Host Jason Blitman talks to author Daniel Black (Isaac's Song) about father-son relationships, masculinity, vulnerability, and Black's Rate My Professor reviews. Jason then welcomes this week's Guest Gay Reader, former NFL player R.K. Russell (The Yards Between Us) and they talk about books and representation in sports and literature. Daniel Black is an author and professor of African American studies at Clark Atlanta University. His books include The Coming, Perfect Peace and They Tell Me of a Home. He is the winner of the Distinguished Writer Award from the Middle-Atlantic Writer's Association and has been nominated for the Townsend Prize for Fiction, the Ernest J. Gaines Award,and the Georgia Author of the Year Award. He was raised in Blackwell, Arkansas, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.R.K. Russell is a former professional football player in the NFL, and is a published author, social justice advocate, poet, essayist, and artist. In August of 2019, Russell made history by becoming the first out active NFL player to identify as bisexual. Now in his powerful memoir The Yards Between Us, he shares his story and explores his love of football, the devastating tightrope of keeping his sexuality a secret, the tension between his private and public life, and the importance of crashing through barriers. A decorated defensive end who has played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he has sacked Hall of Famers and gone up against the fiercest competitors at the height of their game.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to Lotte Jeffs about their new book This Love exploring themes of queer identities, chosen families, and the nuances of relationships. This episode was recorded live at Warwick's in San Diego. Buy a signed copy of This Love at Warwick's HERE!Lotte Jeffs (she/they) is an award-winning writer and the author of the acclaimed non-fiction books How To Be a Gentlewoman and The Queer Parent, and a children’s picture book My Magic Family. She writes for the Times, the Sunday Times, the Guardian, and numerous other publications, and was previously the acting Editor-in-Chief of ELLE. Lotte also co-hosts the podcast Some Families, which celebrates queer parenting, and lives in London.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to acclaimed author Nnedi Okorafor (Death of the Author) about her inspiration for the book, the personal tragedy that shaped its narrative, and her thoughts on the intersection of human artistry and AI. Then Jason talks to Guest Gay Reader, UK drag queen Holly Stars, who shares her recommendations for light-hearted reading and gives us a sneak peek into her own new release, Murder in the Dressing Room. Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning New York Times Bestselling novelist of science fiction and fantasy for children, young adults and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for drawing from African cultures to create captivating stories with unforgettable characters and evocative settings. Nnedi has received the World Fantasy, Nebula, Eisner and Lodestar Awards and multiple Hugo Awards, amongst others, for her books. Champions of her work include Neil Gaiman, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, George RR Martin, and Rick Riordan. Literary ancestors Diana Wynne Jones, Ursula K. Le Guin and Nawal El Saadawi also loved her work. Nnedi holds a PhD in Literature, two Master’s Degrees (Journalism and Literature) and lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her daughter Anyaugo. Learn more at nnedi.com. You can also follow her on Twitter (@nnedi) and Instagram (@nnediokorafor).Holly Stars is a drag stand-up comedian and writer. She is the writer of the smash-hit drag murder mystery, Death Drop, a play that has had three runs on the West End and a UK and Ireland tour. Holly has two seasons of her own television series, Holly Stars: Inspirational, on Froot TV and OutTV, and regularly performs in London and around the UK. Her solo shows include: Justice For Holly, Nightmare Neighbour and Birthday.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

In this special bonus episode of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman talks with Logan Lockner about an article from New York Magazine, in which Lockner talks about the books he chose to save during his evacuation from the LA fires, and the invaluable role books play in our lives as sources of comfort and connection.Additional resources to support:Support Library Foundation of Los AngelesSupport local LA Bookstore, StoriesBooks are Magic Loves LA t-shirtLRB article by Colm ToíbínBOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Kate Fagan (The Three Lives of Cate Kay) about the intricacies of her novel, touching on themes of identity, ambition, the complexity of human relationships, and the many lives we live. Jason is then joined by guest gay reader Kathryn Budig who shares her current reads and insights from her own literary journey, including details about her imprint, Inky Phoenix, and its inaugural publication, Strange Beasts.The Three Lives of Cate Kay is the January 2025 Reese's Book Club pick, Target Book Club pick, and a Book of the Month selection. Kate Fagan is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Made Maddy Run, which was a semi-finalist for the PEN/ESPN Award for literary sports writing. She is also the author of three additional nonfiction titles, a former professional basketball player, and spent seven years as a journalist at ESPN. Kate currently lives in Charleston with her wife, Kathryn Budig, and their dog, Ragnar.Kathryn Budig is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher, author, and founder of the online community Haus of Phoenix and The Inky Phoenix book club, with nearly half a million followers on Instagram and Facebook. She’s known for curating magical realism, historical fiction, and dark fantasy with a focus on LGBTQ+ and BIPOC themes and authors. In 2023, she founded Inky Phoenix Press in partnership with Bindery Books, where she has a thriving membership community. Budig is the co-host of the Webby Award-nominated podcast Free Cookies, was the yoga editor to Women’s Health magazine for five years, and author of both The Women’s Health Big Book of Yoga, and the bestselling Aim True. She lives in Charleston, SC with her wife, Kate Fagan, and their dog, Ragnar. kathrynbudig.comResources to support those affected by the LA fires. BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman kicks off Gays Reading season four with special guests from the Book Riot Podcast, Jeff O'Neal and Rebecca Schinsky. They join forces to discuss their most anticipated books of 2025, covering a wide range of genres and highlighting some exciting upcoming releases. Later, Jason chats with Brad Summerville, aka @bradboughtabook on Bookstagram, about his top queer book picks for the year. Jeff O'Neal is the executive editor of Book Riot and Panels. He also co-hosts The Book Riot Podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @thejeffoneal.Rebecca Schinsky is the chief of staff at Riot New Media Group. She co-hosts All the Books! and the Book Riot Podcast. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccaschinsky.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

