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Book Lovers
Forget poorly written prose and clichéd love scenes: Book Lovers answers the call for sexy literature with substance. This collection of toe-curling tales written by and for word-worshippers offers well-crafted fiction and creative nonfiction that connects literature to libido. From a Vonnegut-inspired tryst to an imaginary ménage à trois with Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin, the book encompasses a veritable buffet of literary fantasies.
Whether they’re conjuring Junot Díaz between the sheets or dreaming of a modern-day enactment of Wuthering Heights—this time refusing Edgar in favor of lusty, bodice-ripping nights with Heathcliff—the stories in Book Lovers are designed for readers’ brains and bodies.
Includes contributions from Izabella St. James, Slash Coleman, Trina Calderón, Cara Bruce, and Stephanie Auteri.
Whether they’re conjuring Junot Díaz between the sheets or dreaming of a modern-day enactment of Wuthering Heights—this time refusing Edgar in favor of lusty, bodice-ripping nights with Heathcliff—the stories in Book Lovers are designed for readers’ brains and bodies.
Includes contributions from Izabella St. James, Slash Coleman, Trina Calderón, Cara Bruce, and Stephanie Auteri.
240 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2014
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July 23, 2016
A STUNNING COLLECTION OF BOOK LOVE!
The stated purpose of this work was to create a collection of stories of an erotic nature which are elegantly written. I say, with out reservation, that the goal has been stunningly achieved. Finding love, lust, and heartbreaking romance in the pages of a book,
...or in the retelling of a familiar tale
...or literally betwixt the shelves of a library,
...or told through the poetry written by lovers,
...or through letters to the authors themselves.
At times playful, poignant, whimsical, sensual, humorous, and curious…
This collection is perfect for the vastly read; the stories reference so many Authors across multiple Genres.
I often find it difficult to review anthologies… Especially considering Book Lovers features twenty-three individual authors with distinct styles and subject matter. Collections with diverse stories such as those found here require an approach all their own. In an effort to do justice to these stories, I will be reviewing the individual sections laid out by Editor Shawna Kenney.
I was throughly blown away by the majority of these authors. While not all resonated with me, I think that really just speaks to the fact that there is something in this collection for everyone.
I was practically giddy with enjoyment over her compilation.
I was enthralled.
I fell in love with this book.
This is the type of Anthology so flawlessly written as to demand second and third readings.
Introduction by Shawna Kenney
Kenny explains her process of working on Book Lovers:
A to Z by Kristina Wright
A beautiful story about romance found between two women at a library. The relationship begins with flirting… and a recommended reading list starting with "A is for Austen" Zoe introduces Amy to a wealth of literature at their biweekly rendezvous at the Public Library. As the books move Bronte to Christie to Daphne du Maurier, and the rest of the way down the alphabet, their relationship evolves from flirting to fondling - to sex in the library's bathroom. I found that the ending was especially satisfying in his story.
Playmates at Play Izabella St. James
Told from the point of view of a Playmate living within the walls of the infamous Playboy Mansion - She tells us about the frustration that comes from being one of several Girlfriends of Hugh Hefner, which is not quite as glamorous as it seems. The core of the story centers on how she assuages the dissatisfaction of her sexual exploits within the Mansion by burring herself in literary romance.
The Descent by Cara Bruce
An homage to The Pit and the Pendulum with a BDSM twist, written in flawless prose. A beautifully crafted tale of darkness, fear, and trust. It might have been my favorite of the collection.
Ai, Junior: Sex, Love, and Junot Díaz by Adina Giannelli
A moving tale of heartbreak between young lovers, paralleled by their love of the author Junot Díaz. I wish I could conjure a better description of the writing style of Giannelli's work - for now I'll have to settle on etherial; the chemistry between Adina and Emilio was touching and sweet, even as it vibrated with sexual energy.
A Little Irish Honey by Valentine Bonnaire
Strangers stuck between the pages of James Joyce's Ulysses find each other in a small village. Each independently searching for the embodiment of the book's characters in a modern world.
Twenty Seconds or Longer by Laila Blake
From the fist line of this story I was smiling:
An Ode to Ass-Lick Park by Assia Fengari
The seductive poetry of adultery. The beginning, the wild middle, and the bitter end of an affair as told through memories and the combined poetry written to one another.
Bibliolatry in Blue: a Case Study by Meena Delmar
Written in the form of a psychological case study, the story of one woman's evolution from child book worm to bibliolatric fetishism.
Cash for Books by Trina Calderón
A humorous tale of taste. An older woman drawn to shiny new books; a younger man with a taste for unique first printings. Their taste in literature bleeds into their sexual desires, and the result is a steamy afternoon in the back room of a used book store.
