Jason Blitman: 0:01

Hi.

Brett Benner: 0:02

Hello. Hello.

Jason Blitman: 0:05

Hello, hello. So when we first started Gay's Reading, it was us coming together to talk about books that we love because we love talking about books. I love talking about books with you. And so this iteration of Gaze Reading is coming to a, the end of the chapter today.

Brett Benner: 0:24

Oh, that's so good because it feels so appropriate.

Jason Blitman: 0:27

we are going to talk about books that are coming up that we are excited to read. and Then times they are a changin we, to our dear listeners, we adore you, we love you so much, and thank you for supporting us through this fantastic year that we have had, uh, Though Gay's Reading will, will, will change, Brett and I will still be, around. You could find Brett, of course, on Instagram, at Brett's Bookstack, and his fantastic YouTube channel, Brett's Bookstack

Brett Benner: 1:05

Yeah, also Brett's book stack.

Jason Blitman: 1:06

where he was just in conversation with John Fram about John's new book,

Brett Benner: 1:10

No Road Home. Yes. No Road. Yes. No. No Road Home. Yes.

Jason Blitman: 1:14

and I will be around gaze reading in some capacity. Things are going to change. Keep an eye on this space and, Instagram to learn more about what's to come.

Brett Benner: 1:28

What's next?

Jason Blitman: 1:31

Different and a whole new world and we're excited for the

Brett Benner: 1:37

Next chapters.

Jason Blitman: 1:38

next chapters of our lives and we love each other.

Brett Benner: 1:41

Yes. Yes. Yes. There's no shade. There's no drama. This is all good. It's all positive and, uh, things move on. So thank you again, but we did think it was appropriate for this, that the way we started was talking about some of our favorite books. So we're talking about books that we're looking forward to that are coming in the last half of the year.

Jason Blitman: 2:03

Yes, which is what this was intended to be from the get go. I'm Jason

Brett Benner: 2:09

I'm Brett.

Jason Blitman: 2:11

and enjoy this. Books that we're excited about the second half of the year episode of Reading.

Brett Benner: 2:35

Okay.

Jason Blitman: 2:35

right, what do you got?

Brett Benner: 2:36

All

Jason Blitman: 2:37

first. Okay, I'll start, I'll start, I'll start, I'll start. Okay, so my first book is called American Teenager by Nico Lange, and that comes out on October 8th. Okay, let me preface by saying I did my darndest to not pick any of the like obvious books for me, because there are a few that I know I'm excited about. I forced myself to think. about other books that I'm looking forward to.

Brett Benner: 3:02

you're better than me. Go.

Jason Blitman: 3:04

something that we learned doing gaze reading is that these nonfiction books were so interesting and compelling. And I was never a nonfiction girly. And now I'm Ooh, bring it on. I want to hear all these stories. And so American Teenager by Nico Lange. The line is, from an award winning journalist comes a vivid and moving portrait of eight trans and non binary teenagers across the country following their daily triumphs, struggles, and all that encompasses growing up trans in America today. Um, Yeah, I'm so excited. And, uh, Maya Kobabe, who wrote, uh, Gender Queer, which is, you know, one of the most banned books in the country, Maya says about the book, with humor and compassion, Lange shows trans teenagers as they really are, kids trying their best. And I'm just so excited to check that out.

Brett Benner: 3:55

that sounds amazing. Meanwhile, I am like, hi, straight down the middle. Um,

Jason Blitman: 4:04

That's okay.

Brett Benner: 4:06

know what? It's all a balance, right? So, um, I, 17th is We Solve Murders. by Richard Osman. I know, I told you. Um,

Jason Blitman: 4:17

I'm so excited.

Brett Benner: 4:19

I, you know, I love all those, um, the Thursday Murder Club books and, um, I can't wait. I think the movie adaption is going to be fantastic. So this is a whole new series for him, of course, with a father and daughter detective scene, detective team.

Jason Blitman: 4:36

Would you ever try to solve murders with your daughter?

Brett Benner: 4:39

It would never be solved. It would never be solved.

Jason Blitman: 4:45

Oh my God. Oh

Brett Benner: 4:47

It would be funny. It would

Jason Blitman: 4:48

Sorry, Maddie.

Brett Benner: 4:49

It would be really funny, but it would never be solved.

Jason Blitman: 4:54

Oh my God.

Brett Benner: 4:55

Unless it was the case of the missing mascara wand.

Jason Blitman: 4:59

She makes sure to find out.

Brett Benner: 5:00

Right? She was like, Oh my God, it was in my bed.

Jason Blitman: 5:04

My next book is called Masquerade by Mike Fu. That comes out on October 29th. Set between New York and Shanghai, Masquerade is a queer coming of age mystery about a lovelorn bartender and his complex friendship with a artist.

Brett Benner: 5:23

Yeah, that looks fantastic. It looks, it looks great. Um, what I find interesting about these choices so far is you're totally going the Indie route and I love it and I'm going straight up commercial. We've completely, we've completely flipped who we are from the beginning of this. So my next one is one of my, actually my favorite writers. So I'm so excited for this to come out, which is Elizabeth Strout's tell me everything, which comes out. October 12th, uh, is from Pulitzer Prize winning Elizabeth, um, author Elizabeth Strout, comes a hopeful, healing novel about new friendships, old loves, and the very human desire to leave a mark on the world. and again, I think what she's doing with this is combining a lot of her characters from her different books and bringing them together. Uh, but she's like impatient to me, she's like a go to for me, like, uh, I think she is. Just incredible. And like Catherine Newman in a way, in that she takes small stories about everyday things, but makes them so resonant and bigger and meaningful. So. Yeah.

