A CITY OF PALACES This is the much-anticipated new novel by legendary au-
thor Michael Nava, the genius behind the beloved Henry Rios series. The novel is set in colonial Mexico and is centered on an incredible love story that takes place in the midst of the Mexi- can Revolution. A City of Palaces is the first novel in a series that will chronicle the life of the gay film star, Ramón Novarro, who was born during this time period. The first book features the character based on Novarro as a young boy with “artistic” incli- nations who struggles with his first crush as well as his family’s turmoil in the midst of a violent and bloody revolution. If you like beautiful writing, unforgettable characters and a compel- ling story, you are sure to adore this new novel by Nava.
IF YOU COULD BE MINE The Middle East is a region that has preoccupied
10 SWEET SUMMER READS
LITERARY LEANINGS:
LGBT by caleb rainey
With the advent of Amazon and self- publishing websites, there has never been more LGBT books available to LGBT readers. The downside however, to this trend, is that there are so many titles that the average reader doesn’t have time to figure out what is trash and what is art. In order to help you with a great summer reading list, here is the perfect mix of pop art and literary greatness, with an added dash of educational value. Read each of these exceptional books and not only will you increase your awareness and make yourself appear more intelligent to others, you will come away more culturally aware and politically astute.
36 RAGE monthly | JULY 2014
& SO MUCH MORE Janet Mock has become a household name
REDEFINING REALNESS: MY PATH TO WOMAN- HOOD, IDENTITY, LOVE
in the LGBT community. After coming out as transgender in Marie Claire, Mock became cemented as a hero for the transgender com- munity. She released her memoir this year, one of the first trans memoirs published by a major publishing house, which quickly became a New York Times best-seller. Mock writes movingly of her experiences growing up different and how she navigated the often-difficult circumstances facing young trans women of color. If you only read one memoir this year, choose this!
continued on page 38
the U.S. for well over a decade. Yet, very little is actually known about the people who compose that region and even less is known about the LGBT people who reside there. Sara Farizan enters this tangled mess and tells a mesmerizing story of two girls on the cusp of womanhood who are deeply in love with each other. The problem; they live in Tehran and ho- mosexuality is outlawed. However, gender reassign- ment is not. One of the young women must decide if she is willing to revoke her gender in order to marry the girl she loves. If You Could Be Mine is an incredible exploration into gender identity and sexuality and is a fantastic story of young lesbian love.
ODE TO LATA Ghalib Shiraz Dhalla, has produced one of the most
insightful and moving depictions of Southern Cali- fornian gay urban club life in his novel just released in a new anniversary format. The story follows a young Indian man as he tries to navigate the L.A. gay scene. Dhalla deals with the familiar themes of self-esteem, belonging, family and sexual confidence. He intro- duces a fresh perspective into these long standing challenges in gay male life by adding elements of cultural difference, racist standards of beauty, tensions between bisexual and gay men and Asian activism in the face of AIDS/HIV. By bringing these issues that are traditionally absent from gay men’s writing, regarding the club scene, Dhalla invites us to dig a little deeper into what is really going on in our clubs, our bars and our culture generally. Ode to Lata is an amazing piece of work and sets this novel above others that have attempted to tell the story of the “club kid.”
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