Book cover of The Boys: A Biography of Michael MacLiammoir & Hilton Edwards

Book description

The Ireland of the inter-war years was an island of remarkable contradictions. In spite of the highly moralistic attitude of Church and State, including an official censorship of publications, there existed a heady atmosphere of laissez-faire. Artistic life in Dublin possessed a piquancy never found before or since, accentuated during…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Boys as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This was one of my favourite books recently. I picked it up in a charity shop out of curiosity as the two boys were extremely famous Irish actors and theatre designers, albeit being born in the UK.

Their relationship was illegal for the entirety of their lives but their talent and fame allowed them the liberty to walk hand in hand down Dublin’s fashionable Grafton Street in the 1950s, receiving only smiles and acknowledgements. The brilliant telling of their story covers all aspects of life in Ireland from the early 1900s, the difficulties they faced, financial and personal, but the…

If you love The Boys...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like The Boys?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Boys.

Browse books like The Boys

Book cover of Trans Voices: Becoming Who You Are
Book cover of Like Other Girls
Book cover of The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde: An Intimate Biography

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

174

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Boys, you might also like...

Book cover of Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture

Sexy Selfie Nation by Leora Tanenbaum,

The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.

Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…

Book cover of In This Together: Connecting with Your Community to Combat the Climate Crisis

In This Together by Marianne E. Krasny,

In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…

5 book lists we think you will like!