On this episode, we discuss books by LGBTQIA+ authors, one of the prompts for Books & Bites Bingo. We've got a diverse group of characters and settings for you, including a Splatterpunk novel set in 1990s New Orleans, a Booker Prize-winning novel set in the United Kingdom, and a YA novel set in 1987 El Paso, Texas.

Michael's Pick

Michael read Exquisite Corpse by Billy Martin (formerly Poppy Z. Brite). This Splatterpunk novel about a pair of gay, necrophiliac serial killers in New Orleans is not for everyone--even Michael admits he had to put it down at times. But the lyrical writing and focus on the AIDS epidemic kept him reading. 

Pairing: Immerse yourself in the New Orleans setting with a bowl of Duck and Andouille Gumbo, a recipe that be found in Justin Devillier’s The New Orleans Kitchen

Carrie's Pick

Carrie recommends the Booker Prize-winning Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo, an Anglo-Nigerian writer. Each chapter is told from the third-person point of view of eleven different British women and girls and one nonbinary person, ranging in age from their teens to their nineties. Their different classes, races, and sexualities highlight the diversity of the United Kingdom. The book's power grows as you see the characters' lives intersect.

Pairing: This book is full of delicious sounding Caribbean and West African dishes, but the description of a character making Thai Chicken Coconut Curry is especially mouth-watering. Lemongrass and Coconut Curry with Summer Vegetables has similar ingredients and would be a great way to use up some summer squash.

Jacqueline's Pick

Jacqueline enjoyed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Pen Faulkner Award-winning author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This YA novel is a coming-of-age, LGBTQIA+ story set in the summer of 1987 in El Paso, Texas. It tells a story of a friendship between two boys on the cusp of manhood. The author uses the boys' friendship to explore issues of family, ethnicity, and sexuality.

Pairing: An Edible Mosaic's brisket recipe would make a good choice for a summer picnic under the stars.