About Book Marks
Recent Reviews
Christopher Castellani
Positive Lambda Literary \"Leading Men is a finely-rendered narrative based upon some of the twentieth century’s most compelling artistic figures. It is broad in scope and lush in detail, without every tipping into sentimentality ... The novel is also a fascinating examination of the early years of international celebrity culture ... Real life characters like Paul Bowles and Anna Magnani breathe again in theses pages, bringing back a time when to be famous was often coupled with great accomplishment. The novel is a compassionate snapshot of a bygone era and a beautiful, if tragic, story of love and remembrance.\
Dale Peck
Rave Lambda Literary Night Soil is a remarkably layered and nuanced novel that explores many themes simultaneously—the relationship between a single mother and her son, the repercussions of slavery and racism in America, the abuse of our natural environment, the search for a paternal role model—all through the life of a singularly unique gay character. These seemingly disparate themes solidify into a striking portrait of America’s uneasy history. Creating such a multifaceted narrative is a difficult task to pull off convincingly, but Peck has done it with nuance and authenticity.
Evan Fallenberg
Positive Lambda Literary ...part love letter, part farewell epistle ... The novel explores passion and physical attraction in all of their glory—as well as their dark underside. Fallenberg aptly describes the dying embers of this overwhelming physicality, and the desperate acts to which it can drive a man ... Set against the backdrop of modern Israel, The Parting Gift is a passionate erotic tale, but a cautionary one.
Stephen McCauley
Rave Lambda Literary Nothing is more satisfying, however, than what can be aptly described as a plain, old-fashioned \'good read,\' especially one as well-written as My Ex-Life from skillful storyteller and bestselling author Stephen McCauley ... You fall in love with these two unique characters who, not so uniquely, are facing unforeseen changes in midlife—both failing initially and ultimately succeeding. You’ll see yourself in them and in the other characters that populate this warm and funny story. It’s storytelling at its best.
Alan Hollinghurst
Rave Lambda Literary This may be fiction, but it is an authentic story of fully-drawn personalities that are often flawed, in their very human way, but never boring. This is another device that Hollinghurst uses effectively here, better than any working author today, he tells real stories about characters he’s realized so fully, you’d swear that they lived and drew breath. Hollinghurst has been long and short listed for all the major awards, winning several, and no less can be expected of this extraordinary new effort.
Uzodinma Iweala
Rave Lambda Literary Iweala compellingly illustrates how traditional Nigerian, Christian values abhor homosexuality: it’s just not an option. He brings to life how painful this journey is for a family, how it rips a family apart when there is bigotry and intolerance woven into their relationships. We root for young Niru, but there is no safe harbor for him ... Iweala vividly recounts the story of a young man set apart. He does so with clarity and depth, making you feel Niru’s pain—understand how it is to be rejected by everyone and everything you love—to be an outsider. Most coming out stories are difficult, it’s never an easy process, but when faced with a culture and a church that sometimes reject you outright, and in no uncertain terms, it’s even lonelier. There aren’t always happy endings and the author gives us that experience with great emotion and sensitivity. Speak No Evil isn’t an easy read. It is, however, compelling, sensitively told, and satisfying.