The Year of the Smart Gay International Novel Continues with Sjón's Moonstone

My favorite novel this summer begins with oral sex outdoors. The younger participant is more interested in listening to a rare motorcycle in the distance. At sixteen Mani Steinn Karlsson is also keen on cinema, particularly Les Vampires, so of course he meets a bold girl whom he imagines as another type of Irma Vep. It's Iceland in 1918 and soon comes the devastating flu. Readers can draw their own parallels to later pandemics of infection endured with the power of artistic imagination. The very short Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was is the fourth and most accessible book to appear in English by Sjón (Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson, former Bjork collaborator).

Other recent titles of particular note:

Garth Greenwell, What Belongs to You American in Bulgaria. (Plus a perfect radio interview.)

Neel Mukherjee, A Life Apart Indian in England.

Darryl Pinckney, Black Deutschland  American in Berlin.

Patrick Gale, A Place Called Winter Englishman in Canada.

Saleem Haddad, Guapa An American-educated young gay Arab man in the Middle East.

Bei Tong, Beijing Comrades  Older - younger male couple in China in the 80s.

Lori Ostlund, After the Parade SF teacher of English to immigrants.

Tim Murphy, Christodora NYC panorama of the aids pandemic, 1980s-2020s.

Abdeliah Taia, Infidels Morocco. 

Ian McGuire, The North Water Men at sea, men on ice.

Gregory Woods, Homintern: How Gay Culture Liberated the Modern World. Nonfiction if you must.

Comments

[John Zinsmeister]

You may not believe how happy we all are to see a post from you. Hope all is well with you and your family.

[Jimmy Smithers]

I too am absolutely delighted to see you are again active on this wonderful site. I have missed you enormously, as I have discovered so many wonderful books here at Band of Thebes. Please continue to drip-feed us your tasty literary morsels.

[David]

I'd actually be happy with just a list of recommended books posted here periodically. I've missed this site so much!

[Brian]

Yes, thank you so very much for this list! I was also so happy to randomly stop here today and find it. Thank you! Thanks, also, for including the link to the Greenwell interview. I'd read (and loved) the novel, but hadn't heard that interview, and thought it was fascinating.

[Chris]

So nice to have you filling my Amazon cart again!

[Brian]

Thrilled to see you back

[solitasolano]

So nice to find this post, even a month latter. I could never get myself to delete Band of Thebes from my bookmarks. : )

[John Zinsmeister]

Happy 4th. Hope you & all the family Thebes are doing well.