Recommendations based on "Coming Out on Top"

The basis for the Oscar–winning buddy film. “There is no questioning the rampant power achieved through shriveling, shattering scenes” (Kirkus Reviews).Midnight Cowboy is considered by many to be one of the best American novels published since World War II. The main story centers around Joe Buck, a naive but eager and ambitious young Texan, who decides to leave his dead-end job in search of a grand and glamorous life he believes he will find in New York City. But the city turns out to be a much more difficult place to negotiate than Joe could ever have imagined. He soon finds himself and his dreams compromised. Buck’s fall from innocence and his relationship with the crippled street hustler Ratso Rizzo form the novel’s emotional nucleus. This unlikely pairing of Ratso and Joe Buck is perhaps one of the most complex portraits of friendship in contemporary literature.The focus on male friendship follows a strong path cut by Twain’s Huck and Jim, Melville’s Ishmael and Queequeg, Fitzgerald’s Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby, and Kerouac’s Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty. Midnight Cowboy takes a well-deserved place among a group of distinguished American novels that write—often with unnerving candor—about those who live on the fringe of society.“Leaves the world of innocence that is muddied by sex for a world that is innocent in the midst of sex, with a protagonist who is a sexual entrepreneur.” —The New York Review of Books

When Two Young Amish Men Find Love, Will They Risk Losing Everything? In A World Where Every Detail Of Life Is Dictated By God And The All-powerful Rules Of The Church, David Takes On Isaac As A Carpentry Apprentice. Soon Their Attraction Grows Amid The Sweat And Sawdust, And They Share Sinful Secrets. Can They Reconcile Their Shocking Desires With Their Commitment To Faith, Family And Community?

Review Angels of Mercy - Volume 1: Elliot is an exceptional display of walking in Elliot's shoes - a diary of sorts. Being a teenager is hard enough, being gay in a small town and in love with the star quarterback can be dangerous.  Sensual and sarcastic conversations and inward monologues bring life, laughter, disappointments, danger, and a carnal love to Elliot and Marco.  But, will it last? - Saguaro Moon Reviews [4 out of 5 Moons] Kindle edition reviewed Product Description On the cusp of his senior year at Mercy High, Elliot Donahey, an out but terminally shy gay young man who keeps to the shadows – never wanting to be seen or noticed – suddenly finds himself in the arms of the highest profile jock on campus, local star quarterback, Marco Sforza. Their lives, and those closest to them will never be the same.Set against the backdrop of competitive sports, this character study work (the first in a series) deep dives into the lives of these young men who each must "play the game" so Marco can play the game he loves. They are just trying to find some small slice of happiness to call their own amidst their hellish final year of high school.Author's Note: Angels of Mercy is first and foremost, a character study. A great deal of it is inner-monologue. Elliot will pause the action, will break momentum as he grapples with his world – all the while flipping a finger to the fourth wall. He knows you're there. It was far more important to me as its author (and a gay man) that the reader come away with the whys of Elliot’s choices in how he navigates his often tumultuous world. The same can be said of Marco (his jock boyfriend) who will have his own line of books covering the same timeline but from his POV (the first, Diary of a Quarterback Part 1, due winter 2015). I’ve read much queer literature and what I find rather interesting is that for the majority of it, very little is written about the character’s headspace. When you live in a world where you constantly have to be vigilant as you navigate through, it can make for some very powerful storytelling. That is my goal in writing these boys’ lives. I want the reader who may not be queer themselves to come away with what it might be like to be in a gayboy’s shoes – constantly polling and pulse-checking your world because your very survival depends upon it. All of that while you hope, you secretly pray, that you’ll find someone who will see you too and find they can’t live without you in their world. A small slice of happiness to call your own. And though you do everything to keep to yourself, you may still run into those who find your very existence threatens who they are and how they think the world should run. I pull no punches with this work. They are hormonally charged eighteen year old young men who are sexually active. While the sex is present in the work it is not gratuitous in that the main character does evolve from his physical intimacy with his high-profile boyfriend. It is not a genre romance read either, though it has a very strong romance threaded in the work. These elements bring a light to their world that attracts all the wrong attention. In a time where more queer youth are coming out to their teammates and their loved ones, I find that work of this nature is both timely and necessary to tell. I hope you'll find it as interesting and provocative a read as I believe it is.Our Voices. Our Lives - as we live them. About the Author SA Collins hails from the San Francisco Bay Area where he lives with his (legal) husband, their daughter and wonder of all wonders, a whirlwind of a granddaughter. A classically trained singer/actor (under a different name), Mr. Collins knows a good yarn when he sees it. Mr. Collins specializes in character study work. It is more important for him as an author that the reader comes away with a greater understanding of the characters, and the reasons they make the decisions they do, rather than the situations they are

A remarkable YA love story between two Aboriginal boys -- one who doesn’t want to accept he’s gay, and the boy who comes to live in his house who makes him realize who he is.It's a hot summer, and life's going all right for Jackson and his family on the Mish. It's almost Christmas, school's out, and he's hanging with his mates, teasing the visiting tourists, avoiding the racist boys in town. Just like every year, Jackson's Aunty and annoying little cousins visit from the city -- but this time a mysterious boy with a troubled past comes with them. As their friendship evolves, Jackson must confront the changing shapes of his relationships with his friends, family and community. And he must face his darkest secret -- a secret he thought he'd locked away for good.

