Top 100 Gay Novels List

[reviews_and_ramblings]

After more than a year since I drafted the first top list, it's time to see what happened ;-) When I started this list, at first I thought at a top 20, than top 40 and in the end I have a Top 100, since there are too many books and authors and all of them deserve a mention.

First of all a bit of boring basic rules: the list considers only books released in print for the first time after January 1, 2000, so you can consider it a Top 100 List of the XXI century. If a book was released in electronic format before that date, and then in print after that date, I listed it. To enter the list I browsed all the LGBT publishers I found, considered all the specific awards (first of all the Lambda Literary Awards) and all the recommendation from friends. So friends, obviously I haven't read ALL the books, I, like you, am trying to read as much as possible, but the list is impartial, means that if I didn't like a book, or haven't read it yet, I nevertheless included it in the list.

To decide the ranking, again, I tried to be impartial: I chose to consider the owned copies in LibraryThing, a cataloguing website that seems to be "serious" and of common use; then I applied some adjustment factors to award both the longevity of a book than its novelty. If you want to be bored, ask and I will explain them, and obviously I'm also open to suggestion. For every author I considered only a book, the one with more owned copies, so the list is more a Top 100 Authors than a Top 100 Novels.

The actual list will remain frozen for an year, and if in April 2010 I will be still here, I will reopened it and track the changes. In the meantime, I will continue to feature an author from that list every week, in my In the Spotlight appointment.

And now, come with me to see the names:

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/tag/top+100+gay+novels+list (link to the tag for the single posts)

Link to the single posts:

1-10: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/608113.html

11-20: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/607976.html

21-30: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/607614.html

31-40: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/607389.html

41-50: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/607191.html

51-60: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/606883.html

61-70: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/606491.html

71-80: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/606222.html

81-90: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/606198.html

91-100: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/605711.html

External Link to the Top 100 Gay Novels List (simple - without photos)

External Link to the Top 100 Gay Novels List (wanted - with photos)

Comments

[sharrow.wordpress.com (from livejournal.com)]

Wow, can't wait to have a good look through. More reading for my tbr!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

And do you like my "wanted" style list? sometime it's nice to link a face to a book, looking that pictures makes me want to buy all the books! Elisa

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Wow! That's some serious company! I'm very honoured indeed to be on the list :) (Must change my photo, though. I'm sure I have a nicer one somewhere!)

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Thank you ;-) I took the photo from your interview, you are welcome to change it, since it will remain in the "WANTED" list!!! Elisa

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

Thank you :) I think the fault must be in me rather than the photo, though, because I can't find a better one anywhere - unless I go back 20 years!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

I recently gave one of my photo for an interview that was 10 years old... it was the only one I liked! Elisa

[alex-beecroft.livejournal.com]

LOL! Good idea. I'll have to do the same in future :)

[akmmiles.livejournal.com]

I so enjoyed the list and the pictures. I'll keep it for reference. Already gone and bought one for my Kindle. The list is something for me to aspire to be on one day. Thanks. It was really great to put faces to names of authors I've read and loved. Others I will be checking out. Way to go!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Yes, also I enjoed to put a face beside some book I read. It's not so important, truth be told, but makes the list more "personal". Elisa

[joeannk.livejournal.com]

Yay for Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner series and Sarah Monette's Melusine series making the top five. Both series have been terrific reads not only for fans of gay characters but also fantasy fans who don't want to skimp of world-building. I'm somewhat surprised Storm Constantine's Wreaththu books didn't make the list. Although not technically about mankind as we know it, her books often get recommended on Amazon along with other gay-themed novels.

BTW, I just recently found this page. It's been invaluable for reading recs. Keep up the great work!

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Ciao. Thank you for your kind words. And thank you also for the suggestion, as I said I'm only one and I tried to do as best as possible, but I'm also not so well-known of the genre fantasy and relate a lot on friends suggestions. So I didn't know of Storm Constantine and added now that books on the list. The one with more owned copies is The Wraiths of Will and Pleasure and in the list it's positioned 24. I will correct the list. Elisa

[jordan-c-price.livejournal.com]

WOOT, I made the top 100! You have some heavy-hitters on here, so it's very gratifying. I also love putting faces to names.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

Oh yes Jordan, and as I said to other, I didn't invalidate the numbers to have friends in the list, it's all merit of your book and your fans ;-) Elisa