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Sexy Summer Reading

As temperatures continue to rise and Montreal gets sticky like lovers eating ice cream off each other’s bodies, I find the best way to keep cool is to hole up in the bedroom with my brand-new air conditioner and read dirty books. When I’m not eating ice cream off my lover’s body, that is.

So what does a sex columnist put on her summer reading list? Oddly enough, I had originally intended to write a column about some of the classics of erotic literature, but then I realized that I haven’t actually read many of the authors I wanted to write about. Additionally, I’ve lately found myself most interested in books that are surrounded by scandal or controversy. Since every summer reading list needs a theme, this year I’ve decided to crash the public libraries in search of the scandalously filthy books of old.

Concordia University’s libraries alone offer a wealth of salacious selections, from D.H. Lawrence to Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin, plus some more modern titles like 2007′s The Mammoth Book of New Gay Erotica. Throw in a few hot librarians and their wireless Internet access and the Con U stacks make a great place to hide out when the heat gets too oppressive. Just don’t let security catch you jerking off on the books or you’ll have your public access revoked.

Want to start your own dirty book club? Here’s the short list of some of the books I’ll be reading this summer:

Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships
By Tristan Taormino

Taormino, for those who aren’t familiar with her work, is a relationship expert, sex columnist, educator and porn producer extraordinaire. She’s perhaps best known for her role as the “anal advisor,” having written a number of Village Voice columns and a book on the topic of anal sex, but her latest work is about open relationships in all their many forms. A pretty hefty sex book at 346 pages, this is the new bible for anyone interested in or curious about open relationships, polyamory, swinging, wife-swapping or just plain non-monogamy.

The Adventurous Couple’s Guide to Strap-on Sex
By Violet Blue

As mentioned in a previous column, I’ve been reading up on the art of pegging, and this is my source. Violet Blue’s new book is available through Cleis Press, publishers of great sex books both fictional and non-fictional, and this book is a short introduction to anal sex with women on top. Great for anyone who has ever wondered how to broach the topic with their boyfriend, lover or husband, as well as those in need of practical advice on how to follow the rules of anal sex when using a dildo.

Vox
By Nicholson Baker

Yep, this is that book – the one Bill Clinton was reportedly given by his then-intern, Monica Lewinsky. A novel about phone sex, the two characters discuss their various fantasies throughout the book until, finally, they each manage to get off. I read through this one yesterday, and really enjoyed the now ancient references to stereo dials, phone sex chat lines and the characters’ discussions about which are better for getting off: words or images. Decide for yourself whether reading this book makes someone a “shameless hussy.”

The Misfortunes of Virtue
By the Marquis de Sade

Born in a palace, the Marquis de Sade slowly destroyed his privileged, upper-class life in pursuit of the torturous sexual activities that would later bear his name. The Marquis died in a madhouse after spending 27 years in prison for crimes such as blasphemy, sodomy, adultery, sexual imprisonment, non-lethal poisoning and, finally, the publication of obscenities. For the most part, these crimes are today considered acceptable behaviour for consenting adults. Was the Marquis merely ahead of his time or was he a legitimately dangerous character? The Misfortunes of Virtue is one of his early works, but it should be interesting to see how this all-important figure in erotic literature began his writing life. (In case you’re interested, there’s a free e-library full of the Marquis de Sade’s most famous writings online at http://supervert.com/elibrary/marquis_de_sade.)

52
By Jeanette Winterson, Ali Smith, AM Homes and Jackie Kay

Winterson is a perennially erotic novelist. Her writings always contain sensuous wordplay and tangled love interests, both of which contribute to the overall feeling that she’s writing about sex without necessarily writing about sex. Her latest effort is a serial novel, published every Saturday in Britain’s The Guardian, with contributions from fellow novelists Ali Smith, AM Homes and Jackie Kay. 52 references the days of Charles Dickens, when most novels were written and published serially, often as soon as the authors had completed writing the next section. This makes for a “stay tuned for next week’s instalment!” approach that keeps readers coming back for more. So far there are five instalments of this novel online at http://books.guardian.co.uk; stay tuned for more!

(Originally published at Hour.ca)

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