Gays Reading

Host Jason Blitman talks to award-winning Irish writer Gráinne O'Hare about her debut novel, Thirst Trap. Conversation highlights include: ❤️‍🔥 icks on dates 🙃 drunk alter egos 🧡 Taylor Swift 👯‍♀️ long friendships Next up is Guest Gay Reader™️ Brian Schaefer who talks about what he's been reading (hint: it's NOT books!), the book club he has with his mom, and shares the inspo behind his debut novel, Town & Country. Gráinne O’Hare is a writer from Belfast based in Newcastle upon Tyne. She received a Northern Debut Award for Fiction from New Writing North, and was awarded funding by the Arts Council for the development and completion of her first novel. She has also been shortlisted for the Francis MacManus Short Story Competition and the Bridport Prize, and came in the top three of the Benedict Kiely Short Story Competition. She is media sub-editor of Criticks reviews for the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, and has a PhD on eighteenth-century women’s life-writing from Newcastle University. Brian Schaefer contributes regularly to The New York Times and has written for The New Yorker, New York magazine, and more. He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Arts Journalism and was a finalist for the Livingston Award for International Reporting. He earned his master’s degree in creative writing from Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv. He and his husband live in New York City and the Hudson Valley. Town & Country is his first novel. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE November Book: I Am You by Victoria Redel SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman is joined by Aja Gabel to talk about her first novel in nearly a decade, Lightbreakers. Conversation highlights include: ✍🏻 the death of handwriting 🧪 science vs art 💭 what memory means to us Jason's then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Anthony Delaney who shares a giant stack of books he's reading as well as shares about his new book, Queer Enlightenments. Aja Gabel is the author of the novel The Ensemble. Her prose can be found in The Cut, the Los Angeles Times, Oprah Daily, and elsewhere. Her short story “Little Fish” was adapted into a feature film, and she has written extensively for television. She lives in Los Angeles. Dr Anthony Delaney has a PhD in history from the University of Exeter, where he is an Honorary Fellow, and presents the History Hit podcast After Dark. Queer Georgians is his first book. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE November Book: I Am You by Victoria Redel SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman sits down with returning Gays Reading guest Catherine Newman (Sandwich) to talk about her new book, Wreck. Conversation highlights include: 🤧 Ailments, of course. 😵‍💫 Anxiety, of course. 💻 The Portal, you understand. 🥳 But also a lot of fun stuff, too. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Rachel Runya Katz to hear about what she's been reading (get ready for some fab romance recs!) and learn about her new book, Isn't It Obvious? -- the perfect book for those of us who love A Cinderella Story and You've Got Mail. Catherine Newman is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoirs Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, the middle-grade novel One Mixed-Up Night, the kids’ craft book Stitch Camp, the best-selling how-to books for kids How to Be a Person and What Can I Say?, and the novels We All Want Impossible Things, Sandwich, and Wreck (forthcoming from HarperCollins). Her books have been translated into a dozen languages. She has been a regular contributor to the New York Times, Real Simple, O, The Oprah Magazine, Cup of Jo, and many other publications. She writes Crone Sandwich on Substack and lives in Amherst, Massachusetts Rachel Runya Katz is a contemporary romance writer living in Seattle with her partner, her cat, and far too many houseplants. She has a PhD in biomedical engineering, which is minimally helpful for this endeavor. Her books center queer Jews of color and their layered lives of joy, sadness, and love. She is the author of Thank You for Sharing. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE November Book: I Am You by Victoria Redel SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to bestselling author Tom Ryan about his latest adult mystery, We Had A Hunch. Highlights include: 🕵🏻‍♂️ a love of mysteries ✍🏻 how Tom taught himself to write 🎤 a question that Tom calls "Barbara Walters level journalism" Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️, RuPaul's Drag Race superstar, Kim Chi about what she's been reading as well as her new books, Kim Chi Eats the World and Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers. Tom Ryan is an internationally bestselling, award-winning author, screenwriter and producer. His adult mystery debut The Treasure Hunters Club (2024) was an instant USA Today, Globe & Mail, and Toronto Star bestseller and a 2025 Edgar Award nominee. His YA mystery Keep This To Yourself (2019) was the winner of the 2020 ITW Thriller Award for Best YA Thriller, and his follow-up YA mystery I Hope You’re Listening (2020) was the winner of the 2021 Lambda “Lammy” Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery. Tom’s latest novel, We Had a Hunch, will be released in October 2025. Kim(berly) Chi is the ORIGINAL world-famous drag queen with a passion for makeup artistry™. With over 2 million followers across all platforms, Kim Chi’s unique eye for fashion (bionic doily) and culture (proud lifetime Chipotle Celebrity Card holder) has been showcased and lauded on an international scale. Apart from her globally successful makeup brand, KimChi Chic Beauty, Kim is the author of a middle-grade novel and a cookbook. