Diana Gabaldon's Lord John

Gabaldon's "Outlander" series of historical novels are quite popular and I will get to them one day. In the meantime, I've been really enjoying the three books about a spin-off character from "Outlander" named Lord John. Lord John is a gay warrior/aristocrat in 17th century London. There are currently two novels, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade and Lord John and the Private Matter and a book of novellas and a short story: Lord John and the Hand of Devils.

I'm a big fan of historical fiction and to have a gay themed series is double plus good.

I don't think it matters which volume you start with--they were written out of chronological order--but you'll probably want to read them all (I got my husband hooked already). Gabaldon has promised a fourth volume, Lord John and the Scottish Prisoner and I can't wait. Unfortunately, she says that it will be the last of the series.

Two from Spanbauer

Tom Spanbauer gained significant notice in the 80s with his debut novel, The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon. This was the warm and almost mythical story of a young gay man growing up in the old American West. His two more recent novels also deserve a read. These are: In the City of Shy Hunters and Now Is the Hour. The first follows the trials and triumphs of another gay young man, but this time he’s a bit older and learning about adulthood in the yeasty East Village of the late 1980s. The story is filled with interesting characters and events. Much of it would be hard to believe if it weren’t set in New York. At times the 670 page tome feels a little ponderous, but the ending is more than satisfying.

Now Is the Hour is told mostly in retrospect from the perspective of yet another young gay man coming age in the late 60s. This time, he’s from Idaho and headed to San Francisco. So while on the one hand, it would be nice if Spanbauer would try another set-up, on the other, he does a great job with the execution. The book is not a repeat of either of the two others and stands well on its own. Once again, Spanbauer's love for his characters shines through.

Mark Haddon Double Whammy

In November I got a double dose of Mark Haddon, a new-to-me Brit writer (call me slow on the uptake, I guess). I read a NYT review of Haddon’s A Spot of Botherand decided to purchase that as well his previous book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.Smart move. While these novels are quite different from each other, they both abound in wit warmth.

The Curious Incident is a first-person narrative told by an autistic boy investigating the death of a neighbor’s dog. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live as an autistic person in a world filled with “normals”, Haddon let’s you in. A Spot of Bother is a family farce that will cause potentially embarassing public cackling on the part of the reader. The book’s plot revolves around a rather anxious middle-aged father and includes a gay storyline among the others that slowly spiral in to the climax. Cheers.

The Keep / by Jennifer Egan

I recently finished reading The Keep,Jennifer Egan’s second novel. I had not read the first, but had been hearing about her and decided to take the plunge. What a joy! Her writing is at once magical and demonic, with surprises on many levels. This is a book with many twists and turns, dark and light, like the castle where most of the action takes place. Enjoy.