Sex Book Gifts

Not so much about sex as it is about intimacy and connection, Elinor Carucci’s photography is nonetheless sensual and tactile. Spending time with her images can leave you emotionally spent but also wanting more (so it’s a little like sex). Chronicle Books released this revised edition of a 2002 monograph that brought her well-deserved attention and acclaim. The 91 images feature the photographer, her husband and various family members in moments that are both private and everyday. The photos are all warm, sometimes surprising, and always human. 120 pages, $40.

This is one of those books that's as sexy to hold as it is to read. Featuring forty erotic short stories collected by Susie Bright and presented in a difficult to put down hardcover edition with a peekaboo cut out box sleeve (the picture doesn't do it justice). The stories range widely in tastes, explicitness and style and offer a both a great introduction for newcomers to erotic fiction and a perfect gift for any erotica collector. 367 pages, $35.

The much anticipated (and yes, even bigger) sixth edition of what may simply be the world’s greatest sex manual, The Guide to Getting It On is scheduled for an early December release. Covering almost every conceivable aspect of sexual pleasure all grounded in the latest research and delivered with a healthy dose of humor and skepticism that one would expect from renegade research psychoanalyst Paul Joannides, The Guide also doubles as a door stop, booster seat, and a darn good pick up line. Buy one copy for yourself, and two for friends and family. 928 pages, $24.

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Illustrator and comic artist Ellen Forney has been providing illustrations for the personal ads in Seattle's alt-weekly The Stranger for many years. Here she collects some of the best and kinkiest of these ads in a funny and occasionally familiar collection. Dan Savage (the editor of The Stranger who co-wrote the introduction) describes Forney as a “rare comic artist that can take someone's kinks and make them look like endearing, fascinating quirks." Lust also includes interviews Forney conducted with the people who posted the ads. Seeing these ads and imagining how your own might be illustrated is a much more engaging version of who would play you in a movie of your life. 168 pages, $20

If you’ve got someone on your holiday list that’s been naughty enough for some corrective loving, Spanked may be the perfect gift for both of you. A well-written and intelligent collection that zeros in on scenarios, motivation, and action featuring spanking with all manner of instruments (hands, crops, brushes and more). The collection is edited by the sexually prolific Rachel Kramer Bussel and her considerate, fun-loving editorial hand print is all over it. Whether you're interested in bringing spanking into your real or imagined sex life, Spanked is a great way to keep your circulation moving on those cold winter nights. 220 pages, $15

Regina Lynn offers a sweet, reassuring, and incredibly practical compendium of ways to spice up your sex life using everyday technology for help and inspiration. From how to make erotic art with your cell phone to how to have cybersex to tricks on using technology to make more time for sex, Lynn is the anti-sexpert you can turn to again and again for inspiration or a friendly motivational nudge. 250 pages, $15.

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Featuring some of today’s great comic artists (including Daniel Clowes, Phoebe Gloeckner, Gilbert Hernandez, Michael Manning, Ellen Forney, and many others) this is a must have collection for anyone who loves comix or loves reading and thinking about sex. There’s something about the medium that takes you fast and deep into the heart of sexual matters, and there are dozens of stand out comix in this collection. It can be a real challenge to track down all the great erotic comix work being done and we should all be grateful to Greta Christina for saving us time, so we can spend more of it appreciating her fine book. 200 pages, $20

This one is from last year, but I missed it then, and what would a holiday book gift guide be without one Christmas themed erotica collection? Naughty or Nice is the second such collection from Alison Tyler whose Merry XXXmas Book of Erotica thrilled holiday lovers two years ago. This time around we’re treated to a retelling of A Christmas Carol, a performance for Santa that has to measure up, and a collection of holiday tales that will have you sharing looks with your lover across the family dinner table that aren’t just about how much you hate fruitcake. 180 pages, $15

There are so few forums for serious and sexy non-fiction writing about sex, and this series, now in its third year is establishing itself as an important outlet for intellectual and thoughtful writing on sexual politics, pleasures and perversions. The stories range in style, content, and in some cases quality, but overall Rachel Kramer Bussel has pulled together a great collection of sexual reportage that would be a welcome gift for the budding sexologist, journalist, or cultural anthropologist on your holiday gift list. 224 pages, $15.

The 10th anniversary edition of this classic aphrodisiac cookbook is packed with over 200 pages of beautiful photographs and sensual recipes and makes a perfect gift for the debauched gourmet in your life. It doesn’t hurt that giving this gift increases your chances of being on the receiving end of something wonderful. And by that I mean food, of course. 208 pages, $30.