Reading List

Nonfiction

A Mind of Its Own: a cultural history of the penis by David M. Friedman

Your suspicions are correct. The penis really is the center of the universe. In this sometimes amusing, but often serious book, David Friedman will tell you why.

You're Too Kind: a brief history of flattery by Richard Stengel

Prepare to be a teensy bit self-conscious after you read this thought provoking book. It will have you re-examining the way you interact with others, and the way they interact with you. (Okay, it's not about sex, per se, but this book might help some people get lucky.)

The Guide to Getting it On written & created by Paul Joannides

Funny and wise and sexy. Prepare to laugh and learn.

The Woman's Guide to Sex on the Web by Anne Semans and Cathy Winks

Avoid slogging through a lot of, er, junk with this informative guide to the Web's best resources for women. And I'm listed in it. Woo-hoo!

Kink: The shocking hidden sex lives of Americans AND What Men Really Want: Straight Talk From Men About Sex by Susan Crain Bakos

Ms. Bakos is a joy to read. She brings a dry wit, compassion, curiosity and personal experience to all her books. What Men Really Want is probably a “must-read.”

Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Sexual Fantasies by Nancy Friday

The classic study of real women’s fantasies. More informative (and less airbrushed) than short story collections purporting to do the same.

Sex Appeal: The Art and Science of Sexual Attraction by Kate and Douglas Botting

This father and daughter pair present a sweeping and extremely entertaining overview of what attracts one human being to another. Great quotes from modern and historical figures. Easy bite-sized bits of information. You'll feel smarter without actually getting a headache.

The Sexpert edited by Pat Califia - Badboy, 1992

A walk on the wilder side. Pat Califia, a former editor of Advocate Men (a gay magazine), collects her ‘most outrageous and useful’ advice columns.

The New Male Sexuality by Bernie Zilbergeld, Ph.D.

A kinder, gentler book by a man, for men - but you’ll like it, too.

The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex by Cathy Winks and Anne Semans

More about sex toys than you probably ever thought you wanted to know. Also an all-around manual for all sexual persuasions. Funny and reassuring. Great anecdotal information from customers.

Visit http://www.goodvibes.com to request a totally not-scary catalog of books, videos, toys, etc.

My Favorite How-To’s

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

Good, thought-provoking, eye-opening stuff. A treatise on effective (and affecting) story structure that will focus creativity rather than strangle it. And if you get a chance to hear this guy speak, jump on it!

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

A must have for anyone who wants to be easy (and enjoyable) to read.

Elements of Arousal: How to Write and Sell Gay Men’s Erotica by Lars Eighner

Tastes will differ, of course, but I found this book much more useful than the Valerie Kelly book How To Write Erotica. Warning to the squeamish: the illustrative examples are from gay male erotica. Chapter 7 on “The erotic scene” is worth the price of the book all by itself.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Erotic Romance by Alison Kent

Okay, I haven't actually read this, but I was quoted in it, so it must be good!

Romantic Fiction

Reliably steamy romance authors (a very partial list):

J.R.Ward. Ward's books could go under Science Fiction/Fantasy, but they're hot and they're romances, so I'm putting her "Black Dagger Brotherhood" series here. She writes wonderfully tortured heroes in a gritty, testosterone-infused--yet still romantic--paranormal world. So far, the books include Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, and Lover Awakened.

Robin Schone. The first of the new wave of ultra-steamy romance writers. Try The Lady's Tutor or The Lover for a fascinating hero and some very hot, very frank love scenes.

Christine Feehan. Hot vampire, er, Carpathian fun from new author, Christine Feehan. The series begins with Dark Desire , Dark Prince, Dark Gold and Dark Magic.

Gaelen Foley. I highly recommend her Napoleonic historical, Princess. A willful princess pursues her dangerous (and tormented) assassin-protector.Wildly romantic and very sexy. Ms. Foley knows how to breathe new life into old fantasies.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Tender, funny, and guaranteed to raise the temperature a few degreees. My only complaint is that there aren't more full-fledged love scenes in her books. These aren't just keepers, they're re-readers. My favorites include: Heaven, Texas, Nobody's Baby but Mine and Dream a Little Dream.

