November thoughts...

Happy November(?)

Well… it’s a few days before election day and I confess to some concern about the future of the United States. We haven’t been all that united of late. There have always been divisions of course and periods in which the volume increases on those divisions, but it seems amplified since the orange con-man entered politics. It still appalls me that anyone would vote for him considering decades of well documented lies, horrible and cruel business decisions, blatant racism, his calls for violence, and his refusal to acknowledge that he lost four years ago. That combined with his threats of retaliation for those who disagree with him and Project 2025, paint a horrific picture should he win. Truly an awful human being that should never be anywhere near power. That anyone would vote for him makes me question their intelligence. Their morality.

So… obviously that is much on my mind. Please vote. And vote for Harris. Do I have some disagreements with some of the Biden administration’s decisions? Yes. I’ve written to the White House twice about their continued support for the war in Gaza. I supported Israel’s right to defend themselves, but we are long, long past that and it has fallen into the category of genocide for a long time. There is no excuse for the humanitarian crisis going on now. This is not about Jews vs Arabs at this point. It is about those willing to kill vs those willing to create peace, and this war is making peace even more difficult to achieve.

But I think Harris will handle this war differently than Biden has. As VP, she is somewhat stuck with Biden’s priorities – and Biden seem locked into a different generation’s reverence for Israel that supersedes Netanyahu’s behavior. I care about Israel as well, but that doesn’t mean I can support genocide. There is no end game to this horrific war, other than more of the same. I think Harris understands that better than Biden. Trump certainly won’t bring peace to the region.

And the Biden administration was part of the economy’s soft landing and avoidance of recession. They’ve accomplished a lot in the last four years.

My site may not be focused on politics, but we all will be affected by how this election plays out. We all live on this planet. We each have a role in making our corner of it a better place. So step up to the plate. Your world needs you.

November Reading

The Purple Fantastic Book of the Month

Big Gay Wedding: A Novel

I loved this book. This may not have dragons and magic, but this is an M/M fantasy of a different kind. Getting married to a man that you love with your family supporting you might possibly be one of the most beautiful fantasies out there. This book is really the mother’s story and I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to be as invested. But it is brilliant. It is funny. There are observations of human nature that were amusing and insightful.

I listened to the audio book. Quite well done.

I will note that the product description of the story is NOT well done. It does not accurately describe the story and seems written by a publishing house intern who only skimmed the book’s pages. Barnett is NOT expecting to have a wedding at his mom’s farm. How that comes about is part of the comedic plot.

* * * * *

An unashamedly proud, loud, and hilarious novel about a small town that’s forever changed by a big gay wedding, perfect for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and The Guncle.

Two grooms. One mother of a problem.

Barnett Durang has a secret. No, not THAT secret. His widowed mother has long known he’s gay. The secret is Barnett is getting married. At his mother’s farm. In their small Louisiana town. She just doesn’t know it yet.

It’ll be an intimate affair. Just two hundred or so of the most fabulous folks Barnett is shipping in from the “heathen coasts,” as Mom likes to call them, turning her quiet rescue farm for misfit animals into a most unlikely wedding venue.

But there are forces, both within this modern new family and in the town itself, that really don’t want to see this handsome couple march down the aisle. It’ll be the biggest, gayest event in the town’s history if they can pull it off, and after a glitter-filled week, nothing will ever be the same.

Big Gay Wedding is an uplifting book about the power of family and the unconditional love of a mother for her son.

• Named one of Shondaland and Town & Country’Best Books of May 

• Named one of Lambda Literary’s Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Books 

• Named one of Cosmopolitan’s Best Books of 2023 (So Far)

The Purple Fantastic Steam Rating gives this a mild 2 out of 5. There is some discreet reference to gay sex, but other than a penis shaped cake there is little to be shocked about. You can read more about the Steam Ratings on the About Page.

Description

An unashamedly proud, loud, and hilarious novel about a small town that’s forever changed by a big gay wedding, perfect for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and The Guncle

Two grooms. One mother of a problem.

Barnett Durang has a secret. No, not THAT secret. His widowed mother has long known he’s gay. The secret is Barnett is getting married. At his mother’s farm. In their small Louisiana town. She just doesn’t know it yet.

It’ll be an intimate affair. Just two hundred or so of the most fabulous folks Barnett is shipping in from the “heathen coasts,” as Mom likes to call them, turning her quiet rescue farm for misfit animals into a most unlikely wedding venue.

But there are forces, both within this modern new family and in the town itself, that really don’t want to see this handsome couple march down the aisle. It’ll be the biggest, gayest event in the town’s history if they can pull it off, and after a glitter-filled week, nothing will ever be the same.

Big Gay Wedding is an uplifting book about the power of family and the unconditional love of a mother for her son.

• Named one of Shondaland and Town & Country’Best Books of May 

• Named one of Lambda Literary’s Most Anticipated LGBTQIA+ Books 

• Named one of Cosmopolitan’s Best Books of 2023 (So Far)

Additional information

book-author

Byron Lane

Format

Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle Books, Paperback

Language

English

Publisher

Henry Holt and Co.

Pages

313

Year Published

2023

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Big Gay Wedding: A Novel”

You may also like…

landscape3

“We read books to find out who we are.

What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel…
is an essential guide to our understanding
of what we ourselves are and may become.”

 

Ursula K. LeGuin

portrait4

“When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature.
If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world,
I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.”

 

Maya Angelou

landscape5

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.

The man who never reads lives only one.

 

George R. R. Martin