Mistakes and Ladders by Pip McCormac

Oh man, where should I begin... Mistakes and Ladders was spot on what gay life is all about for most men: promiscuity, drugs, drinking until wasted, clubs, innumerable dates, discounted designer clothes, insecurity and lots of drama. Hell... Been there done that, apart from the drugs bit - it has never been my style. 

This book retells all the failed relationships and dates of the author. He even brings to the table his drug addiction and how his friends staged an intervention for his sorry ass. Always looking for "the one" he kept dating guys and making himself believing that each one is the one he'll marry and be his husband. He played the game and, in the gay world, very few people manage to actually find what they are looking for (reasoning that they know what they are looking for). It's a jungle out there and it's every man for himself.

This quote reminded me how shallow this world is and at some level I still am part of it: "In the morning he made me a cup of tea and we watched a bit of TV in bed. In gay terms, it felt like getting engaged." Yeah, we live fast and outside of the society's norms but deep down, everyone at least has thought about finding that special someone. To contradict myself here is another quote: "Anyone you take home will have slept with your old one at some point. There are only so many of us to go around - this is a fact of gay math." Sadly it is so, due to the fact that once you get into a scene and you're still looking to find a man, you probably end up shagging someone who shagged your ex or your ex's ex before you. Just imagine the complications and the drama.

This book is a gay version of Sex and the city, where the main character embodies all of those bitches' traits. Realizing that I had actually seen the series and the movie makes me cringe. Anyway, this is a book about gay life in UK and it's somewhat funny and thought provoking at times. I wouldn't call it "a must read", but it is OK enough to give a bit of insight of how gay men are besides Queer as Folk and Modern family.