This month your hosts, Amy and Chris, read A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock. In this sumptuously floral tale of two men’s pursuit of love - whether it be a love for science or family or community - a sinister presence lurks just beneath the surface. A unique and entrancing debut novel, A Botanical Daughter delighted your hosts and brought to light some questions that might’ve been better left buried. Except, in the soil, now that’s exactly where she’d want you to be… Happy Halloween!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 05:10 - That’s So Gay 

~ 10:15 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers) 

~ 21:45 - Synopsis “Looks thick, reads quick!”

~ 24:00 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 1:02:15 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:14:45 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

~ 1:20:45 - Until next time!

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This month, your hosts, Amy and Chris, read Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle. Their Season 3 premiere is packed full of everything this time of year has to offer: queer horror, queer joy, and yes, of course, the dreaded queer exhaustion. You’ll have to listen to find out why! While this was both of their first times reading a Tingler, it definitely won’t be their last!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Links mentioned in the show:

• Avery’s personal list of queer horror movies.
• The historical context of the “bury your gays” trope.

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SPOILERS galore in this bonus season two episode all about superlatives. Our hosts, Chris and Amy, discuss all their favorite moments from the novels they read over the course the last year. With season one drawing to a close, look back on all their highlights and reminisce about all the characters, fluffy animal companions, first kisses, scariest moments, and everything else that made these gay books amazing!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you!

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This month our hosts, Amy and Chris, read In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan. Their Season 2 finale (wow!) promises to be a hoot. This was a book Amy had been suggesting for a long time and Chris wishes they'd read it sooner. A new favorite and a story they know everyone will relate to. Read Chris's synopsis below:

Mermaids and unicorns and elves and dwarfs and harpies and trolls, oh my! The Other Lands is a place filled to the brim with races and creatures Elliot only ever read about in books growing up, but upon his first visit, he discovers it’s not quite as magical as one might expect it to be. With an upsetting lack of central heating and not a single, suitable writing implement in sight, it might just be the worst place he’s ever been. But what’s the point of going back? Back to a parent who doesn’t care. Back to a school that doesn’t feel welcoming? Back to a world with nothing to offer him. Because The Other Lands do offer Elliot something he’s never had access to before: the potential to love, and to be loved in return. To be the one that can bring about true, world-altering change. To be the first man to ever have a relationship with a mermaid. Yeah, that last one, especially. A book that will have you laughing and crying in equal amounts as you flip feverishly through its pages, In Other Lands offers us the magically queer trio we all needed as teens. Read this book! You won’t regret it.

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 06:30 - That’s So Gay 

~ 14:00 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers) 

~ 16:00 - Synopsis 

~ 28:30 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 01:12:30 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:26:00 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

~ 01:28:15 - Until next time!

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This month our hosts, Chris and Amy, read This Is My Body, podcast alum Lindsay King-Miller’s sophomore novel that Chris has affectionately deemed an absolute “slam!” Seriously, this story seamlessly ties its multiple threads together into a gorgeously gruesome tapestry of horror that will delight fans of the genre, queer or otherwise. For fear of giving anything away, we’re going to leave you here with one simple mission: Read this book, then come back and listen to this episode! 

Thank you to Quirk Books for providing us with a copy of This Is My Body. Remember to purchase this novel from your local indie bookstore or reserve it from the library! Support local and support queer authors! It comes out on August 5th, 2025!

Read OUT Loud https://www.instagram.com/readoutloud4ever/

National Day of Action: Aug 2 - Aug 3 2025

Queer Kids Books Read Aloud

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 08:00 - That’s So Gay 

~ 12:15 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers) 

~ 17:45 - Synopsis 

~ 30:00 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 1:09:00 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:24:00 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

~ 1:27:15 - Until Next Time!

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Episode 25 - Synopsis for Podcast Feed

On this special bonus Pride Month episode, our hosts, Chris and Amy, read All Systems Red, the first book in The Murderbot Diaries. Murderbot may not be a human, but oh gosh is it relatable! With equal parts humor and peril, this is a story for everyone. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll cringe, you’ll even clench your teeth! And all Murderbot will want to do is continue watching Sanctuary Moon. But of course, the humans are doing something to get themselves in trouble. UGH. What’s new, honestly?

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 0:00:00: - That’s So Gay 

~ 0:00:00 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers) (redo)

~ 19:00 - Synopsis (take 2)

~ 34:40 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 0:53:40 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:03:40 - TV Adaption

~ 1:10:00 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

~ 1:12:40 - Until Next Time!

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On this special supplementary episode, our hosts Chris and Amy had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Natalie Naudus, author of Gay the Pray Away and narrator of over 600 beloved audiobooks. Natalie brings a unique perspective to this episode and, even more importantly, to the growing field of queer teen literature. We discuss everything from her upbringing and how it influenced the novel, to her favorite books and other projects she's working on. If you like what you hear, let us know! We'd love to interview more of your (and our) favorite authors, and it's your support that makes this possible.

