Now that it is established that we all love yaoi, why don’t we take it beyond anime and manga? If anyone here is a literature nut, then we can benefit from a list of novel recommendations that is based around gay relationships.

I’ll start by listing a few of my own personal favourites:


The Nightrunner Series by Lynn Flewelling - fantasy
A showman, spy, thief-Seregil gathers intelligence information for the Queen about the threat of war by Plenimar. During one of his missions, he discovers an orphan lad and takes him on as an apprentice. When a mission goes awry, leaving Seregil in a coma, it falls to Alec to get his mentor to safety in order to avert a sinister plot of epic proportios.

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner - fantasy
From the World Fantasy Award-winning author of Thomas the Rhymer comes a witty and swashbuckling tale of swords and high society. Ellen Kushner builds fantasy out of history and romance out of medieval detail, creating an unforgettable tale of adventure, romance, and danger.

Simon Says by Elaine Marie Alphin - teen
Aspiring young artist, Charles Weston has enrolled in a private arts high school soley to meet the "famous" Graeme Brandt, a student whose recently published novel touched a chord deep within Charles. But Graeme is not at all what Charles expected, and soon the two teen prodigies are drawn into a clash of wills that threatens to destroy them both.

As meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann - historical
In the seventeenth century, the English Revolution is under way. The nation, seething with religious and political discontent, has erupted into violence and terror. Jacob Cullen and his fellow soldiers dream of rebuilding their lives when the fighting is over. But the shattering events of war will overtake them. A darkly erotic tale of passion and obsession, As Meat Loves Salt is a gripping portrait of England beset by war. It is also a moving portrait of a man on the brink of madness. Hailed as a masterpiece, this is a first novel by a most original new voice in fiction.

Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan – teen
Naomi and Ely are best friends. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is allowed to kiss. And this works fine - until Bruce. Bruce is Naomi''s boyfriend, so there''s no reason to put him on the List. But Ely kissed Bruce even though he is boring. The result: a rift of universal proportions and the potential end of "Naomi and Ely: the institution." Can these best friends come back together again?

Last of the Wine Mary Renault – historical
Alexis, a young Athenian of good family, reaches manhood during the last phases of the Peloponnesian war. He meets Lysis, a youth influenced by Socrates, and their relationship develops.

Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice – gothic
(also a movie)
Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force–a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.

The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde – literature
(great for English projects if you are in school! This was also recently made into a movie)
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" is Oscar Wilde's classic tale of the moral decline of its title character, Dorian Gray. When Dorian has his portrait painted by Basil Hallward and wishes that he would stay young while his picture changes, his wish comes true. In exchange for this Dorian gives up his soul and as he ages the bad deeds that he commits are reflected in his painting and not him. "The Picture of Dorian Gray," arguably Wilde's most popular work, was considered quite scandalous when it was first published in the late 1800s in Victorian England.

Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs – memoir
(this too is also adapted into a movie- which is a little less graphic then the book)
Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year-round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull, an electroshock therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing, and bestselling account of an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Zowie it's Yaoi by Marilyn Jaye Lewis – fantasy anthology
This all-original collection of six yaoi novellas written by Western women will be the first in the print marketplace here in the U.S.; only hentai (illustrated books) are currently available. The contributors include: Nix Winter - a rising star in yaoi ebooks and also one of the most sought after illustrators for yaoi ebook cover art; Bianca James - whose lesbian erotic fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and her first novel Star of Persia was a finalist in the Project: Queerlit Contest, 2004; Stevie Burns lives and writes in Germany where she is publisher of Vora Books and editor-in-chief of the monthly erotic literary e-zine VoracityBeat.com; Claire Thompson - top-selling BDSM romantica writer on the Web. Catherine Lundoff has short stories and novellas in 37 collections; and Marilyn Jaye Lewis who has been writing and editing erotic fiction for the last 17 years.

