Gays Reading

Jason is joined by Marlon James to talk about his Booker Prize longlisted novel, The Disappearers. They cover topics like Dolly Parton, growing up gay in Jamaica, the ballet that changed his life, and much more. Marlon James is the Booker Prize–winning and New York Times bestselling author of A Brief History of Seven Killings; the bestselling and National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf; as well as the bestselling Moon Witch, Spider King; The Book of Night Women; and John Crow’s Devil. In addition to the Booker Prize, James’s novels have won the Amer­ican Book Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, and the Los Ange­les Times Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, and have been finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the NAACP Image Award. The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellow­ship and named in 2019 one of Time magazine’s one hundred most influential people in the world, James lives in New York City.

Jason talks to author Josh Silver about his breakout hit that everyone's talking about, Fruit Fly, this month's selection for The Nod™️ by Gays Reading with Aardvark Book Club. Josh Silver is the author of HappyHead, which was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and nominated for the Carnegie Medal, its sequel, Dead Happy, and Erase Me. His experience working with teenagers as a mental health nurse inspired the critically acclaimed duology.

Jason talks to author Chloe Benjamin, whose latest novel, Under Story was just announced as September 2026's Good Morning America Book Club pick. They discuss the various adventures writing the book took Chloe on, mushroom and psychedelic experiences, our relationship to time, and more. Chloe Benjamin is the author of The Immortalists, a New York Times bestseller, and The Anatomy of Dreams. A Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, LibraryReads favorite, and #1 Indie Next pick, The Immortalists was named a best book of 2018 by NPR, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and others. The Anatomy of Dreams received the Edna Ferber Fiction Book Award and was longlisted for the 2014 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Originally from San Francisco, CA, Chloe is a graduate of Vassar College and the M.F.A. in fiction at the University of Wisconsin. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages. She lives with her husband in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jason talks to author Liane Moriarty about her newest novel (and first sequel), Big Little Truths. They discuss what makes her feel like a queen, the lyrics to "Come on Eileen," and that time she may or may not have been a taxi driver. Liane Moriarty is the author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Big Little Lies, Apples Never Fall, The Husband’s Secret, Truly Madly Guilty, and Here One Moment; the New York Times bestsellers Nine Perfect Strangers, What Alice Forgot, and The Last Anniversary; The Hypnotist’s Love Story; and Three Wishes. She lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children.

Re-release | In honor of Rosie O'Donnell hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, we're re-releasing her episode of Gays Reading!Host Jason Blitman sits down with often-mentioned Rosie O'Donnell to discuss her newest project, Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism. They also talk books, Broadway, bootlegs, and more. You can learn more about Guide Dogs of America by visiting guidedogsofamerica.org.Unleashing Hope is produced by NY27 Productions with distribution across Hulu, ABC Owned Stations (linear and digital streaming channels) and ABC News Live. Rosie O'Donnell, Terence J. Noonan, and Hilary Estey Mcloughlin are executive producers for NY27 Productions and directed by Zeberiah Newman and Michiel Thomas.

Re-release | In honor of the publication of the paperback edition of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, we're re-releasing this conversation with V.E. Schwab Host Jason Blitman welcomes bestselling author Victoria "V.E." Schwab for a conversation about her remarkable milestone—her 25th book, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. They discuss the profound power of names, exploring how identity shapes both fantasy storytelling and LGBTQIA+ narratives, the impact of representation in literature, and the moment that nearly drove Schwab to walk away from writing altogether. VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books. Schwab's series and standalone titles for readers of all ages have made her a major literary figure, whose notable works include the Villains series, the Shades of Magic universe, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. When not haunting Paris streets or writing in the corner of her favorite coffee shop, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Re-release | Host Jason Blitman talks to Shobha Rao (Indian Country) live at Camino Books in San Diego. They discuss Laura Ingalls Wilder, the title’s double meaning from Rao’s childhood experience as “Indian,” the book’s central themes of water and rivers, the recurring power of three, and much more. This conversation originally took place on August 14, 2025. Shobha Rao moved to the United States from India at the age of seven. She is the author of the short story collection, An Unrestored Woman, and the novel, Girls Burn Brighter. Rao is the winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Fiction and was a Grace Paley Teaching Fellow at The New School. Her story “Kavitha and Mustafa” was chosen by T.C. Boyle for inclusion in Best American Short Stories. Girls Burn Brighter was long listed for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and was a finalist for the California Book Award and the Goodreads Choice Awards. She lives in San Francisco.

RE-RELEASE In honor of the Booker Prize 2026 Longlist announcement, we're re-releasing the conversation with Katie Kitamura, shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2025 for Audition. Jason talks to Katie about learned behaviors, the nature of intimacy, the art of performance, and her immersive process of writing. Perhaps most importantly, they talk at length about french fries. This episode originally aired on April 8, 2025.Katie Kitamura is the author of Audition, which has been a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize, 2025 Booker Prize, the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and the Gotham Book Prize, and has been longlisted for the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction and the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Her five previous novels include A Separation and Intimacies, which was longlisted for the National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award and was a finalist for the Joyce Carol Oates Prize. She is a recipient of the Rome Prize in Literature, a Lannan fellowship, and many other honors, and her work has been translated into twenty-one languages. She teaches in the creative writing program at New York University.

Re-release | Host Jason Blitman chats with accidental poet Lyndsay Rush (A Bit Much) about the unique flavors of snacks, traumatic school memories, and the importance of embracing one's "bit much" personality. This episode originally aired October 29, 2024Lyndsay Rush is a comedy writer, cofounder of the branding agency Obedient, and the poet behind the popular Instagram account @maryoliversdrunkcousin. Her debut book of poems, A Bit Much was an instant USA Today Bestseller and her writing has been featured in Reductress, McSweeney’s, New York magazine, and The New York Times. Lyndsay spent most of her adult life freezing in Chicago, but currently swelters in Nashville with her husband and young son.