Here comes the second part of our Spring books round-up series, where we present a wide range of titles; a historical reinvigoration from a well-known eighth season "RuPaul's Drag Race" winner, as well as a super-charged, highly dramatic Regency-era fantasy. Also included is a graphic semi-memoir effort from Alison Bechtel, two fascinating memoirs from dynamic trans authors, and, yes, even a gay Italian cookbook. Dig in!
FICTION
"Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert" by Bob the Drag Queen, $27.99 (Gallery)
Bob the Drag Queen debuts in fine fashion with this kaleidoscopically imaginative, hyper-creative recreation of Harriet Tubman (and many others) coming to life to recraft their image and their history. Tubman seeks to update her Underground Railroad abolitionist legacy by way of a soul-baring album with backing chords and rhythms by a band called the Freemans, of course, and uplifted by the fabulous producer, Darnell, who also happens to narrate the story.
Appearances by Cleopatra, now a fashion maven, John D. Rockefeller, and others pump up a story that, despite passionate lyrics, sags in places where the historic heft of these figures could have been better, and certainly more brightly, illuminated. Bob does his best at bringing these luminaries to literary life and readers will applaud his effort.
www.simonandschuster.com
"The Gentleman and his Vowsmith" by Rebecca Ide, $19.99 (Saga)
Any fantasy fiction fan will recognize the name Devin Madson, a prolific, award-winning Australian author. This queer Regency-era romantic fantasy comes courtesy of her, but through her pen name, Rebecca Ide.
The setting is England, 1816, where the common society has become segregated into communities of citizens who wield magical powers ("Brilliants") and those who do not. Among those who do are Lord Nicholas Monterris and Lady Leaf Serral, who are set to be married but must be locked in a castle together in order to finalize their binding contract and make it a legal union.
What to do when neither one wants this to happen since Lord Nicholas is gay and his Lady would like nothing more than to see him engage romantically (again, they had a brief dalliance prior) with her sexy male vowsmith, who is a kind of official deal broker. All of this is classically whipped up to a fantasy-fiction frenzy with lots of interpersonal problems, innocent deaths, and sordid magical elements tossed in with remarkably melodramatic results. This is queer fantasy utopia.
www.simonandschuster.com
"Open, Heaven" by Sean Hewitt, $28 (Knopf)
In his dynamic debut, Irish poet and author Hewitt crafts a magnificent queer coming-of-age tale chronicling the young life of James Legh, who, at 16, fell obsessively in love with Luke, a cocky, overconfident green-eyed boy staying at a farm that happened to be on James' daily milk run.
He allows this unrequited crush on Luke to dominate his every thought and move, and, in 2022, where the prologue is set, James, still so sensitive, lonely, and awkward, decides to return to Thornmere, England to somehow rediscover what he'd lost.
As moving as Hewitt's 2022 memoir, "All Down Darkness Wide," this novel's lush language and emotional intensity is the clear selling point. Even from the first few pages, it's obvious the author is a talented poet. Readers who appreciate gorgeous prose and resonant descriptive flair will adore James' yearning for reciprocal adoration and human connection as his obsession with his friend plays out across Thornmere's bucolic landscape.
This is a gorgeous rendering of a boyhood entranced by simmering queer desire and an earnest, if disturbing, intention, as a man, to recapture his boyhood and the "electric" feeling that secretly sustained him. This is heavenly reading.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
MEMOIR
"How To Fuck Like a Girl: Essays" by Vera Blossom, $17.95 (Dopamine)
Vera Blossom's debut sex diary is a striking example of a raw, unfettered, honest confessional. Tucked into these paperback pages are stories that rage, inform, revolt, and justify the author's life thus far, and it's truly something special.
A trans femme Filipina, Blossom shares sexy stories about random erotic encounters in bathrooms and online while contributing insight on her affinity with witchcraft and social justice. Stylistically original, Blossom writes in a stream-of-consciousness method which might seem rambling if read hurriedly, but her thought patterns and deep meanings bleed through eventually and the book reveals an astounding amount of personally revelatory material.
Digressions on her youth in Las Vegas couple nicely with a new life in Chicago as she moves through musings on desire, money, emotion, living as a trans woman, and, of course, sex. Observational, conversational, and always beautifully real, these writings are the real deal from an outspoken trans author with, hopefully, even more to say in future volumes.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
"Love in Exile" by Shon Faye, $18 (FSG Originals)
Faye's poignant memoir begins at a place we've all been to at some point: struggling to make it through the deeply devastating emotional pain of heartbreak. Offering her unique perspective as a transwoman, Faye holds herself accountable for this pain stemming from a year and a half love affair with a cis man, and probes why it keeps happening in her life as she searches for love and connection in a world that doesn't always generously offer either.
