Celestial | Open Throat: A Novel

Open Throat: A Novel

Henry Hoke

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Finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. One of the Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Fiction in 2023. One of The New York Times' 10 Best California Books of 2023. Longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award.

“Open Throat is what fiction should be.” —The New York Times Book Review

A lonely, lovable, queer mountain lion narrates this star-making fever dream of a novel. A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Lonely and fascinated by humanity’s foibles, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma, and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their gender identity, memories of a vicious father, and the indignities of sentience.

When a man-made fire engulfs the encampment, the lion is forced from the hills down into the city the hikers call “ellay.” As the lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, they take us on a tour that spans the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles and the toll of climate grief. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: Do they want to eat a person, or become one?

Henry Hoke’s Open Throat is a marvel of storytelling, a universal journey through a wondrous and menacing world recounted by a lovable mountain lion. Feral and vulnerable, profound and playful, Open Throat is a star-making novel that brings the mythic to life.

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Posts about this title from Celestial

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 30

your friend really, really needs to read these books …

📚 books mentioned: - Our Sister’s Keeper by Jasmine Holmes - Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado - Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine - Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington - Canon by Paige Lewis - You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado - Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz - The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar - Open Throat by Henry Hoke - Singer Distance by Ethan Chatagnier - Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow - Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson - Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino - The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter - Fury by Shirley Marr

👗💄: - shirt is from Hill House Home - eyeshadow is The Lord of the Rings Middle Earth Palette from Glamlite and In A Trance from Colourpop - eyeliner is Vegan Longwear Eyeliner (Ocean) from Pacifica Beauty - shimmer is a single (Enchanted) from Adriana Nichole Cosmetics - mascara is Clean Volume from Merit - lip combo is Suede Matte Lip Liner (Moonwalk) from NYX Cosmetics and Wonder Blading Top Gloss (Holographic) from Wonderskin

thank you to Bindery Books, Sourcebooks Landmark, Simon Teen, Viking Books, William Morrow, Tordotcom, and Tin House for the gifted copies!

#fantasybooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @bindery_books @graywolfpress @sourcebooks @bookmarked @simonteen @vikingbooks @williammorrowbooks @entangledteen @tordotcompub @mcdbooks @tin_house @fiercereads @groveatlantic @fsgbooks @orbitbooks_us @hillhouse @glamlite @adriananicholecosmetics @merit @wonderskin @colourpopcosmetics @nyxcosmetics

15 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 27

WEIRD LITTLE QUEER BOOKS

WEIRD LITTLE QUEER BOOKS: a speciality of mine! all of these are super short, but they’re going to STICK WITH YOU.

📚 books mentioned: - The Deep by Rivers Solomon - Open Throat by Henry Hoke - But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

👗💄: - shirt is from Anthropologie - eyeshadow is Blends Artistry Palette from Blend Bunny Cosmetics - eye shimmer is a single (Aphrodite) from Ourbella - eyeliner is Vegan Longwear Eyeliner (Minty) from Pacifica Beauty - mascara is Badi Lash from Kulfi - lip is the Lip Buttercream (Blueberry Crush) from Pacifica Beauty

thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy!

#weirdbooks #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @mcdbooks @tordotcompub @anthropologie @blendbunnycosmetics @ourbella.us @kulfi.beauty @pacificabeauty

3 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Dec 22 2025

💭 favorite adult book with an animal narrator? (PLEASE i need to collect more recs!)

this is for YOU, fellow warrior cats and animorphs and redwall and guardians of ga’hoole and etc. fans.

📚 books mentioned: - Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton - Open Throat by Henry Hoke - She and Her Cat: Stories by Naruki Nagakawa and Makoto Shinkai, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori

👗💄: - dress is from Cupshe - eyeshadow is from Ourbella - eyeliner is from Kaleidos - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)

thank you to Atria Books for the gifted copy!

#animalpov #animalnarrator #bookrecs #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @grandcentralpub @mcdbooks @atriabooks @cupshe @ourbella.us @kaleidosmakeup

3 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 13 2025

weird books for weird readers!!

📚 books mentioned: - But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo - Open Throat by Henry Hoke - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - The Devourers by Indra Das

👗💄: - dress is from @selkie - chrome green eyeliner is from @kaleidosmakeup - (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)

thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy!