So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction by Steve Berman – fantasy anthology
Queer culture meets fey folklore in the pages of So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction, an enchanting anthology of fantastical tales for lovers of Lord of the Rings and all things Tolkien. But these faery stories have a magical twist--everyone has an LGBT theme! The genre's top writers spin stories of coming out and growing old, of identity and loss, and of hardship, with a focus on youth and beauty, the love of the dance, wild passion and decadence, and the drama of vengeance and spurned love.


All descriptions are taken from the publishers.
If you have any questions about the titles listed, please feel free to post them. I shall be adding more titles as time progresses and I encourage you all to share your own collection.

Last edited by Serith at 11:02 am, Jun 9 2010

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THE SOUND OF THE OCEAN IS DEAD
IT'S JUST THE ECHO OF THE BLOOD IN YOUR HEAD

Dang, you got to Lynn Flewelling before me.

Okay then, I'll throw The Last Herald-Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey onto the list as well. Lots of love. <3

I've read the first volume of The Last Herald-Mage and I think it's quite bad... especially compared to Nightrunner, which is great
- 'Moon Called' by Patricia Briggs - there is yaoi, although not involving any of main characters (but they are werewolves ).
- 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt
- 'The Vampire Lestat' - since you mentioned 'Interview with the Vampire'
and I heard that books by Alan Hollinghurst often have such relationships, although I haven't read any of them myself.

Interesting list, I was want to read a novel book that not manga/anime.

Holly Black's Tithe series has some shonen ai in it. It's a fantastic young adult trilogy (of course it has fairies in it since this is Holly Black we're talking about) that I would recommend to any lover of fantasy.

I have been meaning to read the The Last Herald-Mage series. I have it on my shelf along with a million other books that are awaiting attention. Your mention of it bumped it further up my priority list. Thanks!

Defiantly looking into Moon Called now. Gay werewolves sounds like it would be so much fun! I have never heard of The Secret History before, but I’ll also do research on that too.

Ah yes, Tithe- that was quite an interesting book! Do you know if the second and third volume of that series has more of the gay character in it? (his name escapes me at the moment)

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THE SOUND OF THE OCEAN IS DEAD
IT'S JUST THE ECHO OF THE BLOOD IN YOUR HEAD

Hero by Perry Moore is a great read. Its really easy to get into, exactly the kind of book that you'll finish in one sitting because you can't put it down

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looking for this yaoi title; any help is appreciated!

Soooo I totally ran out and bought it today. I'm excited to start reading it! Thanks for posting.

Update: I finished this book and adored it. Quite a fun read. I second this recommendation.

Last edited by Serith at 2:14 pm, Aug 1 2010

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THE SOUND OF THE OCEAN IS DEAD
IT'S JUST THE ECHO OF THE BLOOD IN YOUR HEAD

ive only read Tsuki no Himitsu
the rest are non-gay stories... but i would like to read others..


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"It's so warm that, Before the snow has a chance to stick, He melts it for me."

His nickname was Corney I think? He's not in the second book but he is in the third, Ironside, and he's paired with a (male) character who appeared in the second.

There's a gay side couple in Trudi Canavan's The Black Magician series.

And there's always Wraeththu by Storm Constantine.

juls91:
Ah yes, yaoi novels can be quite fun ...or badly translated! My personal favourite was A Promise of Romance (novel). Simple language, but an amusing plotline. The art was so beautiful as well.

xxxillusionxxx:
And thank you for clearing that up! Glad to hear Holly Black brought him (and the origonal cast) back. I was nervous that she dropped them all when I flipped through the second volume and could not spot a single name.

wolf_unknown:
I have heard of Wraeththu before but The Black Magician is new. Sounds quite interesting. Thanks for bringing it up!


Here are a few book titles that are on my reading list. I won’t be able to answer any questions about them (yet) and they may not even be worth recommending, but I’ll let you decide for yourselves. They sound interesting enough to me!

