Gays Reading

Jason is joined by National Book Award finalist Deesha Philyaw to discuss her debut novel, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman. Deesha shares why she ghosted a hookup, the talent she'd perform if she were in a pageant, why queerness plays such a big role in her books, and much more.

Deesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Story Prize, the LA Times Book Prize: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award fo...

Meg Mason (Sorrow and Bliss) joins Jason to talk about her new novel, Sophie, Standing There, a Reese's Book Club pick, and the books she's been reading between stops on her worldwide book tour.

Meg Mason is the author of Sorrow and Bliss, which became an international bestseller after it was first published in Australia. Winner of the British Book Industry Book of the Year, and shortlisted for the Women’s Prize, it has since been translated into more than 30 languages. Her first career was in journalism, beginning at the Times of London, later writing for Vo...

Jason talks with author Min Jin Lee (Pachinko) about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, her experience taking a class with The Artist's Way author Julia Cameron, why she's quick to curse, her new novel American Hagwon, and everything in between.

Min Jin Lee is the author of the novels Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, a finalist for the National Book Award, runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and a New York Times “100 Best Books of the Century.” She serves as the New York State Author Laureate from 2025 through 2027. She is the 2024 recipient of The Fitzgerald Priz...

Author Meg Howrey (They're Going to Love You) communed with her bookshelves to identify books that shaped her as a writer. She's self-taught, no MFA, no workshops, just a reader. Meg also talks about her latest novel, Body Language.

Meg Howrey is the author of the novels Blind Sight, The Cranes Dance, The Wanderers, and most recently, They’re Going to Love You, which was a New York Times Editor’s Choice, and a New Yorker Best Book of 2022. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Granta, Harvard Review, Vogue, and the Los Angeles Revi...

Jason talks to author Lucy Foley (The Guest List) about her experience working with the Agatha Christie estate to create a new Miss Marple book, Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel. They talk about what makes a Foley Christie book, the things one can do on a ski vacation, her research trip to St. Moritz, and much more.  

Lucy Foley studied English literature at Durham University and University College London and worked for several years as a fiction editor in the publishing industry. She is the author of five novels including The Paris Apartment, The Guest List...

Molecular biologist turned award-winning chef, food writer, photographer, and bestselling cookbook author Nik Sharma shares what he's been reading lately and talks about his forthcoming cookbook, Fundamentals of Flavor.

Nik Sharma is the bestselling author of cookbooks celebrated for blending culinary science with deeply personal storytelling: Season, The Flavor Equation, and Veg-Table. A former molecular biologist, Sharma brings a unique lens to the kitchen, where flavor is both a feeling and a formula. He serves as Editor in Residence at America's Test Kitchen, where he hosts the YouTube show Flavor Forward with Nik Sharma, is a...

Jason is joined by author Emily St. John Mandel to talk about her new novel, Exit Party. They share how the end of the world is going for each of them, the state of knowing and not knowing something, Emily's evolution of embracing her bisexuality in writing this new novel, among other things. 

EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL is the author of six novels, most recently Sea of Tranquility, which has been translated into 25 languages and was selected by President Barack Obama as one of his favorite books of 2022. Her previous novels include The Glass Hotel, which was...

The internet's favorite forager, Alexis Nikole Nelson aka Black Forager, talks to Jason about what's she's been reading and shares insights about her new book, Happy Snacking, Don't Die!

Alexis Nikole Nelson, best known to most people as Black Forager, is a social media creator, vegan, urban forager, and outdoor educator who has amassed millions of followers. Her mother first showed her how to forage at the age of five by introducing her to onion grass. Now Alexis posts videos of her foraging finds in a playful, humorous way, whether she is exploring a nearby park...

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 Amer­ic...

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.

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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 t...

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, Aus...

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, T...

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 Y...

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 P...

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 th...

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, 2024

Lyndsay 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 Chi...

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Laura Dave about her latest thriller, The First Time I Saw Him, a Reese's Book Club Pick. This conversation was recorded live at Warwick's in San Diego. 

Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Last Thing He Told Me and Eight Hundred Grapes. Her novels have sold more than six million copies and have been translated into forty languages. The Last Thing He Told Me was the Goodreads Mystery & Thriller of the Year for 2021 and is now a series on Apple TV+, cocreated by Laura...

In the season finale, host Jason Blitman talks to Jessica Knoll about her latest thriller, Helpless, plus what actually makes a "poolside book" and the best ones to have in your bag this summer. 

Jessica Knoll is the New York Times bestselling author of Bright Young Women, The Favorite Sister,  and Luckiest Girl Alive—now a major motion picture from Netflix starring Mila Kunis. She has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and the articles editor at Self. She lives in New York City with her family.

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In this episode of What Are You Reading? host Jason Blitman talks to designer Nate Berkus about what he's been reading and about his newest book, Foundations.

