Gays Reading

Jason and Brett talk to Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider ( In the Form of a Question ) about life before and after her lauded run on the show, the impact of teachers, her experience writing nonfiction and stand-up comedy, and how hard it is to execute the infamous " Jeopardy! poker face." Amy Schneider is an American software engineer and recent Jeopardy! champion. Following an impressiv...

Jason and Brett talk to Ashley Winstead ( Midnight is the Darkest Hour ) about twist pressure, the difference between mysteries and thrillers, Twilight , and more. This episode also features special guest Dennis Michel aka @scaredstraightreads who talks about favorite thrillers. Ashley Winstead is an academic turned novelist with a Ph. D. in contemporary American literature. She lives in Houston w...

Jason and Brett talk to Alex Gino ( Green ) about favorite sweets, book banning, their experience as a banned book author, using the singular they pronoun, and creating a safe world for young readers. Alex Gino writes queer and progressive middle grade novels, including the Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning Melissa . They love glitter, ice cream, gardening, wordplay, and stories that reflect the...

Jason and Brett talk to Nathan Hill ( Wellness ) about monogamy, parental relationships, social media and the algorithm, and how stories can be both constructed and constricted by the worlds we live in. Wellness is the September 2023 Oprah’s Book Club Pick Nathan Hill ’s best-selling debut novel, The Nix, was named the number one book of 2016 by Entertainment Weekly and one of the year’s best book...

Jason and Brett talk to Gaby Wood , the Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation about the prize process. Gaby talks about choosing judges, facilitating meetings, and other aspects of her role which includes making some difficult decisions. They also talk to three-time Booker Prize listee, Tan Twan Eng about his experience as a nominee and his unique insight as an 2023 International Booker P...

Jason and Brett talk to Mona Awad ( Rouge ) about the key ingredients of a fairy tale, the cult of the beauty industry, and how her own biracial background influenced her writing this contemporary gothic Snow White . Mona Awad is the author of the novels All’s Well , Bunny , and 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl . Bunny was a finalist for a Goodreads Choice Award and the New England Book Award. It...

Jason and Brett talk to acclaimed actor, playwright, and male actress Charles Busch ( Leading Lady ) about his career, the evolution of drag performers, and iconic stories featuring the likes Liza Minnelli, Carol Channing, and more. Charles Busch is an actor, playwright and drag legend. He is the author and star of many plays, including Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, one of the longest-running plays i...

Jason and Brett talk to Lara Love Hardin ( The Many Lives of Mama Love ) about her journey from soccer mom, to opiate addict with 32 felonies, to literary agent turned bestselling author. They talk about the complexities of shame, identity, and empathy, reflect on the power of storytelling, and the courage it takes to confront one's past. And they laugh a lot, too, if you can imagine. Lara Lo...

Jason and Brett talk to Angie Kim ( Happiness Falls ) about the importance of managing expectations, maintaining your happiness baseline, and of all things, their favorite musicals. Warning: This episode may or may not include a sing-along. Okay, it definitely does. As always, Gays Reading is spoiler-free , so you can listen whether you've read the book or not! Angie Kim moved as a preteen fr...

BONUS EPISODE! Jason and Brett talk to Rasheed Newson ( My Government Means to Kill Me ) about his firsthand experience on the WGA picket line and get the inside scoop on what the writers are fighting for. They also chat about gay history and the exciting project that Rasheed is keeping himself busy with in the meantime.  Rasheed Newson is a writer and producer of Bel-Air, The Chi , and Narcos . H...

Jason and Brett talk to Alice Winn ( In Memoriam ) about the lack of iced coffee in Europe, the books that inspired her WWI journey, and how she created intimate sex scenes for her gay characters. In Memoriam is shortlisted for the 2023 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. Alice Winn grew up in Paris and was educated in the UK. She has a degree in English literature from Oxford University. She lives i...

Jason and Brett talk to R. Eric Thomas ( Congratulations, the Best is Over! ) about Ann Patchett, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett, Parnassus Books owned by Ann Patchett, and some other things entirely unrelated to Ann Patchett such as the sequel to the best pickleball movie, what Charles Dickens might've talked about over brunch, and so much more. This episode also features special guest Hunt...

CW: This episode includes sexually explicit content as well as conversations about sexual abuse and trauma. If you or anyone you know needs resources for sexual violence, please visit rainn.org . Jason and Brett talk to Kyle Dillon Hertz ( The Lookback Window ) about seeking justice, the nuance of fact vs. fiction in writing, and the queerness of the video game Fortnite. Queer-Owned Bookstore Shou...

Jason and Brett chat with author Tim Murphy ( Speech Team ) and they recount shared teenage experiences, what it means to be a bully, the search for like-minded peers, and kvell over the brilliance of one 80s soap opera. Tim Murphy is the author of Correspondents and Christodora , which was long-listed for the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and named a Best Book of the Year b...

Brett and Jason share their recommendations for the perfect books to enjoy poolside, or wherever you may find yourself as summer ends. They’re joined by bestselling author Elissa Sussman ( Funny You Should Ask ), who not only shares her end-of-summer book picks but also talks about why romance novels make great vacation reads and the importance of the depiction of great sex. Elissa Sussman is the...

Jason and Brett talk to author Javier Fuentes ( Countries of Origin ) about the fears surrounding immigration, mysteries of young love, joy in a perfect dessert, and the places we find home. Gays Reading is excited to shout out queer-owned independent bookstore Libélula Books & Co in the Barrio Logan neighborhood in San Diego, CA.  “Libélula is a home for love of language and radical sh*t!” Yo...

Jason and Brett talk to New York Times bestselling author Caroline O'Donoghue about her new book, The Rachel Incident .  They talk about the unique relationship between straight women and gay men,  scabies and one-night stands, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas , and address big questions like: What does Sally Field do in her downtime? Gays Reading is excited to partner with The King's...

Jason & Brett discuss their top five best books so far in 2023. Between them, they only share one common title so there are nine other books to add to your TBR or brag to all your friends about because you're amazingly well-read!  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.substack.com/...

In celebration of Pride and the inaugural episode of Gays Reading , hosts Brett Benner and Jason Blitman talk about how this podcast came to be and highlight some LGBTQIA+ books that had an impact on them. If you like what you're hearing so far, be sure to like, follow, subscribe, review, etc. wherever you get your podcasts!  Support the show BOOK CLUB! Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club...

Host Jason Blitman is joined each week by bestselling authors, VIP gay readers, cultural icons, and other special guests for lively, spoiler-free conversations. Gays Reading celebrates LGBTQIA+ and ally authors and storytellers, offering insightful discussions for everyone. Whether you're gay, straight, or anywhere in between, if you enjoy being a fly on the wall for fun, thoughtful, and fabu...