My Father’s Scars by Michael Cart - teen
Alternating between the present, when Andy Logan is an 18-year-old freshman, and at various times during the years past, this unconventional novel describes the key events in a boy's growth to manhood and independence. Small moments and pivotal incidents reveal enormous truths as they define a life.

A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R. W. Day – fantasy sci-fi
Dragons terrorize a Virginia town, and one young man finds friendship--and love--in unlikely places in this near-future post-apocalyptic romance from Lambda award finalist R.W. Day. 'A Strong and Sudden Thaw' is a current finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards.

Melusine by Sarah Monette – fantasy
Mlusine is a city of secrets and lies, pleasure and pain, magic and corruption. It is here that wizard Felix Harrowgate and cat-burglar Mildmay the Fox will find their destines intertwined in a world of sensuality and savagery.

Last edited by Serith at 2:16 pm, Jun 15 2010

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THE SOUND OF THE OCEAN IS DEAD
IT'S JUST THE ECHO OF THE BLOOD IN YOUR HEAD

How about Ally Blue all of her books are about Man-love (*giggles at word*). Books like:

1) Fireflies
A childhood encounter with one of the Sidhe sets Joseph Vines’ life on a fateful course. Unable to forget the beautiful creature who promised to one day return for him, Joey spends the next twenty years learning, dreaming and waiting.

Braeden Shay, a warrior of the Sidhe, has spent those same twenty years watching Joey from a distance, waiting for Joey’s heritage to make itself known. When the time is ripe, Braeden steps in to protect Joey from those trying to kill him, and to help him deal with the changes turning his life inside out.

During the days that follow, as Braeden teaches Joey to harness and control his newfound power over the natural world, Joey finds himself falling for the gentle, patient Braeden. Braeden, who has watched over Joey for most of his life, is already deeply in love with him. When the forces targeting Joey for death catch up with them, it will take all their magic—and the power of their love for each other—to survive, and to save both their worlds.

2) Adder
Music. Sex. Fame. What’s missing? Surely not the “L” word…

Adder has a plan for his life: play his music for millions of adoring fans, who will reward him with money, fame and as much sex as he can handle. It’s a goal he’s been working toward since his teens and is on the cusp of achieving. The idea of a relationship never entered his mind—until a new drummer joins his band. One taste of Kalil, and all he wants is more.

For Kalil, playing drums for Adder is a dream come true, the creative connection he’s always wanted. What he never reckoned on is the deeper connection he finds with Adder. Kalil would rather avoid sexual involvement with a bandmate, but Adder seems just as determined to break through his resistance.

Attraction aside, music and sex are about the only things the hedonistic Adder and the increasingly jealous Kalil can agree on. Still, before they know it they’re on the brink of something deeper, something lasting.

And it scares the hell out of both of them.
Ally Blue is da bomb
I got the summaries from [http://www.allyblue.com]

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-'It's okay, I love you, Usagi -san'-Misaki, Junjou Romantica

Does anyone here know if Holly Black’s new book White Cat is GLBTTQ at all (even side characters)? I was looking at it in the stores the other day but I could not figure it out.

Oh, and thank you Usagi-san for recommending Ally Blue. I never heard her name before and new authors are exciting!

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THE SOUND OF THE OCEAN IS DEAD
IT'S JUST THE ECHO OF THE BLOOD IN YOUR HEAD

Might be too late for these questions, but here goes...

Can someone please tell me which of these books have BL as the main plot, and which have it on the side? Because I don't really like BL- focused stories.
But, the shounen-ai should be between the protagonists and not between side characters.
The best example for this would be Nightrunner of course, which has a great plot and BL only as an 'additional subject'; not the primary focus of the novel.
And a good example of what I don't want to read are Allan Hollinghurst's stuff. I haven't actually read any of them, but the reviews I've seen make it obvious what they're like.

Also- question number two; to understand the plot-line of Last Herald - Mage , do you have to read all the associated prequels and sequels, or can the trilogy hold its own as a complete and coherent story?

Thank you in advance!