Laurell K. Hamilton. The Anita Blake vampire series takes place in an alternate reality where monsters are real and have to be integrated into modern society. These books are hot, funny, exciting, emotional, thought-provoking and did I mention hot? Lots of tease but, boy, can Ms. Hamilton crank up that sexual tension! Readers with the least bit of interest in vampires, werewolves, D/s, hard-boiled detective fiction and multi-dimensional kick-ass heroines should really enjoy these books. I know I can't wait for the next one. They are meant to be gobbled up in this order: Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned, The Lunatic Cafe, Bloody Bones, The Killing Dance, Burnt Offerings, Blue Moon, Narcissus in Chains and Cerulean Sins.

Heads up! The new "fey" series, starting with A Kiss of Shadows, is monstrously good and kinky. Appealing characters, creative worldbuilding and some of the sexiest sex scenes I've read in a long time. A Caress of Twilight comes next. Strange stuff, but pretty much impossible to put down.

Judy Cuevas/Judith Ivory. Try her latest historical, The Proposition, written as Judith Ivory. A truly unusual and endearing hero (he's a Victorian ratcatcher) and quite possibly the longest build-up to a sex-scene I've ever read. Beast and Sleeping Beauty are also winners. Her novels are emotional powerhouses, and the love scenes are positively lyrical - a great example of how skilled characterization turns up the heat.

Linda Howard. Oh, it's hard to choose, but try: After the Night, Shades of Twilight, or this classic: Midnight Rainbow. My copies are well- thumbed.

Susan Johnson. Another impossible choice, but if I must choose, my favorites are Brazen , Pure Sin , Wicked and Sinful. Golden Paradise, a recent reissue, is a gem - wonderfully emotional. You'll be sniffling and fanning your face at the same time. I can also recommend her latest, A Touch of Sin. Note to readers, Susan Johnson is not only extremely hot, she is very brainy. Her research is always fantastic.

Thea Devine. Another scorcher. Her prose inebriates. I think my favorites are an oldie but goody, Shameless Ecstasy (Zebra, 1989, ISBN 0-8217-2665-X) and Desire Me Only.

LaVyrle Spencer. Many of her books are erotically effective, but the most memorable to me was Twice Loved, which you can get in a triple set with two other good ones: Years and Spring Fancy. Other standouts include The Fulfillment and Morning Glory.

Early Brenda Joyce. Oh, I do miss the raunchy Brenda Joyce. But you can revisit her sweaty prime with The Fires of Paradise, Firestorm, Violet Fire and Scandalous Love.

Karen Robards. You gotta love these alpha-alpha males. Try Wild Orchid, To Love a Man, Morning Song and One Summer.

Erotic Fiction

J.L. Langley writes really fun m/m. I've enjoyed her gay cowboys and werewolves, especially With Caution, Without Reservations and The Tin Star.

Ava March is another m/m favorite of mine. She sets many of her books in the Regency. I recommend Bound by Deception and Bound to Him.

Loved this hot m/f contemp by Sylvia Day: All Revved Up

Nice Couples Do: How to Turn Your Secret Dreams into Sensational Sex by Joan Elizabeth Lloyd - Warner Books, 1991

I especially liked this ‘therapeutic’ story collection. Very accessible.

For an oldie but goodie m/m collection, try:

best gay erotica 1996 edited by Michael Ford - Cleis Press, 1996

My copy has a goofy psychedelic cover, but boy are these stories good. Smart, sexy, funny, tender.

Other erotic authors I've enjoyed:

Cleo Cordell. I thought Path of the Tiger , set in Colonial India was the coolest.

Juliet Hastings. I was especially impressed by Crash Course, Aria Appasionata and White Rose Ensnared.

Portia DaCosta. My favorites are Gothic Blue and The Tutor.

Anne Rice. The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment and Beauty's Release
These are the books that got me interested in writing erotica, and taught me a few things I didn't know about myself . . .

Angela Knight

Lora Leigh

Not necessarily erotic, but may provoke fantasies

When the author inspires you to write the sex scene in your head, that's erotic, yes? With that in mind, here are some of my all-time favorite keepers and re-readers, the books that have earned their place on my shelves. Hopefully, you'll find a few treasures for yourself.

