Welcome to the Homepage of the Gay Men's Book Group of Long Island....

...however, the group is currently on an indefinite hiatus. The group met regularly for 16 years,  from 1995 through 2011. Many great books were read, conversations had, and friends were made. Perhaps in the future, the group will rise again. For now, though, feel free to peruse this website, to see how things were, and to see the wealth of titles that we read during our existence, (just scroll on down!).

Latest News

Greetings, and thank you for stopping by. First of all, we'd like to thank everyone who came to our most recent meeting! A good time was had by all, some new faces were in the crowd, and we had a rousing discussion about the Stephen McCauley book. The Sunday, bi-monthly schedule seems to be working well for everyone. Here are our dates & titles for the next few meetings:

SUNDAY, APRIL 10th, at 3:00 PM we will be discussing Native by William Heywood Henderson. This book is in stock & available to purchase at our meeting place, Book Revue bookstore in Huntington. You can also get it from Amazon by clicking on the banner link to the left. (Or you might be able to locate a copy through your library).

SUNDAY, JUNE 26th, at 3:00 PM we will be discussing Secret Historian by Justin Spring. You can also get it from Amazon by clicking on the banner link to the left. (Or you might be able to locate a copy through your library). Please note, we are meeting later in the month this time so as not to conflict with the Long Island Gay Pride Parade.

Again, if you need directions to Book Revue, and more info about the book group, just scroll down on this page. Hope to see you at our next 2 meetings!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOOK GROUP

Who Are We?

We are a group of gay men, of various ages, who like to read. We choose one book a month to read, (either gay fiction or gay non-fiction....we alternate, although we seem to read a good deal more fiction than non-fiction), and meet to discuss it.

Why a “GAY MEN’S” book group?

For many of us, this group was our first opportunity to finally read books with gay lead characters and storylines that resonate with our own gay life experiences. Although we all have enjoyed various genres of books throughout our lives, there’s nothing quite like the thrill of reading a book with gay characters, gay love scenes, and discussions of gay issues. (And, by the way, it’s a nice alternative to the gay bars as a way of socializing with other gay men).

How Long Have We Been Around?

The group has existed since March, 1995. Except for a brief hiatus during that first year, the group has met every single month without fail ever since. (And to see what books we’ve read, scroll down a little further. Our current and upcoming titles are listed towards the top of this page ).

Where Do We Meet?

We meet in Huntington at the Book Revue bookstore. (Scroll down further for directions). At the moment, we are in the process of trying out a new schedule of meetings, (we used to meet on the third Thursday of every month at 8:00 pm, but we are currently trying out the second Sunday of every other month at 3:00 pm). We have an arrangement with Book Revue bookstore { (631)271-1442 } where we get a 20% discount on our monthly title. Just ask at the front counter for the Gay Men’s Book Group book of the month.

Is there a fee to attend the group?

Nope, it's free! (Cool, huh?). However, you will need to purchase the book we're reading to read it in advance, so you'll be able to participate in the discussion. Or you can get it from the library, if it's available there, (a fair amount of the titles we read are probably not available at most libraries, but it doesn't hurt to check).

How Does It Work?

The meetings begin with every person in the group getting a chance to give a brief, (up to 3 minutes, if you want), uninterrupted report of how they felt about the book. (You don’t have to partake in this part if you don’t want to, but it’s a nice opportunity to introduce some of your ideas to expand on in the next part).
The next part is more conversational, where people are free to jump in with their own opinions, as various points of the book are brought up and discussed. You will find that there are often widely varying views on every book we discuss, which of course makes for interesting discussion!
The final part of the meeting is where we choose which title to read for an upcoming meeting. We are very open to suggestions for titles to read.....especially from new members. Our only requirement is that the book have some gay connection......either subject matter or gay authorship, ( both is usually the case! ). Also during this time, we welcome members to make announcements about events or other goings-on that the group might be interested in.

Is It Required to Attend Every Meeting?

No, of course not. It’s a book group, not the National Guard. We all lead busy lives, and certain months some members can’t make it, or may not have time to read a whole book for that month. We understand. We’re always here, though, for when you do have the time. (And once you join, you may find you don’t ever want to miss a meeting!).