She openly and honestly discusses her own sobriety, her father's addiction issues, and the shame and invisibility that often surrounds trans individuals with intimacy and grace. Reflective and compassionate, Faye's gorgeously written assessment on searching for love and the precarious nature of relationships is a beautiful salve for the broken heart.
www.us.macmillan.com
"Spent" by Alison Bechdel, $32 (Mariner Books)
After the successes of "Are You My Mother" and "Fun Home," Bechdel switches gears and emerges with this comic novel with a memoir flavor about a self-named character and her partner working on a Vermont goat farm. Alison, here in characterized form, is a middle-aged writer with increasing influence working on her next book but becomes derailed by life on the farm with life partner Holly, who is becoming a social media sensation herself.
Alison's needy sister, a group of friends who are expanding their idea of a "polyamorous relationship," and the writer's own deadline procrastination attempts all contribute to a lively plot. Ultimately, what readers will enjoy most is Bechdel displaying her immense wit and sense of humor across pages filled with wonderful full-color drawings which drive home her message of fun, social activism, and the facets of modern queer families.
www.harpercollins.com
NON-FICTION
"Queer Slashers" by Peter Marra, $28 (Indiana University Press)
Marra, a gender, sexuality, and women's studies professor at Wayne State University, amusingly explores why the slasher genre of horror films has a definitive queer lineage and what that means.
Films like "Serial Mom," "Psycho," The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2," and San Francisco's very own Peaches Christ's "All About Evil" are examined in Marra's intent to "explain from the vantage point of a queer person how these queer-authored forms of the slasher engage with my feelings about the slasher" written from the perspective of a self-described "autistic and ADHD person who has a particularly difficult time staying on topic."
With its intensive critical analysis and intelligent, pensive prose (and admittedly cute cover art), Marra thrillingly digs in deep into the queer meanings and queer expressions behind some of our favorite classic horror films of the last few centuries. The book insightfully imagines the idea of the queer slasher and hopes "that it takes a historically queerphobic cinematic form and instead seeks to envision a slasher that serves queer audiences by naming the right killer." Horror fans will eagerly slice into this one.
www.iupress.org
"You're Probably Gayish: The Truth (and Lies) Behind 17 Gay Stereotypes" by Mike Johnson & Kyle Getz, $19.95 (Jessica Kingsley Publishers)
Dual podcasters and authors Johnson and Getz offer up a bevy of classic queer stereotypes in an effort to educate straight society on how to broaden their perspective and open minds, in general. The authors combine historical and factual data to support their claims that while certain types of gays like sluts, or musicals-loving queers, or Golden Girls-watching fags, and many others don't always dictate the man residing inside the stereotype.
This immensely enjoyable probe into the ways and means of queer life also comes with a Gayish Quiz that everyone who cracks the book's pink-rainbow-hued covers will want to indulge in and discuss at great length.
Mike Johnson and Kyle Getz will read from and sign copies of their new book on April 6, at 2pm, at Oasis Nightclub, 398 11th St. Event tickets are $21. www.sfoasis.com
www.us.jkp.com
"Your Pasta Sucks: A Cookbook" by Matteo Lane, $29.95 (Chronicle Books)
Vibrantly colorful and full of opinionated side bits, popular queer stand-up comedian, actor, and singer Matteo Lane serves up his personal history on a public platter as an Italian-Irish-Mexican-bred homosexual and entertainer.
Alongside pages of tempting dishes of pasta from his homeland (and beyond) since "pasta never ghosts you or lies about its size," there is a generous tourist guide's worth of information and advice on Rome to behold, as well.
Close family dominates the first chapters where an encyclopedia of pantry staples, pasta types, and cooking tips leads into recipes for traditional Italian Meat Sauce, Baked Mostaccioli, Cotoletta, Eggplant Parmigiana, Tiramisu, and Cacio e Pepe ("the hottest bitch on the market") as well as how to behave appropriately at an Italian dinner, and introspective discussions about the fabulousness of Rome and how to order coffee there like a native.
Appropriately dedicated to his mom, Lane's cookbook is packed with mouth-watering photographs (of food and the author, naturally), tempting recipes, effortlessly amusing, witty commentary, and a vicarious tour of Italy that will have you giggling and making spontaneous travel plans all at once.
www.chroniclebooks.com
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