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Prepare to grow your already overflowing TBR (sorry, not sorry!) with our new series What Are You Reading?. In this episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Pentatonix and Dancing with the Stars' Scott Hoying and Mark Hoying to chat about the books that they've been reading recently and about their new children's book, Fa La La Family. Scott Hoying is a Grammy and Emily award-winning singer, songwriter, and arranger from the multiplatinum-selling a cappella group Pentatonix. He cofounded the group in 2011 and has headlined hundreds of shows worldwide. He is very active in the LGBTQ+ community and is passionate about helping and inspiring queer youth. With his husband, he's also coauthored How Lucky Am I? His proudest accomplishment is becoming a husband, and soon, a father! Mark Hoying is a writer and marketing professional from Seattle, Washington. After graduating from the University of Washington, he met and began developing projects with his husband, Scott Hoying. He cowrote the original Christmas single "Thank You" on Pentatonix's holiday album and currently manages the girl group Citizen Queen. Mark's proudest accomplishment is becoming a husband, and soon, a father! Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

In this *spoiler free* conversation, host Jason Blitman talks to author Victoria Redel about her book I AM YOU, the November Gays Reading Book Club pick with Allstora. I AM YOU subverts the idea of a 17th-century historical novel — it’s intimate, modern, and deeply queer in the way it explores gender, art, and identity. The characters feel so alive and complex that you can’t help but get pulled into their world, which makes it a perfect book for thoughtful, layered discussion. It’s the kind of book that lingers — beautifully written, emotionally charged, and full of questions about power, love, and what it means to truly see and be seen. Victoria Redel has written four books of poetry and six books of fiction. Her short stories, poetry, and essays have appeared in Granta, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and BOMB, and she’s received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Fine Arts Work Center. Victoria is a professor at Sarah Lawrence College and splits her time between New York City and Utah. What do you get when you join the Gays Reading Book Club? Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks with Megha Majumdar about her acclaimed second novel, A Guardian and a Thief—recently nominated for the Kirkus Prize and shortlisted for the National Book Award. Conversation highlights include: 🐢 fables and folktales 🦬 interpretations of cave art 🤔 moral quandaries 🎶 concerts and music taste Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Brandon Taylor about tennis, what might tempt him to read fiction, his newest book Minor Black Figures, and of course, what he's been reading. Megha Majumdar’s debut novel, the New York Times bestseller A Burning, was nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Prize, and the American Library Association’s Andrew Carnegie Medal. It was a TODAY show Read With Jenna Book Club Pick and a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick. In India, it won a Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar. A Burning was named one of the best books of 2020 by media including The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, Vogue, and TIME. Majumdar is the recipient of a Whiting Award, as well as of fellowships from the Civitella Ranieri and Hawthornden foundations. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, and educated at Harvard and Johns Hopkins, she now lives in New York. Brandon Taylor is the author of the novels The Late Americans and Real Life, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, and named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a Science + Literature Selected Title by the National Book Foundation. His collection Filthy Animals, a national bestseller, was awarded The Story Prize and shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. He lives in New York City. