Gays Reading

Host  Jason Blitman  sits down with author  Nina McConigley  ( How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder ) to talk about what she’s been reading lately—beyond Eric Carle’s  The Very Lonely Firefly . Plus:  head to the  Gays Reading  Substack to hear Nina talk about adapting  Cowboys and East Indians  for the stage, now playing at the Denver Center throug...

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Gabriel Tallent about his new book, Crux.  Conversation highlights include: 💈 The surprising number of hot gay barbers in Salt Lake 🧗🏼‍♂️ What drawing a climb looks like ⭐️ Ambition and legacy Gabriel Tallent is the author of the  New York Times -bestselling novel  My Absolute Darling.  He was born in New Mexico and raised on the Mend...

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Annie Summerlee about what she's been reading as she awaited the publication of her book: The Book of Blood and Roses. Annie Summerlee  lives in Spain with her partner, two cats, and a rescue dog. Her short stories have been featured in  404 Ink, Litro,  and  So To Speak,  as well as other magazines and anthologies. She also writes in Cat...

Announcing the February Gays Reading Book Club Pick... ⭐️ MISSING SAM by Thrity Umrigar, the bestselling author of HONOR At first glance, MISSING SAM looks like a classic thriller: a woman goes missing after a morning run and her wife is left behind to search for answers. But very quickly, this book becomes something much deeper. The book is about what happens w...

Host Jason Blitman chats with author Emily Austin about her latest novel, Is This a Cry for Help? Conversation highlights include: Emily’s habit of endlessly rewriting the pitch at the top of her manuscript The ethics of librarianship and why access to information matters Bug killing, sex dens, and everything in between Emily Austin  is the author of  We Could Be Rats ,  Everyone in...

Host Jason Blitman sits down with Sarah Dickinson , creator and host of popular podcast Sarah’s Bookshelves Live , to talk about the books she’s most excited to read in 2026. Conversation highlights include: Anticipated book trends for the year ahead Why first lines should be part of a book's marketing material Feelings on classic books Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club  HERE SUBSTACK! M...

Host  Jason Blitman  kicks off 2026 by revisiting some of the quiet yet impactful moments from Gays Reading episodes in 2025. Featured in this episode are conversations with: Rabih Alameddine   Daniel Black Jennifer Finney Boylan Karissa Chen Prabal Gurung Dylin Hardcastle Rickey Laurentiis Nathan H. Lents Sameer Pandya V.E. Schwab Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club  HERE S...

In the final episode of 2025, host  Jason Blitman  sits down with author and critic  Marion Winik  for a wide-ranging, bookish conversation. Winik shares her top ten favorite fiction reads of the year and reflects on her memoir  First Comes Love  as it celebrates its 30th anniversary—plus the release of its new audiobook. Even more from this conversation, in...

Host Jason Blitman sits down with literary icon John Irving to discuss his latest novel, Queen Esther . Their wide-ranging conversation touches on the story behind Irving’s first tattoo, what it truly means to be an ally, where he finds optimism in uncertain times, and the deeply personal experiences that continue to shape his writing—plus plenty more along the way. John Irving  was born in E...

In this episode, host J ason Blitman sits down with Alex Snodgrass (aka The Defined Dish ) to talk all things book club menus—how to plan them, why they matter, and how food can deepen the reading experience. Using Alex’s recent book club gathering for Conform as a case study, the conversation expands to include Conform author Ariel Sullivan , who joins to unpack the creative collaboration behind...

Host Jason Blitman sits down with Reginald Dwayne Betts —poet, lawyer, and founder of Freedom Reads —for an intimate conversation about transforming America's prison system one library at a time.  In an extraordinary turn of events, Dwayne receives a live call from Jermaine , a friend currently incarcerated at Lawrenceville Correctional Facility. Jermaine joins the conversation to share...

In this re-release special episode, host  Jason Blitman  dives into the world of  Wicked . Joined by legendary author  Gregory Maguire , Guest Gay Reader is comedian and host of  That’s a Gay Ass Podcast ,  Eric Williams , and  Gays Reading ’s first Guest Gay Icon, Broadway powerhouse  Eden Espinosa.   Highlights include: 📖 The legacy of this iconic st...

In this Thanksgiving week episode, host Jason Blitman talks to brand-new-dad Justinian Huang about his paper baby, Lucky Seed . Conversation highlights: 👻 hungry ghosts and superstitions 🤳🏼 social media and millennials 🦃 tips for navigating family during Thanksgiving Guest Gay Reader™️ this week is White Lotus and Overcompensating favorite--and avid reader-- Lukas Gage . Justinian Huang ’s deb...

Host Jason Blitman sits down with author Olivia Laing (The Lonely City) to talk about their new book, The Silver Book . In this conversation, they dive into: 🎥 making art and Italian cinema 🏳️‍🌈 the role queerness plays throughout Laing’s work 🗣️ how identity becomes a negotiation with—and around—fakeness Plus, this week’s Guest Gay Reader™️ is Michael Galyean (aka Dancing Blue Shirt Guy), who s...

In this *spoiler free* conversation, host Jason Blitman talks to author Erin O. White about her book LIKE FAMILY, the December Gays Reading Book Club pick with Allstora. LIKE FAMILY — a warm, big-hearted debut about the beautiful, messy, complicated ways we love one another. Set in a picturesque town in upstate New York, the novel follows three interconnected couples navigating friendship, parenth...

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...

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 Ga...

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 s...

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...

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-w...

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 i...

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...

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....

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 Sa...

⚠️ 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...