How Can I Get DIRECTIONS to Where the Group Meets, Or Ask More Questions About the Group?

You can get directions on this page, (just scroll dwon a bit further to where it says "Directions", and if that’s unclear, you can call the book store at 631-271-1442 for directions).

Do you guys ALWAYS read “gay books”? Don’t you ever read a popular “mainstream” title, like “The DaVinci Code”?

This was something we debated about for a while. We have come to the firm conclusion that, because this is a Gay Men’s Book Group, we should always read books that have some gay connection; either gay subject matter, or a gay author, (or both). By the way, it can be argued that “The Davinci Code” has a gay connection, (DaVinci was gay, after all!). But the fact is, his homosexuality is addressed in the book for about 2 lines. The bottom line is, people come to our group expecting to read gay-oriented fiction & non-fiction. It isn’t fair to those who come for that reason to go “off topic”, even if it’s only occasionally. You will find, however, there is an enormous range of books that fall into our “acceptable” categories, and again….we’re always open to suggested titles you might have.

Do I Need to be “Out of the Closet” to attend the Book Group?

It really doesn’t matter; that’s your business. We’re not here to judge your level of “outness”, (is that a word?). Some people have questions about how private our group is, (like, “will someone from my neighborhood / church / synagogue / job / air force battalion see me at the book group?”. Well, here's the situation: even though we do meet in a public book store, we still have somewhat of a private space, (customers only occasionally pass by where we meet), and there’s no sign overhead pointing out that this is a “GAY MEN’S BOOK GROUP”, so, chances are, even if someone did happen to spot you there, it’s unlikely you’d be “outed”. But ultimately, you'll have to assess the situation for yourself.

How do you guys choose which books the group is going to read?

Very democratically. For the last portion of each book group meeting, we open the floor for members to introduce “candidates” for possible selection for future months’ reading material. Books are passed around, and everyone in attendance has a chance to look over each “candidate” book. Then, we vote. The “candidate” books are held up individually, and each person gets to cast one vote for their favorite pick. The book with the most votes becomes our selection for a future month, (we often pick 2 to 3 months in advance, so the books can be listed on the website, and also be there at the store for members to pick up the night of the meeting prior to the month that book is being read). We are ALWAYS open to anyone in the group bringing suggestions/ “candidate” books for possible selection. However, there are 2 rules to keep in mind:
It MUST fall into the parameters of what we consider a “gay book”.
You MUST have a physical copy of the book WITH YOU that day for it to be considered. Even if you think it is a spectacular book, we cannot consider it if all you’ve brought with you is a printed-out Amazon review, or, worse yet, just your own word-of-mouth recommendation. We need to actually SEE the book… members often base their vote on things such as page count, cover blurbs, text size….and also, some members just like to look over a book before voting on it.
How Else Can I Get Involved In the Book Group?

Join our online group! We have a Yahoo group that allows members and prospective members to stay in touch between meetings, discuss books, and find out more about the group. Just scroll down a little further to see the “Yahoo Groups” button….click on it to subscribe to the group, (it’s FREE!).

DIRECTIONS

• Take Northern State Parkway to Route 110 North, ( Exit 40 North ).
• Stay on Route 110 all the way into Huntington Village, (about 4 to 5 miles). You’ll pass the Walt Whitman Mall, and then you will cross over Jericho Turnpike, (Route 25). Soon after that, Route 110 becomes New York Avenue. Another couple of miles and you’ll pass under a railroad trestle, (Huntington railroad station will be on your right). Keep going another 2 miles or so, until you cross Route 25-A, (also known as Main Street). Book Revue will be on your left, about half a block past 25-A. (The address is 313 New York Avenue. The phone # is (631)271-1442).
• PARKING: Although the bookstore does not have its own parking lot, there is plenty of free public parking in Huntington village. The closest is a parking lot about a block & a half away. Just continue past the bookstore on New York Avenue, going north. After you pass through a traffic light, you will see a Chase bank on your left, at the corner. Just past the Chase bank, on your left, is the parking lot. (Parking there is FREE).

