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If you're into fantasy (magic and swords and all that), I'd reccomend Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey. It's nice to read a story where the focus isn't really on sexuality; the character is gay, yes, but it's also just a really enjoyable fantasy novel. There are two others that follow it, but I've yet to read them.
Hiya, Caffeine! Imagine meeting you here! ^_^
Lackey's Magic's Promise and Magic's Price are both good, but Magic's Promise has the curse of being the middle of the trilogy; it's merely the means to an end. The third and final in the Last Herald Mage trilogy, Magic's Price, is so much better, IMO.
If you haven't read Tanya Huff's stuff, DO. NOW. ^_^ She has a variety of stand-alones and series, and I love them all. She has the Blood books, with an interesting triangle of a near-blind former police detective, her former partner Mike Celluci, and her other partner with her detective agency, who is, ahem, the vampire b*****d son of King Henry VIII. Who writes romance novels. (This series is currently being produced in Canada for television, and in the states being broadcast on, I *believe*, the Lifetime network.)
She also has, for those who like the military/sci fi books, the Valor series, with staff sergeant Torin Kerr and her marines. I'm definitely not the gung-ho military type, but I do love these books. And I want to meet a di-Taykan in real life.
wink She has the Quarters novels, high fantasy in which bards call elementals (fire, water, earth, air) to their assistance; there are currently four in this series; Sing the Four Quarters, The Fifth Quarter, No Quarter, and The Quartered Sea.
Her Keeper novels, currently numbered at three, are a lot of fun; the Keepers are a mystical lot in "current time" who patch the holes of reality between good and evil, to keep things from getting out of balance. The books are Summon The Keeper, The Second Summoning, and A Long, Hot Summoning.
She also has several stand-alone novels, one of which is such a favorite that my first copy of it is hanging together by tatters and packing tape alone. That would be The Fire's Stone. Not great literature, but such a good book. ^_^ It's the standard "buddy" book, with a prince, a thief, and a wizard going on a quest... but I don't want to give anything else away; find it and read it! ^_^
By the way, most of Ms. Huff's books are quite liberal with the sexualities of the characters; gay, lesbian, and bisexual characters (as well as straight, of course) are quite the norm. Also, if I'm not greatly mistaken, Ms. Huff is partnered with Fiona Patton, another great author.
I rather enjoyed Swordspoint, but having been a while since I read it last, I need to re-read it again before saying any more about it.
Marion Zimmer Bradley, who usually does science fiction / fantasy, did a wonderful (and wonderfully researched) novel called The Catch Trap, about circus acrobats in the 1940s-1950s. (Yes, this is of gay interest.) ^_^ (This is fiction, not biography; she just researched it to make it accurate for the times, etc.)
Katie Waitham (sp?) wrote The Merro Tree, and it's a wonderful book against close-mindedness of many differing flavors. Another of my favorites.
Er... I think that's enough "wall-of-text" for now....
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