Award-winning author and artist Mike Curato draws on his own experiences in Flamer, his debut graphic novel, telling a difficult story with humor, compassion, and love."This book will save lives." ―Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of National Book Award Finalist Hey, KiddoI know I’m not gay. Gay boys like other boys. I hate boys. They’re mean, and scary, and they’re always destroying something or saying something dumb or both.I hate that word. Gay. It makes me feel . . . unsafe.It's the summer between middle school and high school, and Aiden Navarro is away at camp. Everyone's going through changes―but for Aiden, the stakes feel higher. As he navigates friendships, deals with bullies, and spends time with Elias (a boy he can't stop thinking about), he finds himself on a path of self-discovery and acceptance.Godwin Books

Easy finally believes he can lead a simple life and leave his haunted past behind him—until he meets a woman who changes everything.November 1963: Easy's settled into a steady gig as a school custodian. It's a quiet, simple existence—but a few moments of ecstasy with a sexy teacher will change all that. When the lady vanishes, Easy's stuck with a couple of corpses, the cops on his back, and a little yellow dog who's nobody's best friend. With his not-so-simple past snapping at his heels, and with enemies old and new looking to get even, Easy must kiss his careful little life good-bye—and step closer to the edge.

From international bestselling author, Casey Morales . . . A traded player, a children's home, and a love to defy all odds. Climbing the ladder of professional baseball is hard. As one of the only openly gay players in the league, Nick Dunlap's path is rockier than most. When Nick is traded mid-season, despite a team-leading batting average, everyone knows his "open secret" is to blame. He flies to Ohio in hopes of a fresh start but finds so much more. On his second day in Columbus, Nick agrees to visit a non-profit whose mission is to counsel children and families. Speeches are made, balls are signed, and before the day ends, Nick meets Ethan, a troubled eight-year-old boy who hasn't spoken in months. Nick's heart yearns to aid the lost boy. Then he meets Dr. André Martin, a French psychiatrist with flowing salt-and-pepper hair and kind smile. André has been on the staff of the non-profit for over twenty years and questions Nick's sincerity, thinking he is little more than a grandstanding player looking for photo ops. Until Nick returns the next day . . . Buckeye is sa heartwarming story of a man finding love in the most unexpected places. Themes include found family, hurt/comfort, an age gap romance, children in need, and so much more. If you enjoyed Red, White, and Royal Blue and Call Me By Your Name, you'll love Buckeye. Note: There are themes and scenes depicting the lives of children and adults with troubled pasts. Some overcome their challenges, while others struggle.

Ripped from the pages of the New York Times bestselling series The Family Business, Carl Weber and Eric Pete bring you To Paris with Love, a solo story about their two most popular characters to date: the bright, sexy, and deadly Paris Duncan and her flamboyant and cunning twin brother, Rio. It's spring break and Paris Duncan is on the verge of graduating at the top of her class from Chi's Finishing School, one of Europe's most exclusive private academies. At Chi's, students not only learn the three Rs, but they also learn the deadly art of assassination. Like most of her classmates, Paris is looking forward to going back home. She can't wait to get back to the bright lights of New York City, where she plans on clubbing with her twin brother Rio, scarfing down her mom's cooking, and wearing out her father's credit cards. A family crisis puts an end to her trip home in favor of a solo trip to the French Riviera. Rio Duncan has been accepted into one of the most prestigious law schools in the country and his father, LC Duncan, couldn't be more proud of him. Unfortunately for LC, Rio has plans of his own, and they don't include law school. If that weren't surprise enough, Rio's got a few more things to tell his dear old dad, one of which is that he is gay. Now that he's come out of the closet, Rio is in the wind. He's headed to Europe to live life by his own rules and hook up with his sister for some fun in the European sun. Together Rio and Paris will do what they do best: have fun, find trouble, and break men's hearts. Travel with Weber and Pete to Europe to see how Paris and Rio became the dynamic duo of the Duncan clan.

When Teddy Anderson’s little sister Tina is gunned down randomly in a drive-by shooting, the gangstas who rule the streets in the Anderson family’s rapidly deteriorating neighborhood dismiss the incident as just another case of RP, RT—wrong place, wrong time. According to gangsta logic, Tina doesn’t even count as a statistic.Teddy’s family is devastated. Mrs. Anderson sinks into deep depression while Pops struggles to run both the household and his declining laundry business. The Andersons are shocked still further when Teddy is arrested and thrown in prison for attempted homicide after his elaborately laid plans for revenge against his sister’s killer are foiled by the cops.Teddy soon finds himself out of prison on house arrest, and in the capable hands of Officer Mariana Diaz, the smart, tough probation officer assigned to oversee his endless hours of community service. As part of the innovative rehabilitation program Diaz runs, Teddy is assigned to tutor Micah, a twelve-year-old orphan and would-be gansta.As Teddy goes through the motions of complying with the terms of his probation, Diaz has no idea that he is using his genius-level computer hacker skills to plot his final vengeance and to defraud the state education system of hundreds of thousands of dollars. But even though Teddy thinks he knows it all, he fails to see how Micah’s desperate need for love and trust just might have the power not only to pierce all Teddy’s defenses, but to save his family.

Book 4 of the Fitting In seriesPrevious Book: Burning UpGray, Jack, and Mason are back. Their threeway relationship keeps growing stronger, and Gray 's feelings for his partners run deeper than he ever thought possible. While he's learned to be romantic at home, at work, he's still a big tough cop that nobody wants to cross. When the murders of several young prostitutes falls to him to solve, and he has no suspects and no motive, his confidence takes a hit. Every dead end, every day that goes by, adds to the urgency he feels to find the murderer. Gray desperately needs a break, with the case and for himself. He excels at taking care of both his men, in bed and out, but when it comes to accepting comfort in return, he shuts down, even with everything at work going to hell. Jack and Mason want him to take a vacation when the case ends, but Gray knows he sucks at down time unless it's spent in bed. With his case weighing on him and his partners trying their best to help, Gray is going to have to figure out how a high-handed man like himself can let go.