PREVIOUS BOOKS WE'VE READ

The following is the entire list of books we've read in the group, going all the way back to our founding in 1995. If there's a book you'd like to us to read & discuss at a future meeting, please let us know; we are always open to reading new titles, (it does need to be gay-oriented , though, and we do need to have a physical copy of the book at the meeting to make it a candidate).

March, 1995 PENGUIN BOOK OF GAY SHORT STORIES (Part 1)
April, 1995 HALFWAY HOME by Paul Monette
May, 1995 THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION by Steven McCauley
May, 1995 TIM & PETE by James Robert Baker
June, 1995 CLOSET CASE by Robert Rodi
July, 1995 PENGUIN BOOK OF GAY SHORT STORIES (Part 2)
August, 1995 QUEER IN AMERICA by Michelangelo Signorile
September, 1995 BLUE HEAVEN by Joe Keenan
October, 1995 GROWING UP GAY by the Funny Gay Males

(at this point, the group went on hiatus for 7 months, but was re-formed in May, 1996. Since then, the group has met every month without fail)

May, 1996 REVELATIONS: Gay Men’s Coming Out Stories by A.Saks
June, 1996 MYSTERIOUS SKIN by Scott Heim
July, 1996 QUEER by William S. Burroughs
August, 1996 GAY SOUL (Part 1) edited by Mark Thompson
September, 1996 THE BEAUTY OF MEN by Andrew Holleran
October, 1996 VIRTUALLY NORMAL by Andrew Sullivan
November, 1996 THE DEATH OF FRIENDS by Michael Nava
December, 1996 AFTERLIFE by Paul Monette
January, 1997 BOYS LIKE US edited by Patrick Merla
February, 1997 MEN ON MEN 6 (selected stories)
March, 1997 THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde
April, 1997 ARKANSAS by David Leavitt
May, 1997 HEAVEN’S COAST by Mark Doty
June, 1997 GOSSIP by Christopher Bram
July, 1997 3 PLAYS by Mart Crowley
August, 1997 LIFE OUTSIDE by Michelangelo Signorile
Sep, 1997 HOUSE ON THE OCEAN, HOUSE ON THE BAY by Felice Picano
October, 1997 GUIDE by Dennis Cooper
November, 1997 TAKING LIBERTIES Edited by Michael Bronski
December, 1997 FAGGOTS by Larry Kramer
January, 1998 THE LITTLE DEATH by Michael Nava
February, 1998 PAGES PASSED FROM HAND TO HAND Mitchell/Leavitt
March, 1998 SWEET MACHINE by Mark Doty
April, 1998 FUNNY BOY by Shyam Selvadurai
May, 1998 THE PAGE TURNER by David Leavitt
June, 1998 GIOVANNI’S ROOM by James Baldwin
July, 1998 A BOY NAMED PHYLLIS by Frank deCaro
August, 1998 NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE by Dale Peck
September, 1998 A BOY’S OWN STORY by Edmund White
October, 1998 GAY & AFTER by Alan Sinfield
November, 1998 AN ECHO OF DEATH by Mark Richard Zubro
December, 1998 ALEC BALDWIN DOESN’T LOVE ME by Michael T. Ford
January, 1999 MEN ON MEN 7
February, 1999 FATHER OF FRANKENSTEIN by Christopher Bram
March, 1999 THE CITY & THE PILLAR by Gore Vidal
April, 1999 CALIFORNIA SCREAMING by Doug Guinan
May, 1999 BEST GAY EROTICA-1999 edited by Richard Labonte
June, 1999 THE SPELL by Alan Hollinghurst
July, 1999 TRUMAN CAPOTE by George Plimpton
August, 1999 STRACHEY’S FOLLY by Richard Stevenson
September, 1999 THE DREYFUS AFFAIR by Peter Lefcourt
October, 1999 PARTY CRASHER: A GAY REPUBLICAN by Rich Tafel
November, 1999 THE KID by Dan Savage
December, 1999 FIREBIRD: A MEMOIR by Mark Doty
