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The Future Is History (National Book Award Winner): How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia By Masha Gessen Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781594634536
Availability: Not in Stock - Contact to Order
Published: Riverhead Books - October 3rd, 2017

Written like a taut, psychological novel, this was my favorite non-fiction title from 2017. Gessen charts the psyche of the modern Russian citizen, and in doing so she covers ground from revolution through Stalin’s terror, perestroika, the downfall of the Soviet Union, and Putin’s authoritarian reign. It’s a hard book to read, as always in the back of my mind was our current state of insanity in the U.S., most especially when she writes about Russian politicians inflaming anti-LGBT violence as a political platform. But it’s Gessen’s courage in forging ahead and incredible writing that kept me going. I knew very little about Russia when I started this book, and by the end I felt like I could see it much more clearly.


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What Belongs to You: A Novel By Garth Greenwell Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781250117892
Availability: Not in Stock
Published: Picador - December 20th, 2016

This is a haunting tragedy and astounding first novel from Greenwell. After meeting Mitko in a public bathroom in Bulgaria, the narrator of What Belongs To You can’t stop thinking about him, and relates the story of his doomed attraction in taut, suspenseful, and frequently beautiful prose. Greenwell, who like his semi-autobiographical narrator taught English in Bulgaria for several years, has written a Giovanni’s Room for the 21st century that will move you through the gay cruising spots of Sofia, the low-cost health clinics of Bulgaria, and the internet chat rooms where men arrange hookups. The distant landscapes of memory are as much a character in this book as the perplexing, vibrant Mitko, and both have stayed with me much longer than it took to finish this slim book.


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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe By Benjamin Alire Sáenz Cover Image
$24.99
ISBN: 9781442408920
Availability: Not in Stock
Published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers - February 21st, 2012

My husband and I read this book at different times, and we both stayed up until "3am to finish it! Ari and Dante are both Mexican-American teenagers living in El Paso, Texas. They meet at the local pool one summer and quickly become fast friends despite their different personalities: Dante loves art, is unapologetically enthusiastic, and sentimental to the point of rescuing baby birds in oncoming traffic, while Ari is quiet, often melancholy and curious about the many secret histories of his own past. When Dante comes out as gay, Ari acts as his confidant and primary support as they navigate fitting in, standing out, and self-acceptance. Their relationship is the beating heart of this novel, but the parents that support them throughout are also loving and unforgettable. Saenz was awarded a tidal wave of awards for this book and they are well-deserved: this is a coming-of-age novel everyone should read, gay or straight.


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How to Behave in a Crowd: A Novel By Camille Bordas Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9780451497543
Availability: Not in Stock - Hard to Find
Published: Tim Duggan Books - August 15th, 2017

As I approached the end of this book I read slower and slower because I didn’t want to stop spending time with Isidore! Nicknamed Dory by his intellectual but socially stunted siblings (although he would really prefer you call him Izzy), Isidore Mazal is the youngest of 6, the only one who hasn’t skipped a grade, and the only one who cares more about others’ feelings than his GPA. He’s the antidote to Holden Caulfield, but he isn’t cloyingly sentimental; he just wants to know why you’re having a bad day and how he can make it better. Isidore navigates adolescence, first love, and grief in this coming-of-age novel which unfolds in a world of adults trying as hard as possible to never grow up. Everyone needs an Isidore in their life, Bordas seems to be saying, but a friend like Izzy requires that we be good custodians of our own worst impulses, lest they decide to run away before you realize too late what you had.