Gays Reading

In this BONUS episode, Jason and author Amy Jo Burns ( Mercury ) talk to Abraham Verghese about his book The Covenant of Water . Jason and Amy did a summer-long read-along with fellow listeners and readers and this is their culminating conversation with Abraham. Note: There WILL be spoilers! The Covenant of Water was a 2023 Oprah's Book Club selection. Abraham Verghese is a graduate of the Io...

In this Season Finale, Jason and Brett take it back to the beginning--two friends talking about books. They shout out 8 different books releasing in the second half of 2024 that they're excited about as well as share some Gays Reading updates. Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERE December Book: Like Family by Erin O. White SUBSTACK! https://gaysreading.subst...

Jason and Brett are joined by debut authors Alana S. Portero ( Bad Habig ), Komail Aijazuddin ( Manboobs ), and Gina María Balibrera ( The Volcano Daughters ). They talk about how the city of Madrid is like a drag queen, cheesecake and carbs, and reclaiming your culture's narrative. Alana S. Portero is a medieval historian, writer, playwright, LGBTQIA+ activist, and cofounder of the theatre c...

Jason and Brett talk to Lev Grossman ( The Bright Sword ) about the difference between an adventure and a quest, being the hero of your own story, the trials of putting on armor, and what makes a king. Lev Grossman is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy— The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land— which has been published in thirty countries and adapted...

Jason and Brett talk to Peng Shepherd ( All This and More ) about what it means to be real, the repercussions of the choices that we make, the many versions of our lives, and get the scoop on her very first published book.  Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York, and Mexico City.  Her second novel, The Cartographers , became...

Jason and Brett talk to Julia Phillips ( Bear ) about different sibling dynamics, the "bear" knocking on her door, and why she's wearing a snake in her wedding photos. Julia Phillips is the bestselling author of the novel Disappearing Earth, which was a finalist for the National Book Award and one of The New York Times Book Review ’s 10 Best Books of the Year. A 2024 Guggenheim fell...

Jason and Brett talk to debut authors Solomon J. Brage r ( Heavyweight ), Oisín McKenna ( Evenings & Weekends ), and August Thompson ( Anyone's Ghost ). They explore themes like inherited trauma and family history, queer identity, and the complexities of growing up. And they talk about some favorite snacks and date stories.  Solomon J. Brager is a cartoonist and writer living in Brooklyn,...

Jason and Brett talk to Catherine Newman ( Sandwich ) about ailments, weighted blankets, reproductive mayhem, peanut butter, queerness, and of course… sandwiches.  Catherine Newman has written numerous columns, articles, and canned-bean recipes for magazines and newspapers, and her essays have been widely anthologized. She is the author of the novel We All Want Impossible Things ; the memoirs Wait...

Jason and Brett talked to Chris Whitaker ( All the Color of the Dark ) about what keeps friends in your life, horror stories from his time working in a library, what it means to have faith and hope, and Danny Zuko.  Chris Whitaker is the award-winning author of Tall Oaks , All the Wicked Girls , and the New York Times bestseller We Begin at the End . Chris lives in the UK. All the Colors of the Da...

Jason and Brett are joined by Claire Lombardo ( Same As It Ever Was ), last month's Reese's Book Club pick for her novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had. They talk to Claire about  secrets in relationships, favorite children, Boo Radleyism, and debate Joni Mitchell. What Guys & Dolls reference is Jason talking about in the intro? Listen here.   More info about Claire & Jason in convers...

In the final PRIDE installment of Upcoming/Up & Coming, Jason and Brett talk to debut* authors Kimberly King Parsons ( We Were the Universe ), KB Brookins ( Pretty ), and Santiago Jose Sanchez ( Hombrecito ). They talk about the theatre of parenthood, queer representation in books and media, and using writing to better understand your own story.  *Debut-ish! Kimberly’s debut novel and KB’s deb...

Jason and Brett talk to Rufi Thorpe ( Margo’s Got Money Troubles ) about her obsession with wrestling (and how learning about it was like an all-cereal buffet), having a public persona and the chaos of the modern internet, falling in love with strangers, and of course, @tooturnttony . Rufi Thorpe is the author of The Knockout Queen , a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner award; Dear Fang, with Love ; an...

Jason and Brett continue PRIDE 2024 with celebrated authors. They’re joined in conversation with Jen Silverman ( There’s Going to Be Trouble ), David Levithan ( Wide Awake Now ), and Emma Copley Eisenberg ( Housemates ) talking about the cyclical nature of history, queer inheritance, intersectionality of arts and queerness, and much more. Jen Silverman is a New York-based writer, playwright, and s...