January, 2000 DANCER FROM THE DANCE by Andrew Holleran
February, 2000 RISE & FALL OF GAY CULTURE by Daniel Harris
March, 2000 COMFORT & JOY by James Grimsley
April, 2000 MEN ON MEN 2000 ANTHOLOGY (first 10 stories)
May, 2000 AMERICAN STUDIES by Mark Merlis
June, 2000 CHRIST-LIKE by Emanuel Xavier
July, 2000 BREAKFAST WITH SCOT by
August, 2000 THE MARRIED MAN by Edmund White
September, 2000 THE ELUSIVE EMBRACE by Daniel Mendelsohn
Oct., 2000 A HOME AT THE END OF THE WORLD by M. Cunningham
November, 2000 A DENSITY OF SOULS by Christopher Rice
December, 2000 THE NIGHT LISTENER by Armistead Maupin
January, 2001 MARTIN BAUMANN or A SURE THING by David Leavitt
February, 2001 KOSHER MEAT edited by Lawrence Schimel
March, 2001 BECOMING A MAN by Paul Monette
April, 2001 TESTOSTERONE by James Robert Baker
May, 2001 THE COMING STORM by Paul Elliott Russell
June, 2001 DREAM BOY by Jim Grimsley
July, 2001 GUESS AGAIN by Bernard Cooper
August, 2001 TRUE ENOUGH by Stephen McCauley
September, 2001 ONYX by Felice Picano
October, 2001 21st CENTURY GAY by John Malone
November, 2001 EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF by Orland Outland
December, 2001 BETTER ANGEL by Forman Brown
January, 2002 THE LONG SHOT by Paul Monette
February, 2002 PINS by Jim Provenzano
March, 2002 THE WORLD OF NORMAL BOYS: A NOVEL by K.M. Soehnlein
April, 2002 THE MARBLE QUILT by David Leavitt
May, 2002 EVENING CROWD AT KIRMSER’S by Ricardo Brown
June, 2002 OUT IN THE GARDEN by Dean Riddle
July, 2002 A BOY I ONCE KNEW by Elizabeth Stone
August, 2002 THIS THING CALLED COURAGE by J.G. Hayes
September, 2002 RUNNING WITH SCISSORS by Augusten Burroughs
October, 2002 MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH by Michael Chabon
November, 2002 OUTBOUND by William Storandt
December, 2002 IT HAD TO BE YOU by Timothy James Beck
January, 2003 ALL WE HAVE IS NOW by Robert Taylor
February, 2003 AVOIDANCE by Michael Lowenthal
March, 2003 SKIPPING TOWARDS GOMORRAH by Dan Savage
April, 2003 THE FRONT RUNNER by Patricia Nell Warren
May, 2003 CITY OF NIGHT by John Rechy
June, 2003 THE BEGINNING OF CALAMITIES by Tom House
July, 2003 SPARKLE by Rob Rosen
August, 2003 GOING THE OTHER WAY by Billy Bean
September, 2003 BOYS ON THE ROCK by John Fox
October, 2003 10 SMART THINGS GAY MEN CAN DO by Joe Kort
November, 2003 METES AND BOUNDS by Jay Quinn
December, 2003 WITH YOU IN SPIRIT by Steven Cooper
January, 2004 THE MUSIC OF YOUR LIFE by John Rowell
February, 2004 ANGELS IN AMERICA by Tony Kushner
March, 2004 LIVES OF THE CIRCUS ANIMALS by Christopher Bram
April, 2004 THE DAY EAZY-E DIED by James Hardy
May, 2004 THE TROUBLE BOY by Tom Dolby
June, 2004 THE YEAR OF ICE by Brian Malloy
July, 2004 SOMEONE YOU KNOW by Gary Zebrun
August, 2004 ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE by Steve Kluger
September, 2004 WHY THE LONG FACE? by Craig Chester
October, 2004 KYLE’S BED & BREAKFAST by Greg Fox
November, 2004 LOOKING GLASS LIVES by Felice Picano
December, 2004 TRUST FUND BOYS by Rob Byrnes
January, 2005 THE LINE OF BEAUTY by Alan Hollinghurst
February, 2005 A DEATH IN VENICE by Thomas Mann