Nate Berkus is one of the world’s most influential interior designers, known for his elevated yet accessible approach to interiors. Along with creating award-winning interiors for private clients, his thirty-year-and-counting career has included innumerable television shows and brand collaborations. Consistently named to the AD100 and Elle Décor A-List, Nate lives in New York with his husband Jeremiah Brent and their children Poppy and Oskar.

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Host Jason Blitman welcomes back author and editor Jenny Jackson (Pineapple Street) to discuss her new novel, The Shampoo Effect, a Read with Jenna pick. Come for the chat about donuts (Lookin at you, Dunkin!), stay for Jenny's anticipated book recommendations.

Jenny Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street. A graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, Jenny is vice president and editorial director of fiction at Alfred A. Knopf. Raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts, she lives in Brooklyn Heights with her family.

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Host Jason Blitman talks to Ryan O'Connell (Netflix's Special) about what he's been reading and learn about his newest book, Inspiration Porn. 

Ryan O’Connell is the Emmy-winning creator, writer, and star of Netflix’s Special, which is based on his memoir, I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves. He’s also written for other TV shows, including Will & Grace, Awkward, and Peacock’s Queer as Folk revival, which he stars in. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner, Jonathan Parks-Ramage.

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Host Jason Blitman talks to newly minted Oprah's Book Club author Sophie Chen Keller about her new novel, Little Wonder. 

Conversation highlights include

Sophie Chen Keller is the author of The Luster of Lost Things, which was also released in Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Her first publication came at the age of fifteen, with a short story in Glimmer Train literary magazine. A classically trained pianist, she was born...

In this special Father's Day episode, host Jason Blitman sits down with Colton Underwood to talk fatherhood and learn about his new book, a letter he wrote (and read) to his son, Dear Bishop. 

Colton Underwood is an American TV personality, executive producer, philanthropist, entrepreneur and NY Times Best Seller. During his time in the NFL, Colton was inspired by his young cousin Harper to launch the Legacy Foundation and bring awareness to Cystic Fibrosis- a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.

In recent years he has become a Mental Hea...

Jason Blitman talks with Pulitzer Prize winer Andrew Sean Greer (Less) about his newest novel, Villa Coco. This conversation was recorded live in Los Angeles at the First Congressional Church sponsored by Book Soup. 

Conversation highlights include:

🇮🇹 How living in Italy inspired aspects of the book

👑 His experience with a real-life princess

🎶 Intel on the musical adaptation of Less

ANDREW SEAN GREER is the bestselling author of seven works of fiction, including Pulitzer Prize winner Less and its companion Less Is Lost. He is the recipient of the Northern Cal...

Host Jason Blitman is joined by debut novelist Haili Blassingame to hear about what she's been reading and learn about her book, They All Fall in Love at the End.

Haili Blassingame is a producer for the NPR program 1A. She has written for publications like The New Republic and The New York Times, in which she published the viral “My Choice Isn’t Marriage or Loneliness” for “Modern Love”. She was one of twelve essayists selected to write a follow-up piece for the column’s 20th anniversary in October 2024. She’s also been a guest on the Modern Love ...

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Matt Haig (The Midnight Library) about his latest novel, The Midnight Train. This conversation was recorded live at University of San Diego presented by Warwick's. 

Matt Haig was born in Sheffield, England. His novels include The Humans, How to Stop Time, and The Midnight Library, which has been a number one New York Times bestseller and sold more than fourteen million copies world-wide. His non-fiction works include his award-winning mental illness memoir Reasons to Stay Alive and The Comfort Book. His most recent fiction, The Life Impossible, was a New York Times bes...

Host Jason Blitman is joined by prolific author Melissa Albert to talk about her debut adult novel, The Children, named June 2026's Read with Jenna Book Club pick. 

Melissa Albert is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of The Bad Ones, Our Crooked Hearts, and the Hazel Wood series. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and included in the New York Times list of Notable Children’s Books. The Children is her first adult novel. 

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Host Jason Blitman welcomes Ann Patchett back to the podcast—last heard discussing her annotated Bel Canto in fall 2024—for a conversation about her newest novel, Whistler.

Conversation highlights include:

⏱️ Changes made to the book moments before it went to print

😔 The relationship between missing something and grief 

🎭 Whether Ann might ever write for the stage

Ann Patchett is the author of novels, most recently the #1 New York Times bestselling Tom Lake, works of nonfiction, and children's books. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner, the Wome...

Host Jason Blitman is joined by the most frequent Gays Reading guest, Rasheed Newson, to discuss his latest book, There's Only One Sin in Hollywood.

Conversation highlights include:

📖 Stories that don't get their due in the history books

🎥 Rumors in Hollywood and how they continue today

🪞How the understanding of ourselves change as we get older

Rasheed Newson is the author of the national bestseller My Government Means to Kill Me, which was selected as a Lambda Literary finalist for Gay Fiction and was named one of the “100 Notable...

Host Jason Blitman talks to debut novelist Sonia Feldman about her book Girl's Girl, this month's The Nod™️ by Gays Reading with Aardvark Book Club. 