Contemporary Fiction

Hornby, Nick: about a boy. Okay, this book probably won't inspire fantasies unless you're a big Hugh Grant fan and saw the movie, but it's quite good. Honest, funny, deftly observed and not too proud to tug at the heartstrings. This is one guy book I really enjoyed.

Mystery

Scottoline, Lisa. I've enjoyed all her books, most of which follow an ensemble of lawyers from a single Philadelphia firm. She's a wonderful storyteller, equal parts heart and craft. A particular standout for me was The Vendetta Defense for its deft and poignant backstory. Other authors only wish they were this good!

Evanovich, Janet. Need a good laugh? Like a smart-mouthed, bounty hunter heroine with big hair and not one, but two sexy love interests to choose from? In this order, get your chops on: One For the Money, Two for the Dough, Three to Get Deadly, Four to Score, High Five and Hot Six. You won't be sorry.

Anything by Anne Perry, but especially the William Monk mysteries. What can I say? Those Victorians get to me.

Historical Fiction

Neville, Katherine. The Eight. Quite possibly the coolest adventure story ever written. Romance, history, mystery, girl buddy bonding, metaphysics, chess and twentieth century politics. This writer's brains are as big as her marvelous story! (One warning: skip the two later books. They're not anywhere near the same league.)

Riley, Judith Merkle. The Oracle Glass, The Serpent Garden , In Pursuit of the Green Lion, A Vision of Light. Her history is as entertaining as her characters. You'll read her books with a tear in your eye and a chuckle in your throat. Very human. Very humane. And she always includes a wonderful romance.

Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. My personal favorite. And, yes, it's really good, not just good for you.

Renault, Mary. The Persian Boy. My first introduction to the allure of homoerotic situations. Alexander the Great and his admiring slave boy conquer the world.

Rice, Anne. Cry to Heaven. More homoerotic thrills, and a good bit of hetero, too. The adventures of a handsome, and surprisingly randy, castrato in eighteenth century Venice. Well-researched. Vintage Anne Rice prose. In my opinion, this book is even sexier than her erotica. It's right up there with The Eight on the coolness scale.

Stewart, Mary. Like to daydream over Arthurian fantasies? The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment are quite memorable.

Auel, Jean M. The Valley of the Horses. Pre-historic smut. Wonderful research. Lots of sex. A strong heroine and a hero who will please the most demanding size queen. If this book doesn't inspire fantasies, I don't know what will!

Smith, Wilbur. The River God. Intrigue and adventure in Pharaonic Egypt, told from the point of view of a brilliant (and brilliantly drawn) eunuch. Old-fashioned storytelling: fast-paced, exciting and filled with human insight. A wonderful book.

Romance

Marjorie Liu sure can write, and she's singlehandedly taking paranormal romance to a whole new level. My favorite so far is Shadow Touch, featuring the intrepid psychics of Dirk & Steele, an X-men like detective agency. Also a must read: her gem of a novella in Dark Dreamers.

Hauf, Michele. Dark Rapture. My Lady Madness. Here is My Heart. And, out now, a lady-musketeer story, Tame Me Not. This book is swash-adelic, baby! All Hauf's books are fresh and original. She'll fill your head with dreams. I only wish the vampire book was still in print!

Abrams, Nita. In the mood for something different? Nita Abrams A Question of Honor and The Exiles follow the adventures of a family of Jewish spies in the early 1800s. Abrams is a keen student of history and a wonderful prose stylist.

Sizemore, Susan. Susan Sizemore is known for her humor and her versatility. She writes a bit of everything. Try her latest historical romance, The Price of Innocence. The big combo collection: Crave The Night is a great way to get into the vampire series she's writing for Pocket books.

Quinn, Julia. I've read many enjoyable Julia Quinn's, but a recent fave isOn the Way to the Wedding, and an older fave is The Duke and I.

Crusie, Jennifer. Funny and tender (and wacky) by turns, all her books for St. Martin's are worth a read. I especially liked Welcome to Temptation, the tale of a female pornographer (sort of) and the reluctant mayor of a too-small town.

