This True Crime story of the "Last Call Killer," who targeted Gay men in 80s and 90s NYC is a gripping, tragic account told in the manner of your favorite true crime podcasts. It also serves as a history lesson about the struggle for Queer rights in a time when being out was dangerous, and the gay community was being disproportionately stigmatized and shunned because of AIDS.
Informative and thrilling in equal measure. I couldn't put it down.
-David
This is not the story of a "great love." This collection of stories is representative of real life, filled with the wild and weird cast of characters we spend our time with as we pursue our goal of connection. Many queer people seek the love our biological families couldn't (or wouldn't) provide us through our romantic relationships. In Purnell's deptiction of various boyfriends, lovers, and one night stands, he paints a picture of the community gay men create for themselves.
Raunchy, hilarious, and heartfelt, this book is sure to entertain and provoke.
-David
A modern day successor to Breakfast at Tiffany's and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Happy Hour follows the adventures of Isa and her best friend Gala as they exemplify what it's like to be young, broke, and living in New York City. Your early 20's are a heady, hilarious, and heartbreaking time to experience The Big Apple, and there's nothing else like it.
- David
Betrayal. Gossip. Scandal. As one of the most notorious and celebrated authors of the twentieth century, Truman Capote made headlines when he betrayed his "swans" (a group of influential NYC socialites) by basing fiction on their most intimate secrets. This ignited one of the most fabled literary feuds of all time. Leamer does an excellent job telling the story while keeping it just dishy enough to have you wanting more.
-David
Peters brings a refreshingly original voice to queer fiction. This novel brings up questions about gender and parenthood that very few authors have the guts to discuss. Peters does, but she won't let you off with any easy answers.
-David
This lyrical deut novel tells the queer love story of Isaiah and Samuel, two enslaved men on the same plantation. Told from multiple perspectives, it emphasizes storytelling as a communal act and how we are all connected through the past and present. Filled with captivatingly poetic prose, The Prophets is perfect for fans of Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. This book stayed with me long after I finished reading.
-David
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
Mike Nichols was one of the most prolific directors of stage and screen in the latter half of the Twentieth Century. This comprehensive biography is engaging and informative, looking at Nichols as both an artist and a tremendously complex individual. Expect cameos from Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Cher, Jack Nicholson and the myriad of characters who were both his friends and collaborators. Perfect for anyone who loves movies.
-David
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
This debut collection of short stories about gender non-conformity is transporting and unique. The characters are flawed, but deeply relatable. The language is transfixing and easy to digest, and I found myself wanting to live in the world of these stories long after I finished reading. A refreshingly new queer voice.
-David
This hilarious and heartfelt debut collection of essays was an absolute joy to read. Gomez writes about his struggle to embrace his authentic self in a world that's determined to change him in a way that's authentic, relatable, and never takes itself too seriously. I can't wait to see what this bold new voice in queer writing produces next.
-David
Part personal memoir, part Art History text, this book thoughtfully explores how different individuals process the experience of loneliness. From the author's own tie living alone in New York City to art by Andy Warhol, Edward Hopper, and David Wojnarowicz where they expressed their reactions to isolation, this book spoke to me in a profound way. Meditative, deeply contemplative, and ultimately hopeful, this book is definitely worth the journey.
-David
This queer history text is part riveting cultural history, part call to arms. Anyone interested in the prison abolition movement should give this book a read, as it portrays a forgotten period of LGBTQ+ history and serves as a necessary reminder of how we arrived at the present moment and what we can do going forward.
The Hours is one of my all-time favorite novels and I'm so glad it's been rereleased in this gorgeous new edition with Mrs.Dalloway, which features prominently in and inspired Michael Cunnigham's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece. If you haven't read it yet, I'm jealous you get to experience it for the first time!
-David
A queer love story that takes place on the set of a reality competition dating show? Sign me up! Dev Deshpande, recently dumped hopeless romantic and producer on Ever After (think The Bachelor meets Disney) is the talent handler of “Prince Charming,” Charlie Winshaw, a tech wunderkind hiding a few secrets of his own. While working together, Dev and Charlie develop a growing attraction to each other, a development that could spell disaster for both of their professional lives.
Come for the drama. Stick around to see if "Happily Ever After" is only real on reality TV.
Writing about being an artist can be tough. It’s hard to portray the struggles as well as the joys of being a creative person in a way that a general audience can understand, but Angress has done this delicately and with flair in her astounding debut, Sirens & Muses. By telling the story through the alternating perspectives of four different characters from wildly varying backgrounds, with differing life experiences and skill levels, she makes it difficult for readers to judge. Even if it’s not always possible to agree with how the characters behave, they all provide perspectives that deepen a reader’s understanding of the issues at play in this story about the complexities of life as an artist. Gripping, provocative, and supremely entertaining, this is one to watch out for.
-David
This gloriously surreal novel is the perfect read for anyone suffering from the burnout brought on by capitalist "hustle culture." Absurd, filled with 'WTF?!' moments, and insanely perceptive about life, I adored this quirky book! One of the most unique books I've had the pleasure of reading. - David
The Foghorn Echoes is uniquely structured so readers can feel the past echoing through the lives of Hussam, who emigrates as a refugee to Canada, and Wassim, who stays in war-torn Syria, just as one can hear the echoes of a scream in the distance. Throughout chapters that alternate in perspective, Ramadan highlights the different ways one traumatic event impacts the lives of two individuals. Equal parts love story, ghost story, and meditation on the impossibility of outrunning one’s past this is one you won’t want to miss
An intimate exploration of complicated family dynamics with nuanced, distinct characters. A perfect book for anyone who has ever felt out of place going home for the holidays, Flight explores the nature of belonging and community.