Conversation highlights include:

👯‍♀️ What it means to be a good friend

💧 Why Sonia describes the book as "dewey" 

🌎 The universality of specific stories and what it means to love

Sonia Feldman lives in Cleveland, Ohio. She won the PEN America PEN/Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, and her poetry and fiction have appeared in The Missouri Review, The Southern Review, and Waxwing. She also runs So...

On this episode of What Are You Reading?, host Jason Blitman is joined by New York Times bestselling author Steven Rowley for a conversation about what he's been reading, what goes into writing a great blurb, and his latest novel, Take Me With You, an instant USA Today bestseller.

Steven Rowley is the New York Times bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book; The Editor, an NPR Best Book of the Year; The Guncle, winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Novel of the Year; The Celebrants, ...

Host Jason Blitman finally sits down with author Rachel Howzell Hall now that he's survived a full year of agony waiting for the follow-up to her cliffhanger-ending crime novel, Fog and Fury. Today, they're celebrating the arrival of Mist and Malice, the long-awaited sequel. New to the series? No problem. This spoiler-free conversation is the perfect entry point into the world of Haven.

Conversation highlights:

🌽 Rachel's favorite foods at the county fair

🎵 The song from Hamilton as a character's theme song

👵 Which Golden Girl Rachel identifies with

Rachel Howz...

Host Jason Blitman talks to Ayelet Waldman about what she's been reading (spoiler alert: a lot of audiobooks while quilting!) and about her new book, A Perfect Hand. Come for the book recs, stay for the Heated Rivalry conversation. 

Ayelet Waldman is the author of A Really Good Day, Love and Treasure, Red Hook Road, Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, Daughter’s Keeper, Bad Mother and the Mommy-Track Mystery series. She co-developed and was an Executive Producer on the Netflix series Unbelievable, which received a Peabody Award and Best Limited Series nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden...

Host Jason Blitman is joined by debut novelist Paige Lewis to talk about their book, Canon. 

Conversation highlights include:

⚠️ Perseverance in the face of danger

🐀 Animal fun facts

🦸 What makes a hero

Paige Lewis is the author of the poetry collection Space Struck and coeditor of Another Last Call: Poems on Addiction and Deliverance. Lewis teaches at the University of Iowa; Canon is their first novel.

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Host Jason Blitman talks to author Davin Malasarn about what he's been reading and the books that influenced his debut novel, The Outer Country. 

Davin Malasarn was born and raised in Southern California. After completing his PhD in biology at the California Institute of Technology, he earned his MFA in creative writing from Bennington College and completed the Queens University of Charlotte Book Development Program. He was a PEN America Emerging Voices Fellow, a Plympton Writing Downtown Fellow, and a Bennington Alumni Fellow. He co-founded The Granum Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting writers, and hosts The Arti...

Host Jason Blitman is joined by debut author Portia Elan to talk about her book, Homebound, named May 2026's Good Morning America Book Club selection.

Highlights from this spoiler-free conversation:

💾 evolution of technology

🏳️‍🌈 history of the queer community

👍 how people experience different truths 

Portia Elan studied history at Stanford University and earned an MFA from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, before returning to California, where she has worked as a teacher and public librarian. A former Lambda Literary Fellow, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wife...

Host Jason Blitman talks to Pulitzer Prize-winner Elizabeth Strout about her latest novel, The Things We Never Say. 

Conversation highlights include:

🧠 Thoughts on free will

🧐 Things we find interesting

✨ What it means to become a grown-up

Elizabeth Strout is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy by the Sea; Oh William!, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Olive, Again; Anything Is Possible, winner of the Story Prize; My Name Is Lucy Barton; The Burgess Boys; Olive Kitteridge, winner of the Pulitzer Prize; Abide with Me; and Amy and Isabelle...

In the 200th episode of Gays Reading, host Jason Blitman talks to Booker Prize-winning novelist, Douglas Stuart (Shuggie Bain, Young Mungo) about his latest book, John of John.

Conversation highlights include:

🎶 The Spice Girls

🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Filial duty in the queer community

⏳ What happens to gay people as we age?

Douglas Stuart is a Scottish-American author. His New York Times-bestselling debut novel Shuggie Bain won prizes including the 2020 Booker Prize and the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, was a finalist for the National Book Award and the PEN...

In this episode of What Are You Reading? debut novelist Stephanie Sy-Quia shares what she's been reading and talks about her new book, A Private Man. 

Stephanie Sy-Quia was born in California in 1995 and is based in London. Her writing and criticism have been published in The Guardian, The White Review, The Boston Review, Granta, and elsewhere. Her debut poetry collection Amnion, published in the UK by Granta Poetry in 2021, received a Somerset Maugham Award and was a Poetry Book Society Winter Recommendation; was longlisted for the Rathbones Folio and RSL Ondaatje Prizes; and won the Forward Priz...