It’s LGBTQ+ History Month in the UK, and I’ve been indulging in LGBTQ+ books featuring fantastical creatures, aeroplanes and hedonism. Yes, this month has been a bit of a varied adventure regarding my choice of literature.
Before diving into what I’ve been reading, let me say that after what felt like an eternal January, February is flying. I can’t believe March is only ten days away, but I’m looking forward to milder weather, which will hopefully come with spring. Then again, this is Yorkshire, and this winter has been one of extreme jumps in temperature (by ten degrees or more in the space of a couple of days).
Anyway, less about the weather, and more about the books.
Fantastical Creatures
At the beginning of the month, I flew through a couple of short stories by Will Forrest. Part of the 3 Daring Dukes series, the first story, 3 Dukes & the Maiden of the Loch, introduces our three heroes who are stuck on a long carriage journey from Scotland. When they come across a stunning and mystical maiden at the side of a loch, they indulge in a sensual adventure none will forget.
I enjoyed the story so much that I immediately jumped straight into the second, 3 Dukes & the Lady of the Fae. This time, our three adventurers are at a country house party when they get lost in a maze and find themselves transported to the land of the Fae. Once again, they are more than eager to experience the sensual pleasures of the magical world.
I believe the third instalment of this series is out soon, and I’d like to find out what our intrepid dukes will get up to next. The first two stories were enjoyable escapism with a hint of satire. The fantastical creatures were delightful, and the descriptions of them and the world they inhabit are vivid and beautiful.
Aeroplanes
My next book feels a little dull in comparison. At the time of writing, I’m still reading Virgin Flight by E V Bancroft. This historical romance, set during the Second World War, tells the story of two female pilots who work for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), a British civilian organisation established at the beginning of the Second World War.
As usual, I can’t resist including a few historical facts. The ATA flew new, repaired and damaged military aircraft across the country. In a first for the British government, from 1943, the ATA’s female pilots received equal pay to their male colleagues.
Back to the book. Virgin Flight focuses on the love story between the hardened and experienced French pilot, Odette, and the young, idealistic trainee, Beryl. So far, the author’s excellent blend of historical detail and characterisation has impressed me. It‘s also nice to read a historical romance from a different period than my usual reading material. Plus, the author is British, which means UK English spellings and I always appreciate that when the story is set in the UK and features British characters.
Hedonism
You may have guessed that my other LGBTQ+ read is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. This is Wilde’s only novel, and, unfortunately, I haven’t enjoyed it as much as I hoped. I’m almost finished, but I’ve found it such a long slog, and I can’t wait to get to the end.
For me, the famous Wilde wit of his plays is lacking in his novel. Well, I suspect it’s there, but it seems to get lost in the verbose prose that dragged me down under the burden of its elaborate meandering.
I can often overcome such things if the characters are likeable, but in this novel, I can’t say I liked one. Dorian Gray is shallow, and too easily influenced by the hedonistic views of Henry Wotton, whose arrogance and disdain for everything set me on edge. Wilde’s interests in aestheticism are clear and expressed by Dorian’s narcissistic adoration of his portrait. Everyone else (except James Vane) is in love with Dorian but becomes disappointed when he mistreats them.
I can’t work out if Wilde is trying to say that admiring beauty for beauty’s sake above all things is the only way to appreciate life, or if he’s trying to say it has merit, until a certain point where it becomes a corrupting influence.
Part of me wants to believe that this book advocates the enjoyment of beautiful things while maintaining moral integrity—but not being too stuffy about it (unlike Victorian society). However, I suspect I’m being naively optimistic.
Thanks for joining me on my brief foray into fantastical creatures, aeroplanes and hedonism. What have you been reading lately?