In this Pride edition of Upcoming/Up & Coming, Jason and Brett talk to Justinian Huang ( The Emperor and the Endless Palace ) about living life romantically, KT Hoffman ( The Prospects ) about how anyone can play baseball, and Myriam Lacroix ( How it Works Out ) about a twist on autofiction. Born to immigrants in Monterey Park, California, Justinian Huang studied English at Pomona College and...

Jason and Brett kick off PRIDE 2024 with some incredible queer authors! They talk to Carvell Wallace ( Another Word for Love ) about the key to your ability to fight for what's right, R.O. Kwon ( Exhibit ) about art and how taking a choreography workshop got her in the body of her characters, and Byron Lane ( Big Gay Wedding ) about why he thinks he'd thrive in prison. Carvell Wallace gr...

In the fourth installment of their debut novelists series UPCOMING / UP & COMING , Jason and Brett talk to three new writers about their recently and soon-to-be released books. Zoë Bossiere ( Cactus Country , May 21) talks about navigating identity growing up in a trailer park; Alan Murrin ( The Coast Road , June 4) shares how short stories transformed into a novel; and Essie Chambers ( Swift...

Jason and Brett talk to Steven Rowley ( The Guncle Abroad ) about sea cave adventures in Capri, Varla Jean Merman's rendition of "Ring Them Bells,"   the best Wang Chung song, and obviously: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and Grease 2. Steven Rowley is the bestselling author of five novels including, Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book; The Editor, an NPR Best Book of...

Jason and Brett talk to Kaliane Bradley ( The Ministry of Time ) about transforming her once-serious novel about Cambodia and being mixed-race into the latest genre-defying Good Morning America book club pick. They learn how Kaliane was able to experience the 21st century as an adventure, gush over the only photo of a footnote of a historical figure, and debate about chilled red wine. Kaliane Brad...

Jason and Brett talk to Hannah Murphy Winter and Billie Winter , the couple behind Queer Power Couples , as they delve into the essence of queer power partnerships, offering intimate insights into documenting this untapped element of queer history. They then talk to Ryan Fitzgibbon ( A Great Gay Book , on sale May 21) about his curation of a time capsule featuring essays, poems, and photographs, i...

In their 50th episode, Jason and Brett talk to Rachel Khong ( Real Americans ) about cooking eggs, mugwort baths, growing into the person who could write this book, and how friction allows for change. Rachel Khong is the author of Goodbye, Vitamin, winner of the California Book Award for First Fiction, and named a Best Book of the Year by NPR; O, The Oprah Magazine; Vogue; and Esquire . Her work h...

In the April episode of their debut novelists series UPCOMING / UP & COMING , Jason and Brett talk to three new writers about their soon-to-be released books. Jiaming Tang ( Cinema Love , May 7) talks about explaining his "accent" to people in Alabama; Melissa Mogollon ( Oye , May 14) expresses her love of Rainforest Cafe; and Yael van der Wouden ( The Safekeep , May 28) shares the s...

Jason and Brett talk to Yulin Kuang ( How to End a Love Story ) about Lisa Frank fan fiction, underrated 90s rom coms, the struggles of watching cooking shows on TV, how she came to adapt two Emily Henry novels, and much more. Yulin Kuang is a screenwriter and director, whose credits include The CW’s I Ship It and Hulu’s Dollface. She was once fired from a Hallmark movie for being ‘too hip for Hal...

Jason and Brett talk to Holly Gramazio ( The Husbands ) about how her life was changed by a misfiled library book, her strong convictions about jewelry, five finger shoes, and High School Musical 3 .  The Husbands is April's Read with Jenna book club pick. Holly Gramazio is a writer, game designer and curator from Adelaide, currently based in London. She founded the experimental games festiva...

Jason and Brett talk to Douglas Westerbeke ( A Short Walk Through a Wide World ) about the research that went into setting up his modern fairy tale, the impact of technology on storytelling, and the importance of staying curious. Douglas Westerbeke is a librarian who lives in Ohio and works at one of the largest libraries in the US. He has spent the last decade on the local panel of the Internatio...

Jason and Brett talked to Garrard Conley ( All the World Beside ) about how we reinvent ourselves when we challenge the status quo, the pros and cons of “adulting,” and making our own rules. Garrard Conley is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir Boy Erased , as well as the creator and co-producer of the podcast UnErased: The History of Conversion Therapy in America . His work has be...