Thank you to Quirk Books for providing us with a copy of Gay the Pray Away and allowing us the opportunity to interview Natalie about her debut novel!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

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This month our hosts, Chris and Amy, read Gay the Pray Away by Natalie Naudus, a sweet and hopeful tale about a teenage girl who, despite growing up in a conservative religious cult, manages to discover truths about herself long buried beneath her molded exterior. Valerie’s story reminds us why reading is important, why banning books from libraries, and schools, and households is so detrimental, and how the right book, at the right time, can change your world forever. Join her and Riley on a journey full of love and self discovery, as they begin to find that the world they know may not be everything it’s always seemed.

Thank you to Quirk Books for providing us with a copy of Gay the Pray Away and allowing us the opportunity to interview Natalie about her debut novel! Keep an eye on your podcast feeds for a bonus episode in which we chat with Natalie about herself, her writing, and her journey writing Gay the Pray Away.

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 5:30: - That’s So Gay 

~ 11:30 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers) (redo)

~ 16:50 - Synopsis 

~ 32:30 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 1:17:30 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:39:50 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

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This month our hosts, Chris and Amy, survived the harsh New England dystopian nightmare that is Manhunt, a trans-centric and unabashedly queer horror novel written by Gretchen Felker-Martin. We feel that Chris summed it up best: “Manhunt is a novel that dares you to read it, to feel the way its characters feel, and to grapple with the reality that is being a transwoman in a world that wants you dead.” Join Chris and Amy as they unpack what makes this book queer, what makes this book essential reading for fans of the genre, and ultimately, what makes Gretchen a groundbreaking voice in queer horror.

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 05:40 - That’s So Gay 

~ 15:50 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers)

~ 17:30 - Synopsis 

~ 38:30 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 01:24:40 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:36:30 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, are very thankful for the big gay blanket this month as they explore the frozen Wingspan Continent with Tyrus and his many friends - brrr! Come along with them on this very queer, quintessentially-teen fantasy adventure that’s oozing heart and style in equal amounts. While Owlbound By Winter’s Beak may be author Wesley E. Joseph’s first novel, we cannot deny its absolute charm and impressive world building. You’ll find yourself lost amidst the eternal winter our hero and his friends face - perhaps you’ll befriend an owl of your very own to help you on your journey? If not, we hope this episode can act as a suitable traveling companion.

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 7:00 - That’s So Gay 

~ 12:30 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers)

~ 21:00 - Synopsis 

~ 35:00 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 1:11:20 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:24:00 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, read the hauntingly devastating When Haru Was Here this March! Admittedly, Chris picked this one up based on the cover alone, but what was nestled within that dust jacket lived up to its beauty. Written by Dustin Thao, this book is a unique story that is magical in all the best ways. Join The Big Gay Book Club this month for a discussion about grief, self discovery, and queer hope.

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 13:15 - That’s So Gay (The Last of Us)

~ 21:00 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers)

~ 25:00 - Synopsis 

~ 37:00 - Entering Spoiler Territory 

~ 1:34:00 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:45:30 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, feel very lucky to have gotten to read Kyle Lukoff’s A World Worth Saving this month! This middle school grade-level read follows the journey of A, a trans Jewish teenage boy on a quest to save his friends from forces far more sinister than he could have ever imagined. A’s story is enlightening to anyone not familiar with the trans experience and demands to be read for its honest portrayals of trans identity, as well as the hardships and victories of trans youth. You will be a better person for having read this book - we know that we are.

Due to the topics present in A World Worth Saving, as well as some of its more difficult themes, this episode contains discussions centering around misgendering, suicide amongst trans youth, and many other hardships our trans youth here in the USA and around the world face on a daily basis. Please listen only if you are able to safely hear these types of topics being discussed. Chris and Amy know they still have room to grow, and are welcome to hearing feedback both positive and constructive. 

NOTE: Due to circumstances out of our control, the interview with Kyle had to be rescheduled. Stay tuned for updates on when that will be released!

Resources:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255

The Trevor Project: (866) 488-7386

Crisis Text Line: Text START to 741-741

The LGBT National Hotline: (888) 843-4564

Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 9:20 - That’s So Gay

~ 16:00 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers)

~ 25:00 - Synopsis

~ 41:00 - Entering Spoiler Territory

~ 1:40:00 - Book Club Questions

~ 1:54:15 - Wrap Up/Overall Impressions

~ 1:59:15 - Sign Off

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, have extended the holiday spirit into 2025! Come on down to Christmas City, where the snow is white and the space heaters are…pretty? This month, they’ve read The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch. This Netflix Christmas movie of a novel is going to brighten your year, no matter when you read it. With enough spicy romance and political intrigue to keep every sensibility engaged, you’re going to want to tune in to see what these two have to say!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Patreon. We'd love to hear from you!

