Late summer reading - Fiction, memoirs, kink and art books with a queer view

From the personal diaries of the “Fellow Travelers” author to a new wonderful story by Allison Bechtel, or even the late Edmond White’s saucy memoir and artist Nayland Blake’s kinky life, late summer still has plenty of fresh reading opportunities, whether on the beach or curled up under a blanket on a chilly San Francisco night.

   THOMAS MALLON is the gay author of the novel “Fellow Travelers,” which was the basis for the acclaimed streaming series of the same name. “The Very Heart of It: New York Diaries, 1983-1994” (Knopf) is a gutsy move on Mallon’s part, sharing these diaries filled with roller coaster events and emotions, given the significance of the period in queer history. Most shocking takeaways: 1. Mallon’s politically conservative nature. 2. The more things change, the more