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Lily King about her newest novel, Heart the Lover. Conversation highlights include: 👩🏼‍🏫 weird classes we took in college 📝 beautiful sentences 🃏 a love of card games 💌 a story about letters from an ex-boyfriend Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Dustin Thao who shares what he's been reading and talks about his book, You've Found Oliver. Notes from the Episode: HERE is the link to the rule sheet for the book's card game, Sir Hincomb Funnibuster The Joyce quote that Lily tried to remember: "The cold air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed" Lily King is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including Euphoria and Writers & Lovers, and the story collection Five Tuesdays in Winter. Her work has won numerous prizes and awards, including the Kirkus Prize, the New England Book Award for Fiction, the Maine Book Award for Fiction, and a Whiting Award. She lives in Portland, Maine. Dustin Thao is a Vietnamese American writer based in New York City. He graduated from Amherst College with a B.A. in Political Science and studied critical media literacy at Northwestern University. His debut novel You’ve Reached Sam is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller. His second book, When Haru Was Here, published in September 2024. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Prepare to grow your already overflowing TBR (sorry, not sorry!) with our new series What Are You Reading?. In this episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Heather Aimee O’Neill—debut author of The Irish Goodbye, this month’s Read with Jenna pick—to chat about the books that have been keeping her company lately. Heather Aimee O’Neill is a poet, a teacher, and the assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Brooklyn with her wife and two sons. The Irish Goodbye is her first novel. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

⚠️ Quick note: In today’s episode, one of Jade’s answers unfortunately disappears into the ether. It turned out not to be as simple of a fix as we first hoped, but as soon as we’re able to repair it, we’ll update the file. Thanks for listening (and for rolling with the hiccups) Host Jason Blitman talks to author Jade Chang about her newest novel, What a Time to Be Alive Highlights include: 🎶 The Nanny theme song 😪 grief as a unifying force in the world 🗣️ what Jade's TED Talk would be about 🥣 savory oatmeal Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Rose Dommu who shares what she's been reading and talks about her debut romcom, Best Woman. Jade Chang’s debut novel, The Wangs vs. the World, won the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award and has been published in a dozen countries. Her journalism and essays have recently appeared in The Best American Food Writing, and in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times magazines. She also writes for film and TV. She lives in Los Angeles. Rose Dommu is the author of the Substack newsletter Mall Goth and host of the podcast Like a Virgin. Rose previously managed LGBTQ+ social media editorial strategy at Netflix. A former senior staff writer at Out magazine, Dommu also hosted the magazine’s podcast, The Outcast. As a journalist, she has written for Paper, Vice, Them, Gay Times, Elite Daily, and other publications. She is the co-founder of the queer art collective The Culture Whore, which staged large-scale art events across the United States and Europe. Dommu lives in Brooklyn with her alarmingly large collection of shoes. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Get ready to add to your ever-growing TBR (we're sorry!) because Gays Reading is kicking off the new series What Are You Reading?. On this episode, host Jason Blitman talks to Sarah Dickinson, host of Sarah's Bookshelves Live, about some of the books she's been reading recently. Sarah’s Bookshelves Live is a weekly book podcast featuring real talk about books and recommendations from a featured bookish guest. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to 2025 Kirkus and National Book Award longlisted author Angela Flournoy about her newest book, THE WILDERNESS. Highlights include: 🪣 Angela's bucket list 🗓️ the 10 year journey of writing this book 🎃 The Candy Corn Community 🤫 secret family recipes 🍽️ "group of 7" dinner party guests Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Rickey Laurentiis, who was ALSO just longlisted for the National Book Award for her book, DEATH OF THE FIRST IDEA. Make sure to stick around to hear Rickey read one of her poems. Angela Flournoy is the author of The Turner House, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, an Indie Next pick, and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, and she has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Flournoy has taught at the University of Iowa, Princeton University, and UCLA. She lives in New York. Rickey Laurentiis is the author of Boy with Thorn, which won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and the Levis Reading Prize. Laurentiis is the recipient of fellowships from the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics (CAAPP), the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Poetry Foundation, among others. Her poems have appeared in The New Republic, BOMB, and poets.org. A 2018 Whiting Award winner, she lives in New Orleans. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to Eliana Ramage about her debut novel, TO THE MOON AND BACK, this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick. Highlights include: 💭 many childhood ambitions 📚 Reading Rainbow contest trauma 🌈 the intersection of queerness and Cherokeeness 🧜🏻‍♀️ comparisons to The Little Mermaid Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ M.L. Rio, who shares what she’s been reading, gives Shakespeare beginner recommendations, and talks about her new book, HOT WAX. Eliana Ramage holds an MFA in fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She has been a Lambda Literary fellow and writer-in-residence, a Harpo Foundation Native American Residency Fellow at Vermont Studio Center, a Tin House Scholar, and a Kimmel Harding Nelson resident. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, she lives in Nashville with her family. M.L. Rio has been an actor, a bookseller, an academic, and a music writer. She holds an MA in Shakespeare studies and a PhD in English literature. She is the author of the internationally bestselling novel If We Were Villains, the USA TODAY bestselling novella Graveyard Shift, and Hot Wax. She never stays in one place for long, but keeps her books, records, and four-legged sidekick in south Philadelphia. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE October Book: Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

In this *spoiler free* conversation, host Jason Blitman talks to author Alejandro Varela, about his book MIDDLE SPOON, the October Gays Reading Book Club pick with Allstora. MIDDLE SPOON unpacks what happens when you’ve got the husband, the kids, the bougie life… AND you’re going through a breakup with your boyfriend. Provocative, witty, and deeply human—this one’s not afraid to challenge the so-called “rules” of love. Alejandro Varela’s debut novel, The Town of Babylon, was a finalist for the National Book Award. His short story collection, The People Who Report More Stress, was one of Publishers Weekly’s best works of fiction in 2023, a finalist for the International Latino Book Awards, and longlisted for the Aspen Literary Prize, the Story Prize, and the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. Varela is an editor-at-large of Apogee Journal, holds a master’s degree in public health, and is based in New York. What do you get when you join the Gays Reading Book Club? Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE September Book: The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Get ready to add to your ever-growing TBR (we're sorry!) because Gays Reading is kicking off the new series What Are You Reading?. On this episode, Jason talks to the host of Bookends, the CBC's literary podcast, Mattea Roach, to learn about what they've been reading recently. About Bookends: the CBC's literary podcast When the book ends, the conversation begins. Mattea Roach speaks with writers who have something to say about their work, the world and our place in it. You’ll always walk away with big questions to ponder and new books to read. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE September Book: The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to Patrick Ryan about his new novel, Buckeye, which is this month’s Read with Jenna Book Club selection. They talk about writing inspirations, father-son relationships, and Ryan's love for pinball. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, Rabih Alameddine (The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)) his perspective on dealing with trauma, devotion, and forgiveness. Patrick Ryan is the author of the novel Buckeye. He is also the author of the story collections The Dream Life of Astronauts (named one of the Best Books of the Year by the St. Louis Times-Dispatch, LitHub, Refinery 29, and Electric Literature, and longlisted for The Story Prize) and Send Me. His work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, the anthology Tales of Two Cities, and elsewhere. The former associate editor of Granta, he is the editor of the literary magazine One Story and lives in New York City. Rabih Alameddine is the author of the novels The Wrong End of the Telescope; Angel of History; An Unnecessary Woman; The Hakawati; I, the Divine; Koolaids; the story collection, The Perv; and one work of nonfiction, Comforting Myths. He has won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award. He received the Dos Passos Prize in 2019 and a Lannan Award in 2021. