It’s still getting better

Dan Savage has turned the online ‘It Gets Better’ craze into a book due this spring. (Photo courtesy of Dutton)

There are several high points on the publishing schedule for gay books this spring.

Gay German publisher Bruno has several titesl of interest to coincide with its 30th anniversary.

Dirk Baumgarti’s “Gay Hot Spots” offers 20 top destinations for gay travellers (March), Stephan Niederwieser offers the graphic-but-helpful “Bend Over!: the Complete Guide to Anal Sex” (April) and fictional titles such as Kriss Rudolph’s “L.A. Affair” (May) and Chris Parker’s “The Salvation” (June) promise to keep pages turning.

You probably would never think to include Jodi Picoult on a list of LGBT books, but her newest novel, “Sing You Home: A Novel” tackles the subject of divorce, and who gets custody of the children when a parent comes out. If you’ve never read Picoult, bring a hanky. Her stories are just like that (in stores now).

So you’ve blown your life savings on a vacation this year, throwing caution to the wind. It’s only money, right?  It is, but you’ll need more of it and Suze Orman can help. Her new book, “The Money Class: Learn to Create Your New American Dream” offers sound advice on your finances. Doesn’t seem like a curl-up-on-the-sofa read?  Hey, you’ll want another vacation someday, won’t you? (Early March)

Did you leave your message on the “It Gets Better Project?” Or did you read some of the posts with your heart in your throat? Then you’ll love “It Gets Better,” edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller. This book is filled with strong words of encouragement for anyone who needs the boost or just wants to remember that nothing lasts forever. (Late March)

If nothing but a mystery will do for your vacation, look for “The Road Home” by Michael Thomas Ford. While recuperating from an accident, 40-year-old Burke Crenshaw is bored and wishing he was anywhere else but in his childhood home. But an old camera and a love letter from long ago ignite his imagination and result in a renewed interest in life, future and past. (Due in paperback in April)

Looking for a romp in the paper? Try “The Coffins of Little Hope” by Timothy Schaffert. When an 80-something small-town journalist goes looking for a missing girl, she stumbles on something vaguely familiar – or does she? Wild, fast-moving, and with a small-town feel, this book is definite light reading. (April)

For something a little more serious – and timely – try “The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq” by Bronson Lemer. This is the true story of a former carpenter who was sent to Iraq and the war he fought on the inside as well as in the desert. (Early June)

“Where’s My Wand?” by Eric Poole is one of those memoirs that you can see yourself in, especially if you’re a baby boomer. It’s about love, family, magic, and a certain twinkle-nosed witch’s mother-in-law. Cute, cute, cute, and can’t miss. (Comes out in paperback early June)

Who hasn’t wished they could tell their younger self a thing or two?  If you’d like to go back and give yourself a good lecture, check out “Remembrance of Things I Forgot: A Novel” by Bob Smith. There’s satire in this book, as well as humor and a reminder that things might be better left as they are. Or were. Or something. (early June).

And finally, if you think Indiana Jones was hot, you have to try “The Curse of the Dragon God: A Gay Adventure” by Geoffrey Knight. Set in China, this adventure will fill your Indy fantasies and then some, and it will kick-start your summer, too. (early July).

So there you have it: the coming out of lots of books you’ll want to curl up with, check out, own, read, share.