By Michele Karlsberg —
Michele Karlsberg: Happy New Year, Dear Readers! I am looking forward to bringing you another year of great reads, interviews, excerpts, and original essays. Thank you always for your support.
As each year goes by, the number of backlist titles increases. Most of the time some of these great reads disappear and are overlooked for years to come. After discussing the importance of backlist titles, I posted on socials asking writers to send along a title of their own that was overlooked, and also to mention another book that they felt surely needed more attention. Fourteen writers responded and shared many titles that should never be lost on the bookshelves.
This first column of 2023 covers those books. Now head out or go online to your local independent bookstore to buy your next great read.
Ready. Set. Go.
Cassandra Langer’s book of Lesbian erotic poetry Visages of Venus (Painted Pony Press, https://cassandralanger.com) Cassandra’s great read is HD and Bryher: An Untold Love Story of Modernism by Susan McCabe.
Aaron Hamburger’s novel Nirvana is Here (Three Rooms Press, https://aaronhamburger.com) and Michael Alenyikov’s novel Sorrow’s Drive: A Quartet (Amazon Digital, https://michaelalenyikov.com). They both suggested John Weir’s novel Your Nostalgia Is Killing Me as a must read (Red Hen Press, https://redhen.org/book_author/john-weir/); John suggested reading Kate Round’s Catboat Road as his great read.
Stephanie Andrea Allen’s short story collection How to Dispatch a Human: Stories and Suggestions (BLF Press, https://www.blfpress.com/bookstore/how-to-dispatch-a-human-stories-and-suggestions) A favorite of Stefanie’s was Krystal A. Smith’s This Is Not About Love.
Eric Rosswood’s and Rob Kearny’s children’s book STRONG illustrated by Nidhi Chanani (Little Brown Books for Young Readershttps://ericrosswood.com) Eric’s great read is Charlotte Sullivan Wild’s Love, Violet.
Jill Dearman’s historical thriller Jazzed (Vine Leaves Press, https://jilldearman.com) Jill recommended Philip William Stover’s The Beautiful Things Shoppe.
Jim Provenzano’s novel Finding Tulsa (Palm Drive Publishing, https://www.jimprovenzano.com) Jim suggests the late Leslie Cohen’s memoir Audacity of a Kiss as a must read.
Julie R. Enszer brought us Joan Nestle’s A Sturdy Yes Of A People (Sinister Wisdom, https://www.sinisterwisdom.org/joannestle). One of Julie’s favorite books is Irena Klepfisz’s Her Birth and Later Years.
Philip Clark along with Michael Bronski edited the poetry collection Invisible History: The Collected Poems of Walta Borawski (Rebel Satori Press, https://rebelsatori.com/2022/10/06/invisible-history-the-poetry-of-walta-borawski/) Philip chose The Daring Life and Dangerous Times of Eve Adams as a great read.
Melanie Mitzner’s novel Slow Reveal (Inanna, https://www.melaniemitzner.com). Melanie’s not to miss is Shuggie Bain by Douglas Steward.
Allen Ellenzweig’s biography George Platt Lynes: The Daring Eye (Oxford University Press, https://go.authorsguild.org/members/351). Allen chose Particular Voices: Portraits of Gay and Lesbian Writers by Robert Giard.
Jean Roberta Hillabold’s novel Praire Gothic: A Tale of the Old Millennium (Lethe Press, https://www.uregina.ca/arts/english/faculty-staff/faculty/hillabold-jean-.html) Jean suggests Ediomna, A Fantasy – Adventure: Tales from the Edomian Mythos, Book 1 by J.M. Kind.
Neil Plakcy’s Being John Church: A Bucks County Mystery (Mahu Books, https://www.mahubooks.com). Neil’s good read is Liebestrasse by Greg Lockard.
Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates 33 years of successful marketing campaigns. For more information: https://www.michelekarlsberg.com
Words
Published on January 12, 2023
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