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE September Book: The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman kicks off season 5 with political leader and author Stacey Abrams discussing her latest legal thriller, Coded Justice, the role of AI in healthcare, and what it means to be a professional troublemaker. Later, Jason is joined by Dan Pelosi, beloved for his culinary adventures on Instagram as @grossypelosi, who chats about his new cookbook Let's Party. STACEY ABRAMS is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and political leader. She served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, and she was the first black woman to become gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history. Abrams has launched multiple nonprofit organizations devoted to democracy protection, voting rights, and effective public policy. She has also co-founded successful companies, including a financial services firm, an energy and infrastructure consulting firm, and the media company, Sage Works Productions, Inc. DAN PELOSI is the Italian meatball making meatballs behind GrossyPelosi, the popular Instagram favorite for all things comfort and food. Approachable and tasty, Dan’s recipes are meant to be shared and celebrated with the ones you love. Dan’s first cookbook, Let’s Eat, was an instant New York Times bestseller, and his Big Italian Sandwich Puzzle is the first-ever deli sandwich jigsaw puzzle (as far as he knows!). Dan is a contributor to New York Times Cooking. He splits his time between Brooklyn and upstate New York, but you can always find him online at @grossypelosi. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE September Book: The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

THE SUNFLOWER BOYS by Sam Wachman is a terrific debut that delivers exactly the kind of deeply necessary storytelling we need right now. Sam crafts a profoundly moving narrative that tackles urgent contemporary themes with sensitivity and power—yes, it takes place at the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022, but it's so much more than that. In this *spoiler free* conversation, Sam shares inspiration for the novel, details about the writing process, and much more. Sam Wachman is a writer from Cambridge, Massachusetts with Ukrainian roots. His short fiction has appeared in Sonora Review, Berkeley Fiction Review, and New England Review. Before writing The Sunflower Boys, he taught English to primary schoolers in central Ukraine and worked with refugee families in Europe and the United States. What do you get when you join the Gays Reading Book Club? • Curated book delivered monthly to your door (at a discount!) – the books we’d call “accessibly literary” • 30% Off Allstora’s website • Access to the book club “Kiki” to talk about the books • Exclusive author Q&As • Allstora donates a children’s book to an LGBTQIA+ youth • This club exclusively supports LGBTQIA+ authors! • And more! Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE September Book: The Sunflower Boys by Sam Wachman SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

In the season finale of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman reconnects with author and former college classmate J.R. Dawson to discuss her new novel, The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World. Their conversation explores the book's themes of grief, memory, and navigating life's inevitable transitions—while also diving into debates about ketchup, Chicago-style pizza, and music in their first chat in fifteen years. Later, Jason welcomes Guest Gay Reader Jonathan Capehart, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Yet Here I Am, who opens up about his lifelong relationship with books and reading. J.R. Dawson (she/they) is the Golden Crown award-winning author of The First Bright Thing. Her shorter works can be found in places such as F&SF, Lightspeed, and Rich Horton's Year's Best. Dawson currently lives in Minnesota with her loving wife. She teaches at Drexel University's MFA program for Creative Writing, and fills her free time with keeping her three chaotic dogs out of trouble. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Capehart is a co-host of the morning edition of The Weekend on MSNBC. From 2020 until 2025, he was anchor of The Saturday Show and The Sunday Show on MSNBC. Capehart is Associate Editor at the Washington Post, where he is also an opinion writer. He is also an analyst on The PBS News Hour. Capehart was deputy editorial page editor of the New York Daily News (2002-2004) and served on its editorial board (1993-2000). His editorial campaign in 1999 to save the Apollo Theater earned the board the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing. His memoir Yet Here I Am was published in May 2025. BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE August Book: No Body No Crime by Nicci Cloke SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to Brad Summerville, aka @bradboughtabook on Instagram in this pseudo-bonus episode. They discuss their current reads, ranging from queer sci-fi fantasy to heartwarming romances and engrossing crime fiction. Jason and Brad delve into their tastes in books, the influence of nineties romcoms on contemporary queer literature, and the complexities of writing male-male romance. BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE July Book: Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan August Book: No Body No Crime by Nicci Cloke SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.substack.com/ MERCH! http://gaysreading.printful.me WATCH! https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW! Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman Bluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitman CONTACT! hello@gaysreading.com