Category: Queer

The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden

READ FOR BOOKERTHON It’s 1961 and the people of Dutch town Overijssel are adjusting to life post war. Living alone in her late mother’s country home, Isabel leads a life of routine and discipline. Much to her disgust, her brother Louis dumps his new… Continue Reading “The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden”

All Fours – Miranda July

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel A 45 year old artist plans a roadie from LA to New York. Twenty minutes into the drive, she exits the freeway, rents a motel room, and undertakes a transformation of the room and herself, leading her on a… Continue Reading “All Fours – Miranda July”

Backwaters – Emma Ling Sidnam

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Backwaters addresses the consequences of feeling distant from your ethnic heritage. It starts with fourth generation New Zealander, Laura, being asked “but where are you from from?” New Zealand has been her family’s birth place and home for generations,… Continue Reading “Backwaters – Emma Ling Sidnam”

Chain-Gang All-Stars – Nana Kwame Adiej-Brenvah

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jo Gladiators fight to the death to win their freedom In America’s private prisons. Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, a televised, profit-making programme. This book is an exploration of the American prison… Continue Reading “Chain-Gang All-Stars – Nana Kwame Adiej-Brenvah”

At Certain Points We Touch – Lauren John Joseph

READ FOR BOOCKLUBChosen by Jodie JJ, a representation of the author, writes an ode to her past lover Thomas John who has tragically passed away. Meandering through the New York, San Francisco and London gay scenes, JJ pursues sex and artistic freedom as she… Continue Reading “At Certain Points We Touch – Lauren John Joseph”

The Color Purple – Alice Walker

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jo The lives of two African-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia in the early to mid 20th Century are detailed in The Color Purple. Celie is raped by her stepfather and bears two children to him who are sent… Continue Reading “The Color Purple – Alice Walker”

Real Life – Brandon Taylor

READ FOR BOOKERTHON A biochemistry student’s experiences of life as a gay, black man captured over one weekend ✚ “What started off as a fairly innocuous read soon became anything but. Reading Real Life after Burnt Sugar and The Shadow King I was more… Continue Reading “Real Life – Brandon Taylor”

Girl, Woman, Other – Bernadine Evaristo

READ FOR BOOKERTHON A story of modern Britain and black womanhood told through the eyes of 12 different women ⚑ “This is a beautifully paced novel which at first I thought was a collection of separate stories. However the links and interwoven threads soon… Continue Reading “Girl, Woman, Other – Bernadine Evaristo”

The Paying Guests – Sarah Waters

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo A love affair and a crime amongst landladies and their tenants, set in post-war Britain. ➽ SPOILER ALERT “Sarah Waters wonderfully sets the scene with her detailed and easy-to-absorb descriptions of the physical and social environment. I really felt as if… Continue Reading “The Paying Guests – Sarah Waters”

The Glass Room – Simon Mawer

READ FOR BOOKERTHON Based on a real villa in Czechoslovakia, the house in this book is a minimalist masterpiece with a transparent glass room as its centre. Built for Liesel and Viktor Landauer in the 1920s, the house becomes the central character and the… Continue Reading “The Glass Room – Simon Mawer”