Category Archives: Gay Life

Book review: ‘A Little Life’, revisited

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara My rating: 4 of 5 stars Spoiler alert: I assume that you have read A Little Life already and like me, are reading more about it to help you make sense of it! Please … Continue reading

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Book Review: David Leavitt’s The Page Turner

The Page Turner by David Leavitt My rating: 3 of 5 stars Decades ago, as a young gay man and an aspiring writer, I read ‘Family Dancing’, Leavitt’s collection of short stories, and then ‘Lost Language of Cranes’. I remember … Continue reading

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Book Review: Ian Young’s London Skin and Bones: The Finsbury Park Stories

London Skin & Bones: The Finsbury Park Stories by Ian Young My rating: 5 of 5 stars I met Ian decades ago when I was at university, but I never knew the stories of his years in London, living in … Continue reading

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Book Review: Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong My rating: 5 of 5 stars I was stunned by this book. Immediately, on entering it, it’s clear that the story will be unconventional. A letter to a mother. An autobiography? A … Continue reading

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Book Review: André Aciman’s Call Me

Find Me by André Aciman My rating: 1 of 5 stars A ridiculous, overwritten ode to romanticism and wish fulfilment, it’s so bad it may have ruined my affection for the prequel. If you are reading this, I am guessing … Continue reading

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Book Review: André Aciman’s Call Me By Your Name

[Review includes spoilers; don’t read it if you plan on reading the book and don’t want to know key plot points and issues!] Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman My rating: 4 of 5 stars André Aciman’s Call … Continue reading

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Book Review: Matthew Mitcham’s Twists and Turns (autobiography)

Twists and Turns by Matthew Mitcham My rating: 4 of 5 stars I haven’t seen the one-man shows that Mitcham has done, where he’s brought his stories from this book (and his life) to the stage, but I have the … Continue reading

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Sydney Food Diary: Priscillas at the Imperial Hotel, Erskineville

Did Priscillas really go there? Why, yes, they did. The photo above is from their Rood Food menu, a roasted carrot with two zucchini herb balls with a creamy sauce, and let’s not get into interpreting what the rest of … Continue reading

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Book Review: Andrew Sean Greer’s Less, Fiction

Less by Andrew Sean Greer My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved Arthur Less, the protagonist of the novel Less. I’ve occasionally fallen in love with the voice of an author or one of their characters but then realised … Continue reading

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Book Review: Garth Greenwell’s What Belongs To You

What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell My rating: 3 of 5 stars There was a phase in gay fiction where authors (or their fictional stand-ins) seemed to be lauded for writing about their encounters with poor, rough sex workers. … Continue reading

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