March, 2005 THE MASCULINE MARINE by Steven Zeeland 10 Year Anniversary Meeting !!!!!
April, 2005 SHAMELESS by Paul Burston
May, 2005 FARM BOYS by Will Fellows
June, 2005 BEST GAY LOVE STORIES - 2005 - Edited by Nick Street
July, 2005 TALES OF THE CITY (vol. 1) by Armistead Maupin
August, 2005 BACK WHERE HE STARTED by Jay Quinn
September, 2005 STONEWALL by David Carter
October, 2005 THE COMMITMENT by Dan Savage
November, 2005 CLOSE RANGE: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx
December, 2005 TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL by Tab Hunter
Jan., 2006 HOW the HOMOSEXUALS SAVED CIVILIZATION by C. Crimmins
February, 2006 LEAVES OF GRASS by Walt Whitman
March, 2006 THE BROTHERS BISHOP by Bart Yates
April, 2006 THE MAN WHO INVENTED ROCK HUDSON by Robert Hofler
May, 2006 MY LUCKY STAR by Joe Keenan
June, 2006 ALTERNATIVES TO SEX by Stephen McCauley
July, 2006 LIGHT BEFORE DAY by Christopher Rice
August, 2006 THE GOOD NEIGHBOR by Jay Quinn
Sept. , 2006 INSIDE OUT: STRAIGHT TALK FROM A GAY JOCK by Mark Tewksbury
October, 2006 WHEN I KNEW by Robert Trachtenberg
November, 2006 CONFESSIONS OF A MALE NURSE by Richard S. Ferri
December, 2006 NIGHT WATCH by Sarah Waters
January, 2007 HERE’S WHAT WE’LL SAY by Reichen Lehmkuhl
February, 2007 THE CONFESSION by James McGreevey
March, 2007 SOMEONE LIKE YOU by Timothy James Beck
April, 2007 SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS by Samuel Park
May, 2007 CHARIOTEER by Mary Renault
June, 2007 BRENDAN WOLF by Brian Malloy
July, 2007 MISSISSIPPI SISSY by Kevin Sessums
August, 2007 THE BELOVED SON by Jay Quinn
September, 2007 PAWS AND REFLECT by (Anthology of Various Authors)
October, 2007 MICHAEL TOLLIVER LIVES by Armistead Maupin
November, 2007 THE GAY METROPOLIS by Charles Kaiser
December, 2007 OUR LADY of the FLOWERS by Jean Genet
January, 2008 CALL ME BY YOUR NAME by Andre Aciman
February, 2008 FISH: A Memoir of a Boy in Man's Prison by TJ Parsell
March, 2008 THE GAY METROPOLIS (part 2) by Charles Kaiser
April, 2008 SOMEDAY THIS PAIN WILL BE USEFUL TO YOU by Peter Cameron
May, 2008 MAHU SURFER by Neil S. Placky
June, 2008 SELFISH & PERVERSE by Bob Smith
July, 2008 BETWEEN MEN edited by Richard Canning
August, 2008 FUN HOME by Alison Bechdel
September, 2008 HOW’S YOUR ROMANCE? By Ethan Mordden
October, 2008 BETWEEN MEN edited by Richard Canning

(Book Group took a Holiday Break at this time. It was decided at this time that the group would henceforth meet bimonthly, and on Sunday afternoons instead of Thursday nights)

January, 2009 ALL I COULD BARE by Craig Seymour
March, 2009 THE HEADMASTER'S DILEMMA by Louis Auchincloss
May, 2009 BASKETBALL JONES by E. Lynn Harris
Jul., 2009 I'VE A FEELING WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE by Ethan Mordden
Sept., 2009 SHATTERED LOVE by Richard Chamberlain
Nov. 2009 THE BLUE STAR by Robert Ferro
Jan. 2010 ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT by Suzanne Brockmann
Mar. 2010 A SINGLE MAN by Christopher Isherwood
Nov. 2010 TWO PEOPLE by Donald Windham
Feb. 2011 INSIGNIFICANT OTHERS by Stephen McCauley
April, 2011 NATIVE by William Haywood Henderson
June, 2011 SECRET HISTORIAN by Justin Spring