I rented an Airbnb cabin this weekend, just needed to get out of NYC. When I got there, I found a cassette (!) player with some old Appalachian music and lots of old-timey tchotckes. On the bookshelf, I discovered a few books which made me realize the cabin's owner was probably gay. Among them was "Giovanni's Room," which had been on my list for awhile, but I'd just put it off, like everything else. I use a Kindle, so finding a paper book felt like a sign that I should actually read it. Which I did. It was a moving experience. I was so absorbed in the book, racing through it as I used to devour books when I was a kid. So much in there resonated with me. Can anyone recommend books that were important to them when coming out? I've heard of some of the classics ("Dancer from the Dance," "Best Little Boy...") but would be curious to hear other ideas and/or personal experiences.
