Sogala.com - Men's Book Club

Welcome to the home page for the SOGALA Men's Book Club.

We read and discuss works of novel-length fiction which include at least one main character who is a gay male.

We meet every 6 weeks or so in members' homes, depending on people's schedules. See Events Page for scheduled meetings. Contact Aaron for more information.

If you are interested in sharing an opinion on a book but prefer not to attend a meeting, we're happy to receive, and perhaps even respond to, email. If you have a suggestion for a book that the club could consider, send it on! Click HERE to send email.

What we're reading now

A Single Man
Christopher Isherwood

Discussion: February 28 at Ray's around 2:00

Things that we've read already

	The Year of Ice Brian Malloy	6 thumbs up
	The Divine Ryans by Wayne Johnston	In this beloved, bestselling novel which has been unavailable for some time, young Draper Doyle Ryan tries to come to terms with the mysterious death of his father as he struggles, in touching, comic fashion, with budding adolescence and the strange demands of his proudly eccentric family. When first published in 1990, The Divine Ryans received unanimous critical praise and won the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award; Wayne Johnston himself was hailed as one of Canada's most distinctive comic talents. Three thumbs up and one sideways
	My Friend Leonard by James Frey	1 thumb up, 2 thumbs down and 3 thumbs sideways.
	Scotch River by Linda Little	5 thumbs up We all enjoyed her rich characters even in all their quirkiness. Also it was amazing how she even brought minor characters to life. A very enjoyable read. Two members stated they had read it right after Linda's last book and it was so different in tone they did not enjoy it the first read through but enjoyed it very much when they read it again.
	At Swim Two Boys by Jamie O'Neill	7 out of 7 Thumbs Up A big ambitious book rich in language, Irish idiom and attractive, believable characters; one that successfully interweaves tender love, friendship, history, politics and homosexuality. Deluxe. Deserves more than one reading.
	The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon	General Comments that all agreed to: the book was a tale of escapism in all it's forms Joe Kavaliers' life was like a comic book story an exhausting read but enjoyable Negative : long, meandered book, episodic and not woven as tight as could be some people not interested in comics author worked to hard on text, subsequently lost some flow to the story author liked the sound of his own voice some words were fabricated too many sub plots - caused skimming antarctic adventure was unbeleivable but kept us interested, some questioned what that episode was doing in the book Positive : writing was good in some cases phenomenal well researched gay portions of novel handled good many salient points throughout 6 thumbs up
	Stolen by Annette LaPointe	Sex, drugs, and comics in Saskatchewan. Generally agreed to be some good writing. 5 thumbs up, one sideways and one down.
	Strong Hollow by Linda Little	Unanimously adored by the book club. 7 thumbs up. Beautifully written and completely engaging story of a backwoods Nova Scotia boy from a dysfunctional family and his journey to self-acceptance.
	The Lost Language of Cranes by David Leavitt	Very engaging story of a closeted gay dad, a newly out son and the impact of this on those around them, including the mom. Realistic and unpredictable. 6 thumbs up.
	Fellow Travelers by Thomas Mallon	Homo love during the crazed days of the McCarthy witch hunts in the US. WAY TOO LONG. The story didn't really seem connected to the political events supposedly framing it. 1 thumb up, 2 thumbs sideways, and 2 thumbs down.
	Men Who Love Men by Willaim J. Mann	Aging pretty boy comes to terms with his search for true love. Set in Provincetown, Massachusetts. 2 Thumbs up, 1 thumb sideways, and 3 thumbs down.
	Michael Tolliver Lives by Armistead Maupin	Fluffy, formulaic look at a May/December relationship. Checks in with many of the characters from the Tales of the City series. 2 thumbs up, 4 sideways, and 1 thumb down.
	Surprising Myself by Christopher Bram	1987 debut novel by the prolific and well-respected Christopher Bram. 4 thumbs up and 2 thumbs down.
	Soon to be a Major Motion Picture by Warren Dunford	3 thumbs up and 3 thumbs down
	The City and the Pillar by Gore Vidal	4 thumbs up and 2 thumbs down Who'd have thought there could be two versions with grossly different endings?!?
	Maurice by E. M. Forster	A classic in English literature. We watched the movie afterwards and it was great fun to compare the film to our imaginings of the story.
	The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker	Some great writing set in WWI.
	Can't Buy Me Love by Chris Kenry	Gay hookers with hearts of gold.
	The Coming Storm by Paul Russell	Can a 25-year-old prep school teacher find happiness with a 15-year-old student?
	Blue Heaven by Joe Keenan	Madcap comedy from a Frasier writer.
	Gossip by Christopher Bram	Political left meets political right, with a murder to boot.
	Amuse Bouche by Anthony Bidulka	Saskatchewan mystery.
	Flesh and Blood by Michael Cunningham	Multi-generational dysfunctional family with gay son.