Second Line: Two Short Novels of Love and Cooking in New Orleans

I love Poppy Z Brite and I love New Orleans. She is the undisputed queen of the underground happenings in the French Quarter and other places. I swear not a body gets dumped in some off-beat bayou that she doesn't know about it the next day. Her writing often drifts towards the Supernatural, but she always is very clear and concise about who exactly poisoned the gumbo the night before. She has a definite slant towards the LGBT folks, but usually covers everyone - witches, demons, murderers, fairies, posers, etc. Her writing is addictive and I have yet to purchase something she has written and been disappointed in it. Buy this book

I assumed that after reading the Liquor series, The Devil You Know, and Antediluvian Tales that I couldn't possibly grow more fond of Rickey and G-man, but this collection proved me wrong. I had planned on reading Second Line at a snail's pace in case it was the last time I read about the guys, but it was too enjoyable to put down and I finished it within a few days. The two stories are touching and humorous, character driven, and envelope you with a strong sense of place. Brite strikes me as someone who cares for and had spent a good deal of quality time with their characters. I would say Second Line is a must read for anyone who enjoyed Liquor.

I love that these books are being reprinted; Brite's Liquor books were amazing. I've always loved her books, but the stories of Ricky and G-Man were on another level entirely. I own both of these books in their Subterranean Press iterations, and I can say that you can't go wrong with them! The Value of X is a sweet and sometimes challenging introduction to the characters, and manages to evoke all of the right emotions and confusion that go along with being young and gay (trust me, I know.) D.U.C.K. is a great story on its own, and a bittersweet coda to the lives of Ricky and G-Man. It broke my heart to finish it. You can't go wrong with this book, I promise.