Gays Reading

Host Jason Blitman sits down with Sarah Dickinson, creator and host of popular podcast Sarah’s Bookshelves Live, to talk about the books she’s most excited to read in 2026.Conversation highlights include:Anticipated book trends for the year aheadWhy first lines should be part of a book's marketing materialFeelings on classic booksSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman kicks off 2026 by revisiting some of the quiet yet impactful moments from Gays Reading episodes in 2025.Featured in this episode are conversations with:Rabih Alameddine Daniel BlackJennifer Finney BoylanKarissa ChenPrabal GurungDylin HardcastleRickey LaurentiisNathan H. Lents Sameer PandyaV.E. SchwabSign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final episode of 2025, host Jason Blitman sits down with author and critic Marion Winik for a wide-ranging, bookish conversation. Winik shares her top ten favorite fiction reads of the year and reflects on her memoir First Comes Love as it celebrates its 30th anniversary—plus the release of its new audiobook. Even more from this conversation, including top ten nonfiction books and exclusive critic talk, is available on the Gays Reading Substack. https://gaysreading.substack.com/Marion Winik is the author of nine books, including The Big Book of the Dead (Counterpoint, 2019) and First Comes Love (Pantheon, 1996). Her essays have been published in The New York Times Magazine, The Sun, and elsewhere; her column at BaltimoreFishbowl.com has been running since 2011. A professor at the University of Baltimore, she reviews books for The Washington Post, Oprah Daily, and People, among others, and hosts the NPR podcast The Weekly Reader. She was a commentator on All Things Considered for fifteen years. She is the recipient of the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Service Award. Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Jason Blitman sits down with literary icon John Irving to discuss his latest novel, Queen Esther. Their wide-ranging conversation touches on the story behind Irving’s first tattoo, what it truly means to be an ally, where he finds optimism in uncertain times, and the deeply personal experiences that continue to shape his writing—plus plenty more along the way.John Irving was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1942. His first novel, Setting Free the Bears, was published in 1968, when he was twenty-six. He competed as a wrestler for twenty years, and coached wrestling until he was forty-seven. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In 1980, Mr. Irving won a National Book Award for his novel The World According to Garp. In 2000, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for The Cider House Rules. In 2013, he won a Lambda Literary Award for his novel In One Person. Internationally renowned, his novels have been translated into almost forty languages. His all-time bestselling novel, in every language, is A Prayer for Owen Meany. A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, John Irving lives in Toronto.Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Alex Snodgrass (aka The Defined Dish) to talk all things book club menus—how to plan them, why they matter, and how food can deepen the reading experience. Using Alex’s recent book club gathering for Conform as a case study, the conversation expands to include Conform author Ariel Sullivan, who joins to unpack the creative collaboration behind the menu and the meal. As part of our celebration of people doing interesting things with books, Ariel also shares a peek into her ambitious storytelling vision—including how her series isn’t just a trilogy, but a trilogy of trilogies.Alex's invite, menu, recipes, photos, and MORE conversation can be found over on the Gays Reading Substack. Alex Snodgrass is a food lover, health enthusiast, and founder of the popular blog and social media outlet The Defined Dish. She is a recipe developer and food stylist from Dallas, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. She is a master at substituting clean ingredients to create bold flavors in the kitchen and her recipes are perfect for any level of home cook. In 2018, Alex won the "Most Inspired Weeknight Dinners" Saveur Blog Award, and she continues to share her love for creating special moments around the dinner table.Ariel Sullivan is the author of Conform and Beneath. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two sons, and their two French bulldogs. Growing up a military brat, Ariel moved every two years as a perpetual new kid; Ariel often observed from the outskirts, where a deep love of reading was born. When she isn’t writing, Ariel loves to read everything from poetry to psychology, bake with her sons, listen to live music, and travel.Sign up for the Gays Reading Book Club HERESUBSTACK! MERCH! WATCH! CONTACT! [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.