#weirdbooks #weirdgirlbooks #disturbingbooks #weirdbookrecs #horrorbooks #fantasybooks #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @tordotcompub @mcdbooks @delreybooks

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Aug 9 2025

i came up with this video idea in the shower and knew i had to film it immediately if not sooner 🫣

book recommendations based on my weird pajama t-shirts!

📚 books mentioned: - Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova - Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar - I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones - Open Throat by Henry Hoke - Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker - The Coven Tendency by Zoe Hana Mikuta

thank you to Saga Press, MIRA/HPT Hive, and Disney Hyperion for the gifted copies!

#bookrecommendations #bookreviews #horrorbooks #fantasybooks #scifibooks #weirdbooks #disturbingbooks #weirdgirlbooks #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram #nycbookstagram @zandoprojects @ireadvintage @sagapressbooks @mcdbooks @readmirabooks @htp_hive @disneybooks

6 books

Posts about this book from across Bindery

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 30

your friend really, really needs to read these books …

thank you to Bindery Books, Sourcebooks Landmark, Simon Teen, Viking Books, William Morrow, Tordotcom, and Tin House for the gifted copies!

15 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Jun 27

WEIRD LITTLE QUEER BOOKS

WEIRD LITTLE QUEER BOOKS: a speciality of mine! all of these are super short, but they’re going to STICK WITH YOU.

📚 books mentioned: - The Deep by Rivers Solomon - Open Throat by Henry Hoke - But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo

thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy!

3 books

Sunny's Book Truck\ \ CJ\ \ • Jun 21

Join for free

[Hi nerds,\ \ Last night we held our recurring event, Sunny's Salon. This month the prompt was to come prepared to talk about your favorite queer read for Pride month. Below you will find 20ish book recommendations gathered from the Yuma community.\ \ \ \

The Song of Achilles: A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War from the bestselling author of Circe.\ \
Homosexual Intifada: A groundbreaking anthology amplifying queer Palestinian voices through art and storytelling that reclaim identity, resist erasure, and challenge stereotypes.\ \
Muñeca: A vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process.\ \
Cleat Cute: A sapphic rivals to lovers rom com for fans of Ted Lasso and A League of Their Own, where two soccer teammates are at odds before falling in love as their team gears up for the World Cup.\ \
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: The award-winning, internationally renowned book that is a “tender, honest exploration of identity” ( Publishers Weekly) and distills lyrical truths about family and friendship through the unlikely connection between two teens.\ \
Dogs of Summer: My Brilliant Friend meets Blue is the Warmest Color in this lyrical debut novel set in a working-class neighborhood of the Canary Islands—a story about two girls coming of age in the early aughts and a friendship that simmers into erotic desire over the course of one hot summer.\ \ \ \ \
I'll Give You the Sun: The radiant, award-winning story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, Becky Albertalli, and Adam Silvera.\ \
What Move the Dead: A gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” from Hugo, Locus, & Nebula award-winning author T. Kingfisher.\ \
Cemetery Boys: A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas's paranormal YA debut.\ \
The Black Flamingo: A fierce coming-of-age verse novel about identity and the power of drag, from acclaimed poet and performer Dean Atta. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo, Jason Reynolds, and Kacen Callender.\ \
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth: Featuring an autistic trans protagonist in a historical setting, Andrew Joseph White’s much-anticipated sophomore novel does not back down from exposing the violence of the patriarchy and the harm inflicted on trans youth who are forced into conformity.\ \ \ Open Throat: A lonely, lovable, queer mountain lion narrates this star-making fever dream of a novel.\ \ \ \
Pumpkin: Return to the beloved world of Julie Murphy’s #1 New York Times bestselling Dumplin’— now a popular Netflix feature film starring Jennifer Aniston — in this fabulously joyful, final companion novel about drag, prom, and embracing your inner Queen.\ \
Herculine: A “witty, often-chilling, compulsively readable” ( Vogue) horror debut following a woman who seeks refuge at an all-trans girl commune only to discover that demons haunt her fellow comrades—and she’s their next prey!\ \
Stag Dance: In this collection of one novel and three stories, bestselling author Torrey Peters’s keen eye for the rough edges of community and desire push the limits of trans writing.\ \
D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding: D'Vaughn and Kris have six weeks to plan their dream wedding. Their whole relationship is fake.\ \
Wife Shaped Bodies: Sorrowland meets Manhunt in this literary horror debut in which an isolated newlywed, covered in fungal fruiting bodies, strikes a precarious balance between following her husband's strict rules and pursuing an intense connection with a woman who makes her question everything.\ \
Astrid Parker Doesn't Fall: An interior designer who is never without the perfect plan learns to renovate her love life without one in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care.\ \ \ \ \
Cackle: A darkly funny, frightening novel about a young woman learning how to take what she wants from a witch who may be too good to be true, from the author of The Return.\ \
Giovanni's Room: James Baldwin’s groundbreaking novel whose frank exploration of sexuality and self-acceptance was decades ahead of its time—named one of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the past 100 years.\ \
Strange Beasts: In this fresh-yet-familiar gothic tale—part historical fantasy, part puzzle-box mystery—the worlds of Dracula and Sherlock Holmes collide in a thrilling exploration of feminine power.\ \
Looking for a Sign: A newly single queer woman moves to New Orleans and sets off on a mission to find her most compatible match by going on a date with someone of each astrological sign in this rom-com from the Lambda Literary Award–nominated author of Queerly Beloved.\ \
Saturn Returning: A smoldering, soul-splitting debut that tracks three friends through the celestial chaos of adulthood, love, and queer identity.\ \
Legends & Lattes: The much-beloved BookTok sensation, Travis Baldree's novel of high fantasy and low stakes.\ \ \ \ Love what we do? Become a paid subscriberfor less than a cup of coffee a month. Your ongoing support helps us plan ahead, fund causes we care about, and create meaningful programming for our community.](https://sunnysbooktruck.binderybooks.com/item/qhqwdGtxh5zmTWfKXN0w/)

