HERE'S TO A NOVEL WITHOUT ANY HANG-UPS!

I recently read Paul Monette's TAKING CARE OF MRS. CARROLL for the first time -- a wonderful, unique, summery gay novel from 1978. 

I bought it in 1987 when I was 20 years old, and it sat on my shelf unread until now! Readers seem all over the map on this one, but I absolutely loved it. I do think it helped that I waited until I was 46 to read it (I probably wouldn't have been able to appreciate its subtlety when I was 20). Nothing beats the power of Monette's AIDS memoir BORROWED TIME, but for anyone wishing to be transported back to a carefree sexy summer in the late '70s, I highly recommend taking a dip into TAKING CARE OF MRS. CARROLL! Exquisite and masterful!

<-- The cover art from the 1979 Avon Books paperback is just exquisite. A beautiful sketch of two men kissing, with 'Mrs. Carroll' (or is it?) in the background.