By Mikey Rox
The end of beach season draws closer by the day, hunty. Tell your boss “Toodles!” and while you pack for the coast, don’t forget a good book. Here are six fabulous reads to choose from in Summer 2014’s Hottest LGBT Lineup.
The Undead Sorceress
A mixed bag of LGBT supernatural beings — including vampires, sorceresses, zombies, and warlocks — populate Volume 1 of JF Garrard’s International House of Vampires series, at the heart of which is a bloodsucker-led modern civilization and a family feud that includes a not-so-sweet Granny stealing her great-granddaughter’s soul. And you thought your clan had issues.
Everything Leads to You
Talented young set designer Emi is a romantic at heart finding the hidden beauty in the minute details of décor. Thriving in Los Angeles, but struggling to find a partner with whom to share her optimism and joy, Emi’s unfortunate love life takes an unexpected turn with the discovery of a mysterious letter at Hollywood estate sale. As Emi follows the clues enclosed in the letter, she meets Ava, heir to a long-protected secret of a movie icon’s hidden life, and a course-altering prospect that she just can’t deny. By Nina LaCour.
My Life, a Four Letter Word: Confessions of a Counter Culture Diva
When her Italian-American family rejected her after the birth of her mixed-race baby, Delores DeLuce hit the skids in search of a new place to call home and ended up with a makeshift family of misfits, including the legendary Divine, the Cockettes, various bad boys on Venice Beach, and her loving gay “husbands.” Her memoir includes encounters with John Waters and Joan Rivers, facing the pain of AIDS on the front lines, and being crowned Miss Alternative L.A., all while raising a kid as a single parent — with a little help from a few extraordinary characters, of course.
Open: Five Filthy Bisexual Erotic Stories
Five prolific bisexual female writers — Tenille Brown, Sommer Marsden, Alison Tyler, Sophia Valenti, and Saskia Walker — detail their erotic encounters with both sexes in this easily consumed anthology of short stories … in case you needed a little more heat on the beach.
Second Son: Transitioning Toward My Destiny, Love, and Life
Trans- and cisgender readers alike will be captivated by the story of Ryan Sallans, born Kimberly Ann Sallans, who details the many tumultuous chapters of his life. Sallans explores each era — from infancy and childhood to body-obsessed teenage girl to the transition from female to male — with plenty of bumps along the way. His bravery and honesty will make you pine for a happy ending.
Justice in an Age of Metal and Men
Avid sci-fi fans will want to strap in for this futuristic ride that takes a fictional look at an independent Texas overrun by outlaws and corporations. (Sort of like Jetsons-meets-Wild West, with commentary on how sexual preference might not actually matter as much in a dystopian future.) Where’s that time machine when you need it? By Anthony W. Eichenlaub. $3.99; amazon.com