Time Stamps:

~ 7:00 - Patreon Plug

~ 9:50 - That’s So Gay ft. Severance SPOILERS!

~ 18:30 - Book of the Month (No Spoilers)

~ 38:00 - Entering Spoiler Territory

~1:14:00 - Book Club Questions

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, have so much to say about Jandy Nelson’s prolific third novel, When the World Tips Over, that Episode 18 has a run time of more than two hours! You’ll not want to miss a second of this delightfully celebratory discussion of what has become one of their top reads of 2024! Amy said it best: this novel is a reminder to live life to the fullest and appreciate the family and connections you have. Stay in the moment, and LIVE FOREVER, NOW!

We can’t believe our second year of podcasting has come to an end, and we want to thank all of you Big Gay Book Club members, from the bottom of our hearts, for coming on this journey with us! Thank you to everyone who has listened, left a review, sent us an email, interacted with one of our posts, or told a friend about this community. Let’s make 2025 a year of amazingly gay reading!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @tbgbookclub. We'd love to hear from you!

~ 37:30 - Entering Spoiler Territory

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, fly away, into the stars, for this episode in which they read Jessica Mary Best’s debut novel, Stars, Hide Your Fires. Intergalactic espionage to the extreme. Murder plots. Framed for crimes you didn’t commit. Crawling around air vents. Disarming your enemies. Narrow getaways. Budding romance. This story has it all. Join Cass, Amaris, and crew as they fight against the empire and try to make their corner of the universe a little more supportive and accepting of all its people. Do you have what it takes to join their cause?

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @tbgbookclub. We'd love to hear from you!

~ 22:00 - Begin Stars, Hide Your Fires Spoiler-Free Discussion

~ 38:00 - Entering Spoiler Territory

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, present a special bonus Halloween episode in which they discuss Full Shift, the teen (were)wolf graphic novel written by Jennifer Dugan. This book is jammed (wolf) pack full of suspense, found family, sapphic romance, self discovery, and so much more. Howwwwwwwwl! And enjoy!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @tbgbookclub. We'd love to hear from you!

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, get witchy for this month’s Halloween themed episode! They’ve read the first book in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper, thanks to the recommendation of one of their awesome listeners. Join them as they discuss the wonderful trio of witches, Emmy, Talia, and Linden, and the brilliant schemes these three friends set in motion. Who will ultimately win the Gauntlet of Thistle Grove and bring their family the accolades and power it affords? You’ll just have to read, listen, and see!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @tbgbookclub. We'd love to hear from you!

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, welcome you back to Marsyas Island for their highly anticipated (as least for them) season two premiere! With less than a month passed since its release, they discuss the newest installment in the Cerulean Chronicles, Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Written by TJ Klune, this wonderfully fantastical tale welcomes us back into the arms of the family we grew to care so much about in The House in the Cerulean Sea. From a new family member, to a threat from beyond their shores, the children, Arthur, and Linus will be put to the ultimate test, and we were simply happy to be able to join them in their journey, somewhere beyond the sea.

Stay tuned until after the outro music for a special sneak peek into our upcoming patreon members club and Official Big Gay Book Club discord server!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @tbgbookclub. We'd love to hear from you!

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SPOILERS galore in this one shot bonus episode all about superlatives. Our hosts, Chris and Amy, discuss all their favorite moments from the novels they read over the course the last year. With season one drawing to a close, look back on all their highlights and reminisce about all the characters, fluffy animal companions, first kisses, scariest moments, and everything else that made these gay book amazing!

Thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @tbgbookclub. We'd love to hear from you!

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Our hosts, Chris and Amy, welcome you to their season one finale. Thirteen books, fifteen episodes, one year of podcasting - it's all been leading to this! Chris feels it may even be one of their best episodes yet!

This month they've read The Girl from the Sea, which is written and illustrated by Molly Know Ostertag, who lends her magical voice and unique artistry to a wonderfully vibrant story all about being yourself and leaving the world a better place than you found it. A fun queer take on an ancient folktale, this story masterfully blends selkie lore and bubbling teen angst, much like the threads in the tapestry of it's setting's rich history. Chris and Amy weren't able to put it down once they started reading and as a perfectly bite sized graphic novel, reading it and joining The Big Gay Bookclub in their discussion is a perfect way to spend a breezy summer's morning in your backyard with a cup of your favorite warm beverage.

As always, thank you to Kevin MacLeod for the use of our theme song, 'Werq.' You can find more of their music on https://www.incompetech.com/.

If you'd like to contact us with book recommendations or questions for our upcoming episodes, email thebiggaybookclub@gmail.com or message us on Instagram @tbgbookclub. We'd love to hear from you!

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