other pen name, Susan Hawke). I'm no expert on gay literature or judge of any tastes, except my own, but I can offer you books, recommendations, and genres if your have criteria.

----------

You said your trying to finish "Something Like..." series, I've got that in my queue for reading and review sometime next year. It's a very long series at 12 books, but cute, despite the challenging love/angst. 

If you like modern romance, I'd also recommend Aristotle and Dante series. I'll probably review these books before I get to Something Like... series

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12000020-aristotle-and-dante-discover-the-secrets-of-the-universe

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56980548-aristotle-and-dante-dive-into-the-waters-of-the-world

It's rare to read about a young mixed-race gay couple and be engaged in their storyline. There's a cool modern perspective there for those interested.

I love exchanging reading ideas with people, if you have any books you think I should get into, feel free to offer. My interests are eclectic and nothing is out of bounds. 

I'm pretty universal in my love of reading. I like detective stories and fantasy, modern romance and comedy, and I even like some just pure smut, lol. Some of my favorite authors here are (in no order of importance) Chris James, Cjames, Carlos Hazday, Kbois, Jobe, Comicality, dabeagle, and James Savik (i hope i spelled them all correctly). I also like "mainstream" stuff from Steven King, Dean Koontz, John Grisham (the non lawyer stuff). I've just been stuck on finding new things to read!! Of course, since i posted this, I've got a couple months of backlog now, but I'm so grateful for all the suggestions!! Keep them coming!

[James Carnarvon]

On 6/23/2022 at 7:35 AM, James K said:

There are lots of good stories which don't use the tag "no sex" and are not books with graphic sex scenes. I remember reading a story set in France, I think it was titled Milo, I forget the author. Then there is James Carnarvon's series, which I am reading now and does have the tag.

Thanks for the shout out. The story "Milo" you mentioned is a lovely tale by @Talo Segura.

[W_L]

One more thing, for guys into the idea of "pure love" romance with little or no sex between guys, I do highly recommend trying out some Japanese Manga and Anime under the "BL"/"Boy Love" genre. Unlike more explicit Yaoi genres, you have very little sex with a lot of deep romantic stories involving gay or queer guys, sometimes it's more a "gay for you" situation, which is fine, and other times it deals with heavy subjects like trauma that characters overcome.

Some of the other members and I share an interest in that variant of gay literature, as well. There's a bit of feminine-swing to certain gay characters, but it's not always true for all manga/anime in the genre, especially more recent ones. If anyone is interested, I or some of the other Manga/anime followers probably could offer a few titles. I've caught up a little bit on my BL over the last 6 months for stuff that came out in the last decade, I can offer a few options for genres from high school romance, Science fiction, fantasy, and mystery genres.

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by W_L

[Libby Drew]

Beyond the already recced stories from this site, might I suggest The Adrien English series, by Josh Lanyon (a.k.a. Diana Killian). I happened to be around when this series was being published for the first time (can't believe I just admitted that) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure most are probably already familiar with Lanyon/Killian's work, but thought I'd mention it anyway. It's one of the first stories/series (not on GA) that came to mind when I read your post, probably because you said you liked detective stories. 

Series The Adrien English Mysteries (joshlanyon.com)

[Jkeeletupelo]

35 minutes ago, Libby Drew said:

Beyond the already recced stories from this site, might I suggest The Adrien English series, by Josh Lanyon (a.k.a. Diana Killian). I happened to be around when this series was being published for the first time (can't believe I just admitted that) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm sure most are probably already familiar with Lanyon/Killian's work, but thought I'd mention it anyway. It's one of the first stories/series (not on GA) that came to mind when I read your post, probably because you said you liked detective stories. 

Series The Adrien English Mysteries (joshlanyon.com)

Thank you! I'll check them out very soon!

[ReaderPaul]

@Jkeeletupelo -- do you like novels, novellas, short stories, or some of all the above?  Do you like science fiction, or fantasy, or historical/semi-historical fiction?  Do the stories you read have to have mainly gay/bi/lesbian/trans characters, or do you just like well-written stories?  Do they have to me stories about mostly adult characters and situations, or can they have some or mostly teen characters?

If you like well-written stories featuring teens and some adults, I would suggest many of the stories of @Geron Kees.  His Doorways series is good science fiction featuring two gay teen boyfriends and the grandfather of one of them.  ["The Odd, Onward Door"; "Never a Door Lost"; and The Darkness Between Doors.]  (The grandfather, Mike, becomes a major character in the second story, although important in the first story.)   Geron's "Charlie Boone" series mixes fiction and sci-fi and fantasy, but then leans mostly to science fiction later in the series.  His "Z is for Zombie" multi-chapter story mixes end-of-the-world survival fiction and science fiction, but his zombies are NOT like any you have seen before.  Geron's shorter stories often have great observations about human nature, even an enjoyable partly humorous story like "The Party of the Third Part."

Dabeagle has written a lot of good stories.  So has Mawgrim.  And have you checked out the stories of Myr, Ronyx, C James, James Savik, Bill W, and too many others to mention here on this site.