What our community is reading for Pride

🌈🌈🌈

22 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Dec 22 2025

💭 favorite adult book with an animal narrator? (PLEASE i need to collect more recs!)

this is for YOU, fellow warrior cats and animorphs and redwall and guardians of ga’hoole and etc. fans.

thank you to Atria Books for the gifted copy!

#animalpov #animalnarrator #bookrecs #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @grandcentralpub @mcdbooks @atriabooks @cupshe @ourbella.us @kaleidosmakeup

3 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Sep 13 2025

weird books for weird readers!!

📚 books mentioned: - But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo - Open Throat by Henry Hoke - Model Home by Rivers Solomon - The Devourers by Indra Das

thank you to Tordotcom for the gifted copy!

4 books

Celestial\ \ Steph\ \ • Aug 9 2025

i came up with this video idea in the shower and knew i had to film it immediately if not sooner 🫣

book recommendations based on my weird pajama t-shirts!

thank you to Saga Press, MIRA/HPT Hive, and Disney Hyperion for the gifted copies!

6 books

Sunny's Book Truck\ \ CJ\ \ • Jul 29 2025

Join for free

Publisher spotlight! MCD Books

Are you loyal to any publishers?

4 books

Sunny's Book Truck\ \ CJ\ \ • Jul 29 2025

Join for free

\ \ After finishing reading Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson, I had a book hangover. Everything I picked up faltered in comparison. This novel published in 1980 has become a modern classic for god reason! We follow two young girls, entrusted in their strange aunts care after the death of their parents in grandmother. Set in a creaky old house in the fictional northwest town of Fingerbone, we watch the girls come of age and try to come to terms with their transient aunt and their suffocating small town. For fans of: being able to see your breath in the cold air, Toni Morrison, and french braids.\ \ \ \ Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton follows a guerrilla gardening group and their opponents as they navigate their way through the New Zealand countryside, trying to turn an abandoned farm into their biggest project yet. Part psychological thriller, part in depth character analysis of the worst people imaginable, Catton’s control of the narrative and its many inhabitants was endlessly impressive. The prose was immaculate and giving Franzen, tbh. Totally engrossing without the pulpy hangover of a thriller done badly. I loved it! For fans of: age gap relationships, Crossroads , and doomsday cults.\ \ \ \ Open Throat by Henry Hoke is narrated by a lonely mountain lion and is somehow able to poignantly capture something about queerness and the failure of language. The novel is set in contemporary LA and seamlessly interweaves themes of displacement and the myth of the natural. Reckless and precise, Open Throat is a love letter to all creatures who can’t be tamed. For fans of: heatwave mirages, crawling on all fours, saliva.](https://sunnysbooktruck.binderybooks.com/item/B5gnTZCV3oRtFDFI2JKv/)

Rapid Reviews

Sisters! Cults! Lions!

3 books