In the season finale of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman sits down with Ann Patchett to discuss the annotated edition of her acclaimed novel Bel Canto. They explore the power of memory, the key to learning and appreciating opera, and much more. Ann shares stories about meeting Jim Parsons at Our Town on Broadway, attending the only baseball game of her life, and what she would say to her younger self who wrote Bel Canto. Tune in for Ann’s holiday book recommendations and Jason’s most memorable reads of the year.Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Women's Prize for Fiction in the UK, and the Book Sense Book of the Year. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work has been translated into more than thirty languages, and Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. President Biden awarded her the National Humanities Medal in recognition of her contributions to American culture. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is the owner of Parnassus Books.The list of books from the episode can be found HERE. Check out the Bel Canto Spotify PlaylistBOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

In this bonus episode of What's the TEA? host Jason Blitman talks to Hannah Silva about the exploration of queer single parenting and AI in her book, My Child, The Algorithm as well as Tom Pyun about his debut novel, Something Close to Nothing. What's the TEA? gets the inside scoop on new books–authors are tasked with describing their books with 3 words using the letters T, E, and A.Hannah Silva is a writer and performer working in sound poetry, radio and experimental non-fiction. An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love (BBC Radio 4) starred Fiona Shaw and was the starting point for My Child, the Algorithm. Silva has authored seven other plays for BBC Radio 3 and 4, winning the Tinniswood Award and numerous placements in the BBC Audio Drama Awards. Her debut poetry collection Forms of Protest was Highly Commended in the Forward Prizes. Talk in a bit, a record of sound poetry and music was in the Wire’s Top 25 albums of 2018. She lives in London with her child.Tom Pyun earned his MFA at Antioch University Los Angeles and has been awarded fellowships by the Vermont Studio Center, VONA, and Tin House. His creative fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Rumpus, Reed Magazine, Joyland, and Blue Mesa Review. His essay, “Mothers Always Know,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net 2015.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

In this new series What’s the TEA? host Jason Blitman gets the inside scoop on new books–authors are tasked with describing their books with 3 words using the letters T, E, and A.  This episode features Daniel Aleman talking to Jason about his new book, I Might Be in Trouble.Daniel Aleman is the award-winning author of Indivisible and Brighter Than the Sun. Born and raised in Mexico City, he now lives in Toronto, where he is on a never-ending search for the best tacos in the city. I Might Be in Trouble is his adult debut.BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Weike Wang (Rental House) about her dream vacation, the commonality of in-laws, and their mutual love of House Hunters. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader, Joseph Lezza, who talks about what he's reading and shares insights about how he navigates grief during the holiday season. The Trouble with Friends Weike Wang is a graduate of Harvard University, where she earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry and her doctorate in public health. She received her MFA from Boston University. Her fiction has been published in literary magazines, including Alaska Quarterly Review, Glimmer Train, and Ploughshares, which also named Chemistry the winner of its John C. Zacharis Award. A “5 Under 35” honoree of the National Book Foundation, Weike currently lives in New York City. Joseph Lezza is a writer in New York, NY. Holding an MFA in creative writing from The University of Texas at El Paso, he is a 2021 finalist for the Prize Americana in Prose. His work has been featured in, among others, Occulum, Variant Literature, The Hopper, Stoneboat Literary Journal, West Trade Review, and Santa Fe Writers Project. His debut memoir in essays, I’m Never Fine: Scenes and Spasms on Loss, is out February 2023 from Vine Leaves Press. BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com