“Eighty Eighty,” by David B. Feinberg
Most of the gay books set in New York in the 1980s are angry and filled with despair as AIDS ravages the community. David Feinberg’s “Eighty-Sixed” is unique in that the entire first half is a joyful celebration of gay life in the city, from bathhouses to gay bars to bedrooms. Feinberg is hilarious and heartfelt as he navigates sex, dating, his family, and his friends. And while the second half, set in 1986, inevitably descends into the heartbreak and chaos of the AIDS epidemic, Feinberg remains his neurotic, hyper-self-conscious, hilarious self.
—Adam Roberts, Los Angeles
Occasionally we need to be reminded that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. We need a healthy dose of inspiration. This book provided that.
It is my number 1 choice because the humble Florence Finch, a young widowed Filipino woman who lived in Manila during World War II, left me in awe of her bravery and bravery. Why had I never heard of this woman? Her actions have saved countless lives. This book was hard to put down, a “make your own dinner, I’m reading” book. It will remain in my soul as an inspiration.
—John Drury, Portland, Oregon.
‘Lucy by the Sea’ was my favorite book of 2022. It brought back the early days of the pandemic so clearly with the experiences of master writer Elizabeth Strout’s well-known character, Lucy Barton. You could feel so clearly the raw emotions, the fear and wonder, the sights, sounds and tastes of those first few months. It took the reader back to a unique time when our lives and relationships changed and will never be the same again.
– Karen Hartman, Westminster, Colo.
It is the end of Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet. One story spanning four novels – and five decades of births and deaths, alliances and betrayals – it ends as intensely as it begins. You never forget that the epic rests on the archetypal friendship of two vividly drawn girls, best friends who are often at odds.