I’ve read a few books from editor Alison Tyler’s Erotic Alphabet series now and am a big fan. Each small book is built around a central theme, in this case jealousy, and Tyler does a great job of selecting a variety of stories that cover every side of the book’s focus.
J is for Jealousy is one I have to admit I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Maybe I have a yearning for the dyke drama of my younger days, or perhaps I just miss the power of that green monster we’ve all struggled with. Either way, this old married lady found herself drawn into each story of passion, longing and pain. Tyler describes the book best in the introduction:
The authors in this collection have delved into that hurt, that damaged bruise-colored emotion, and have managed somehow to squeeze pleasure from the pain.
Anyone who has known the sting of denial or lusted after something that doesn’t belong to them will find hints of themselves in these sexy stories.
Surprisingly, one of my favorites was Couch Surfing by Thomas S. Roche. I typically wouldn’t get off to the idea of a dude living on his ex-girlfriend’s couch and lusting after her roommate, but the writing is exquisite and I found myself rooting for him as he longs after this girl. Roche captures the pure essence of unrequited desire in this hot short story.
So far, this is my favorite book in the Erotic Alphabet collection because the stories are hot and it even made me think a little bit. Three books into the series, I’m starting to think you can’t go wrong with these naughty little books!
Add this excellent book to your collection!
Oh, and if you’re looking for a cool gift, check out Alphabet Erotica. It’s a little book of postcards modeled after the book covers for the entire series A-Z! It’s totally rad and everyone loves getting mail!
No Comments »
I is for Indecent, another small compilation from Alison Tyler’s Erotic Alphabet collection, tackles themes that are a little more risqué than the rest of the series. The question of what is indecent is a tricky one. My mom freaks out whenever two people hold hands on television – how dare they? I, on the other hand, have a pretty high tolerance and figure consenting adults can do what they damn well please. Tyler has carefully put together fifteen stories that will expand your horizons, while toeing the line of what some consider obscene. The result is a collection that will open your eyes, test your boundaries, and keep you reading!
Exhibitionism is rampant throughout, but the stories approach it from a completely different angle. I loved Lisette Ashton’s That Monday Morning Feeling – it almost made me long for Philly’s dirty public transportation. The narrator takes us through her morning commute sans underpants. The thought of pressing up against a fellow commuter just long enough to turn them on before taking off at the next stop is incredibly enticing!
Michael Hemmingson tells the tale of a poor graduate student who, in an attempt to pay her rent, ends up as part of a live sex show at an art gallery in The Installation. Her journey is truly engaging as she opens up to the experience. This is a story I don’t foresee myself living out, especially since my days of being a poor grad student are past, but I am definitely intrigued by.
With tales of public urination, an affair with a priest, an encounter with a hustler the narrator knew as a boy, and playing dead; you’re likely to find stories that excite and offend you. Not every story did it for me, but the back of the book states that this one is “guaranteed to offend and titillate,” and it lived up to that promise.
-The Porn Librarian
Add this excellent book to your collection!
No Comments »
Over the course of this past weekend, I read the latest book in Alison Tyler’s erotic alphabet series, L is for Leather and was introduced to a whole new world! I’m not a leather girl, but maybe I should be.
This small book features an eclectic collection of stories that are sure to send you running for the neglected leather gloves in the back of your closet. What really impressed me was the variety of stories Tyler compiled in exploring this fetish.
I was drawn in by Radclyffe’s “Skin-Flick Sex” which tells the tale of a delivery girl who is caught sneaking a peek at a gay porn shoot by a production assistant. I’ve never been to a porn shoot, and always assumed one would be about as sexy as my Great Aunt’s underpants, but when you add the danger of getting caught watching and an aggressive butch to the mix, I’m sold! I’ve enjoyed other piece’s by Radclyffe who definitely has a way with words – “She was hard, would always be hard, would give it to me hard, as deep and as long as I needed it.” – need I say any more?
Read the rest of this entry »
No Comments »