Kinsale, Laura. Prince of Midnight. Flowers from the Storm. My Sweet Folly. A beautiful, one-of-a-kind voice. These stories are haunting and evocative. My copies are quite dog-eared. My Sweet Folly is the best love letter story I've ever read.

Joy, Dara. Rejar. Men who turn into cats! Need I say more?

Krinard, Susan. Prince of Wolves. Prince of Shadows. Prince of Dreams. Men who turn into wolves, plus a vampire of dreams. Wonderful storytelling.

Sutcliffe, Katherine. Love's Illusion. Recently reprinted and well worth the honor. A highly original story about a Victorian magician and the impoverished young woman who captures his heart. Great sexual tension and an especially memorable scene involving a shared bed and the pretense of sleep...

Chance, Megan. The Portrait. A mad artist, a fragile admirer, a love powerful enough to save them both. This is groundbreaking romance. Moving and unforgettable.

Katherine Kingsley. No Greater Love and No Sweeter Heaven are both real winners that give new meaning to the word heartwarming. And not without their share of sex appeal.

Sawyer, Meryl. A Kiss in the Dark. Never Kiss a Stranger. Don't know if you can get these anymore, but the research and the characters are real standouts. Both are books you really sink into.

SF/Fantasy

Briggs, Patricia. My favorite, her Mercy Thompson series, starts with Moon Called.

Vaughn, Carrie. Love her Kitty the Werewolf. That series starts with Kitty and The Midnight Hour.

Harrison, Kim. A mistress of urban fantasy from her very first book, Harrison's spunky/sexy paranormal bountyhunter series includes Dead Witch Walking, Every Which Way But Dead, The Good, The Bad, and the Undead, and A Fistful of Charms.

Bishop, Anne. The Black Jewels Trilogy. Dark, fascinating fantasy featuring Satan and his minions. If you like your heroes tortured, this is the trilogy for you.

McKillip, Patricia A. Ombria in Shadow. A fairytale with substance, set in the magical city of Ombria. Loved the world, loved the characters. McKillip has a distinctive, poetic voice that really hit its stride—at least for me—in this book.

Harris, Charlaine. Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas. Vampire withdrawal? Like the old Laurell K. Hamilton better than the new? Try Charlaine Harris's darkly humorous "Southern Vampire" series. Though reminiscent of LKH's worldbuilding, Harris definitely puts her own stamp on these books. Sookie Stackhouse is a wonderful waitress-heroine. I'm also loving her newest "Grave" series, featuring a heroine who finds dead people for a living. That series begins with Grave Sight.

Egan, Doris. The Complete Ivory. The first book in this trilogy is absolutely amazing, a mythic tale of sibling rivalry and love that manages to read like "real" life. The second two books are also very good. They'll make you wish for more.

Armstrong, Kelley. Here's an interesting new author to watch. Bitten is her first novel. Her heroine in this contemporary werewolf tale is a lot of fun and her bad-boy love interest . . . ooh la la!

Rowling, J.K. Yes, I'm part of the craze, but I can't help it. These books are charming, funny, moving and wise. Feel like the kid you never were but wished you could be! Harry Potter and: The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire.

McCaffrey, Anne. The Crystal Singer. She's written plenty of good books, but—fantasy-wise—this is my favorite. Incredibly escapist. You'll want to read it again and again.

Shinn, Sharon. The Shapechanger's Wife. Archangel. Jovah's Angel. The Alleluia Files. Fantasy with substance. Shinn knows how to build worlds and characters, and how to incorporate an affecting romance.

McKinley, Robin. Beauty. Deerskin. The Blue Sword. The Hero and The Crown. Haunting, romantic, thought-provoking. She'll convince you these worlds and people are real. Deerskin is terribly wrenching, but very good. Absolutely not just for kids.

Fortune, Dion. The Winged Bull. Dion Fortune was a contemporary of Aleister Crowley, I believe. A rival occultist, if that's the term. Her novels are chockablock with metaphysical tidbits and adventure. All interesting reads, but I especially liked this one for its appealing postwar soldier hero. (Hard to find.)

Rice, Anne. The Mummy. Reminds you how much fun Anne Rice used to be. Great interweaving of history (more Victorians!), an exciting romance, a spine-tingling adventure, and a very sexy mummy.