Gays Reading

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 ...

Host Jason Blitman sits down with Reginald Dwayne Betts—poet, lawyer, and founder of Freedom Reads—for an intimate conversation about transforming America's prison system one library at a time. 

In an extraordinary turn of events, Dwayne receives a live call from Jermaine, a friend currently incarcerated at Lawrenceville Correctional Facility. Jermaine joins the conversation to share how not having a Freedom Reads libr...

In this re-release special episode, host Jason Blitman dives into the world of Wicked. Joined by legendary author Gregory Maguire, Guest Gay Reader is comedian and host of That’s a Gay Ass Podcast, Eric Williams, and Gays Reading’s first Guest Gay Icon, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa. 

Highlights include:

📖 The legacy of this iconic story

🎭 Insider behind-the-scenes

🎤 Unforgettable...

In this Thanksgiving week episode, host Jason Blitman talks to brand-new-dad Justinian Huang about his paper baby, Lucky Seed.

Conversation highlights:
👻 hungry ghosts and superstitions
🤳🏼 social media and millennials
🦃 tips for navigating family during Thanksgiving

Guest Gay Reader™️ this week is White Lotus and Overcompensating favorite--and avid reader--Lukas Gage.

Justinian Huang’s...

Host Jason Blitman sits down with author Olivia Laing (The Lonely City) to talk about their new book, The Silver Book.

In this conversation, they dive into:
🎥 making art and Italian cinema
🏳️‍🌈 the role queerness plays throughout Laing’s work
🗣️ how identity becomes a negotiation with—and around—fakeness

Plus, this week’s Guest Gay Reader™️ is Michael Galyean (aka Dancing Blue Shirt Guy), who shares what he’s been rea...

In this *spoiler free* conversation, host Jason Blitman talks to author Erin O. White about her book LIKE FAMILY, the December Gays Reading Book Club pick with Allstora.

LIKE FAMILY — a warm, big-hearted debut about the beautiful, messy, complicated ways we love one another. Set in a picturesque town in upstate New York, the novel follows three interconnected couples navigating friendship, parenthood, queer identity, jealo...

Host Jason Blitman talks to award-winning Irish writer Gráinne O'Hare about her debut novel, Thirst Trap. 

Conversation highlights include:
❤️‍🔥 icks on dates
🙃 drunk alter egos 
🧡 Taylor Swift
👯‍♀️ long friendships

Next up is Guest Gay Reader™️ Brian Schaefer who talks about what he's been reading (hint: it's NOT books!), the book club he has with his mom, and shares the inspo behind his debut nove...

Host Jason Blitman is joined by Aja Gabel to talk about her first novel in nearly a decade, Lightbreakers. 

Conversation highlights include:
✍🏻 the death of handwriting 
🧪 science vs art 
💭 what memory means to us

Jason's then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Anthony Delaney who shares a giant stack of books he's reading as well as shares about his new book, Queer Enlightenments. 

Aja Gabel is the author...

Host Jason Blitman sits down with returning Gays Reading guest Catherine Newman (Sandwich) to talk about her new book, Wreck.

Conversation highlights include:
🤧 Ailments, of course.
😵‍💫 Anxiety, of course.
💻 The Portal, you understand.
🥳 But also a lot of fun stuff, too.

Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Rachel Runya Katz to hear about what she's been reading (get ready for so...

Host Jason Blitman talks to bestselling author Tom Ryan about his latest adult mystery, We Had A Hunch. 

Highlights include:
🕵🏻‍♂️ a love of mysteries
✍🏻 how Tom taught himself to write
🎤 a question that Tom calls "Barbara Walters level journalism"

Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️, RuPaul's Drag Race superstar, Kim Chi about what she's been reading as well as her new books, Kim Chi Eats t...

Prepare to grow your already overflowing TBR (sorry, not sorry!) with our new series What Are You Reading?. In this episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Pentatonix and Dancing with the Stars' Scott Hoying and Mark Hoying to chat about the books that they've been reading recently and about their new children's book, Fa La La Family.

Scott Hoying is a Grammy and Emily award-winning singer, songwriter, a...

In this *spoiler free* conversation, host Jason Blitman talks to author Victoria Redel about her book I AM YOU, the November Gays Reading Book Club pick with Allstora.

I AM YOU subverts the idea of a 17th-century historical novel  — it’s intimate, modern, and deeply queer in the way it explores gender, art, and identity. The characters feel so alive and complex that you can’t help but get pulled into their world, which mak...

Host Jason Blitman talks with Megha Majumdar about her acclaimed second novel, A Guardian and a Thief—recently nominated for the Kirkus Prize and shortlisted for the National Book Award.

Conversation highlights include:
🐢 fables and folktales
🦬 interpretations of cave art
🤔 moral quandaries
🎶 concerts and music taste

Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Brandon Taylor about tennis, what might tempt...

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Lily King about her newest novel, Heart the Lover. 

Conversation highlights include:
👩🏼‍🏫 weird classes we took in college
📝 beautiful sentences 
🃏 a love of card games
💌 a story about letters from an ex-boyfriend

Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Dustin Thao who shares what he's been reading and talks about his book, You've Found Oliver.

Notes from th...

Prepare to grow your already overflowing TBR (sorry, not sorry!) with our new series What Are You Reading?. In this episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Heather Aimee O’Neill—debut author of The Irish Goodbye, this month’s Read with Jenna pick—to chat about the books that have been keeping her company lately.

Heather Aimee O’Neill is a poet, a teacher, and the assistant director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop. She liv...

⚠️ Quick note: In today’s episode, one of Jade’s answers unfortunately disappears into the ether. It turned out not to be as simple of a fix as we first hoped, but as soon as we’re able to repair it, we’ll update the file. Thanks for listening (and for rolling with the hiccups)

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Jade Chang about her newest novel, What a Time to Be Alive

Highlights include:
🎶 The Nanny theme song
�...

Get ready to add to your ever-growing TBR (we're sorry!) because Gays Reading is kicking off the new series What Are You Reading?. On this episode, host Jason Blitman talks to Sarah Dickinson, host of Sarah's Bookshelves Live, about some of the books she's been reading recently. 

Sarah’s Bookshelves Live is a weekly book podcast featuring real talk about books and recommendations from a featured bookish guest.

Support ...

Host Jason Blitman talks to 2025 Kirkus and National Book Award longlisted author Angela Flournoy about her newest book, THE WILDERNESS. 

Highlights include:
🪣 Angela's bucket list   
🗓️ the 10 year journey of writing this book
🎃 The Candy Corn Community
🤫 secret family recipes 
🍽️ "group of 7" dinner party guests

Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ Rickey Laurentiis, who wa...

Host Jason Blitman talks to Eliana Ramage about her debut novel, TO THE MOON AND BACK, this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick. 

Highlights include:
💭 many childhood ambitions
📚 Reading Rainbow contest trauma
🌈 the intersection of queerness and Cherokeeness
🧜🏻‍♀️ comparisons to The Little Mermaid

Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader™️ M.L. Rio, who shares what she’s been reading, gives Shakespeare beg...