dreaded ned's gay bookshop

East meets west this month, with an oldie but goodie from the USA and a new book about growing up and living as a gay Muslim.

Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll
by Paul Monette
St. Martin's Press Stonewall Inn Classics, 1988
ISBN: 0-312-01515-1 (Paperback)

I have only just managed to catch up with this one, though I have read many others by Paul Monette - he is always a good read. A rich widow dies before changing her will to disinherit her disinterested offspring. The gay houseboy, the widow's lover, the houseboy's ex-lover, a famous actress (who has been the lover of more than one of the other protagonists), and a host of others conspire to hide the body and get the will signed anyway. A marvellously complex and madcap tale, that is made more interesting because of the relationships between the people and the variety of characters involved. A light-hearted survey of gay relationships that makes an excellent holiday read!

Taking Care of Mrs. Carroll by Paul Monette
St. Martin's Press Stonewall Inn Classics, 1988
ISBN: 0312015151 Paperback
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Sex, Longing and Not Belonging
by Badruddin Khan
Floating Lotus, 1997
ISBN: 0-942-77716-6 (Paperback)

A first person account of growing up and coming to terms with being a gay Muslim. The author describes his early life in Pakistan, then his move to Canada and eventually America. A fascinating glimpse into the morals, politics, religion and family values of Muslims in South Asia, that presents a totally different picture than many would expect from the more extremist ideas commonly heard from other Muslim countries. The book is also an interesting look at the gay scene and attitudes in America as seen through an outsiders eyes. What made the book even more fascinating for me was that if you ignored some of the minor details, the book could almost be written by a Thai - the politics and religion are different, but the problems and family pressures are very similar. Sometimes the book reads like a collection of short stories gathered together, and many people will be repelled by some of the attitudes in the book, but it is one man's honest and straight-forward account from within the mostly unheard from gay Muslim community. This is one of the latest books from Floating Lotus, who has published an interesting collection of gay and other books from South and South-East Asia.

Sex, Longing and Not Belonging by Badruddin Khan
Floating Lotus, 1997
ISBN: 0942777166, Paperback
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