Jason Blitman: 6:32

books, but I've not read the Olive books and I'm really excited for those.

Brett Benner: 6:38

Yeah. They're great. And just watching, I don't know, whatever. They're, they're, they're beautiful. They're heartbreaking. They're lovely. They're just life affirming. Anyway, excited.

Jason Blitman: 6:48

My third is called Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe, a glittering, bold, darkly funny novel about two sisters, one in New York, one in Singapore, who are bound by an ancient secret.

Brett Benner: 7:05

That looks, that looks great.

Jason Blitman: 7:07

Yeah, I'm really excited. Between that and Masquerade, both are set in different countries and queer cross continents. And it's, I'm, I'm on my own little, uh, queer

Brett Benner: 7:19

Journey. You're on your own journey. Um,

Jason Blitman: 7:23

third?

Brett Benner: 7:25

you're going to be like, Oh, Brett, come on, reach further. But sorry,

Jason Blitman: 7:31

I'm like, can I guess? What is it? I'm trying to think, what are the books that are coming out?

Brett Benner: 7:35

no, you're going to be like, okay, really? Okay. But whatever. I'm really excited for the sequel to the house in the cerulean sea somewhere beyond the sea um, by TJ Klune, um, which. comes out September 10th. Um, yeah, I, I was one of those people who absolutely adored that book, loved it. And, uh, so I'm really excited to see what he has cooked up for all these characters.

Jason Blitman: 8:06

And I just read it for the first time. I'm on my backlist journey as well. So I'm on my, cross con queer cross continent journey and my backlist journey. And I just read

Brett Benner: 8:15

Did you have a favorite character?

Jason Blitman: 8:17

oh my God, the bell hop kid,

Brett Benner: 8:20

Was he the blob?

Jason Blitman: 8:21

the, the one with tentacles. Yeah. Uh, uh, I can't. So sweet.

Brett Benner: 8:29

Yeah.

Jason Blitman: 8:29

It's been in a prominent spot on my shelf. I've been waiting to read it. And also same with the olive books. I'm so excited to be on my little backlist. But

Brett Benner: 8:36

know they come, they come. Yes. Um,

Jason Blitman: 8:39

choice. Good choices.

Brett Benner: 8:40

I do have one more. Do you have another or no,

Jason Blitman: 8:43

I don't, but bring it on.

Brett Benner: 8:44

Okay, I'm really excited about this just because of, um, conceptually, because I just think this is so interesting, which is Pedro Almodovar's The Last Dream. And it's so interesting because we were just talking to Alana Portero and, you know, her being in Madrid and she brought up Pedro Almodovar. But, um, this is a series of short stories, uh, by Pedro Almodovar that comes out September 24th. Um, he's, I just think, such a genius. It was weird because Um, in the nineties, I was really obsessed with him. I think I was actually really obsessed with Antonio Banderas, but, um, that kind of led me into, and I remember watching the movie law of desire. So, and I just didn't find him an interesting person in the way he uses the same actors. He was like the original Ryan Murphy in terms of the way he'd reuse people. It was

Jason Blitman: 9:36

I don't think I realized that.

Brett Benner: 9:38

Yeah. Like Penelope Cruz was his muse really. Um, so anyway, I'm, that's getting really interesting reviews, so I'm very interested to check it out. So that is my fourth and last

Jason Blitman: 9:49

just because you had four, so I'm jealous. I want a fourth too, but this is cheating because it doesn't come out until January.

Brett Benner: 9:58

go cheat.

Jason Blitman: 9:59

but the book is called Northern Boy by Iqbal Hussain. and it says, a Bollywood dream, a small town chance, joyful, defiant, and dazzling. This is the story of Rafi Aziz, a Northern boy dreaming of his name up in lights. And people are saying it's Billy Elliot meets Bollywood, which is like, I'm just so

Brett Benner: 10:18

I mean And I not and also when is that being adapted?

Jason Blitman: 10:22

I know. I'm crying already.

Brett Benner: 10:24

Yeah, that sounds amazing and it's look the cover is so joyous with that boy on the

Jason Blitman: 10:29

I know.

Brett Benner: 10:31

gonna rip your heart out. So

Jason Blitman: 10:33

So I'm very excited for that. That comes out in January. Pre order. Pre ordering books is important for authors.

Brett Benner: 10:41

and again all of these titles will be up on our bookshop. org page so

Jason Blitman: 10:47

org page. And all of our gays reading history will live on the platforms. So continue to follow, continue to share us with your friends. We're so proud of the conversations that we've had. And so keep them alive and well and read the books and talk to people about them. and follow Brett at Brett's book stack. you could follow me at Jason Blitman, uh, and keep an eye

Brett Benner: 11:12

Keep an eye on the Gays Reading, on Instagram

Jason Blitman: 11:15

On Instagram for what's next and Brett doing fabulous things over on his YouTube page, which I'm so excited to keep watching and that's it.

Brett Benner: 11:24

all right, we'll see you.

Jason Blitman: 11:26

you, Brett. I'll talk to you soon.

Brett Benner: 11:28

to you soon. Bye.

11:30

for being here.