Come Immigrate with Me by Laurie Stone
Former lovers, separated since college, reunite in a tour of a foreign country. The narrator finds nearly everything about the experience dissatisfying and cold, worlds away from the heat and passion of their collegiate affair. This story failed to resonate with me like the rest of the collection - probably due more to my youth than any failure of the author.
Marco by Laurie Stone
Totally lost on this one, I'll have to take a break and come back to it. I feel like I've missed something here.
Open Letters to Famous Writers by Laura Robers
Laura writes a series of letters to various authors who have made an impact on her life - her Letters to Anaïs Nin and Henry Rollins were absolutely brilliant, they had me wondering what I would write and to whom should I be afforded the opportunity.
The philosophy of Hamilton by Chelsey Drysdale
Absolutely magnificent! A story of college romance, philosophy, free will, losing religion in the way only a 90s college student can. I was moved by this piece. It made me nostalgic for my own collegiate career wanderings…
Smut by Jay Xuret
A cute memoir recounting one man's sexual education as a young (Grade School-age) boy. Searching for dirty magazines with stories of graphic sex, eventually gaining the courage to purchase a Playboy, and later finding a book of erotic fiction. I loved the balance of innocence and naughtiness that can only be achieved by being a curious little boy in 1950s America. The narrators frank retelling of his coming of age put me in mind of Ralphie from A Christmas Story, but instead of coveting the Red Ridder BB Gun, he was surreptitiously squirreling away pornography.
Whom by Jeremy Edwards
A love of linguistics is the focus of this laugh-out-loud story. Throughout reading this entire compilation I've been highlighting little sections here and there, inserting my favorite passages into the small reviews I've been writing for each story… However with "Whom" I've nearly highlighted the entire feature, which I believe says more about the quality of Jeremy Edwards's writing than I ever could. This was simply marvelous!
The Thrillhammer Orgasmatron by Slash Coleman
I laughed and giggled and snorted at this tale with such frequency that my husband started giving me worried looks. Slash Coleman's story of an educator attending a Masturbation Party hosted by an Erotica Author. It had a rhythm and prose which evoked a Douglas Adams style in my mind, though the author was not mentioned. It had me hooked from the first line:
The Longest Unzipping of My Life by Stephanie Auteri
A woman discovers (through erotic literature) and embraces (in reality) her fetish for exhibitionism - at a sex party, at a friend's house, in the front seat of her boyfriend's car. A classic case of finding what turns you on as you turn the pages of a book, then bringing those elements off the page and into your life.
That Sweet Tone by Charlotte Musée Lorenz
Attraction between two musicians culminates in a waxy romp on the scattered pages of classic literature.
Shafted by Landon Dixon
Beat-Speak, car metaphors, and 1950's colloquialisms. A private dick (pun intended) Conning a Con-Man in the legendary Lavender district of NYC. Using the front of a Gay-Erotica Book Store to gain back money the mark had stolen from his client. Heavily sexual, highly entertaining.
Ana Maria by Michelle Cruz Gonzales
Ana Maria's pregnancy-hormone-fueled sexual daydreams about her college professor.
Anaïs by Dani Bauter
The author inserts herself into a fictional affair with Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin. A tale of knowing what's missing; of not knowing you crave something until you've lost it. About adultery, muses, and artists, and using someone to heal your wounds while simultaneously being used by another. Twisted. Depressing. Cold.
Inked by L.C. Spoering
After signing an autograph on the arm of a young fan, an aging author becomes a voyeur. Shaun Biltmore, an author at an event held in his honor stumbles across his autographed young fan and her lover in an empty room of the hotel banquet hall. Biltmore watches their trust silently from just outside the door. A particularly satisfying and sly ending to this story.
The Wolf by Amy Halloran
A dream-like tale of spells and stories - a remaining of Little Red Riding Hood, where stories have the power to transform the wolf into man.
***I was provided an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review***
The stated purpose of this work was to create a collection of stories of an erotic nature which are elegantly written. I say, with out reservation, that the goal has been stunningly achieved. Finding love, lust, and heartbreaking romance in the pages of a book,
...or in the retelling of a familiar tale
...or literally betwixt the shelves of a library,
...or told through the poetry written by lovers,
...or through letters to the authors themselves.
At times playful, poignant, whimsical, sensual, humorous, and curious…
This collection is perfect for the vastly read; the stories reference so many Authors across multiple Genres.
I often find it difficult to review anthologies… Especially considering Book Lovers features twenty-three individual authors with distinct styles and subject matter. Collections with diverse stories such as those found here require an approach all their own. In an effort to do justice to these stories, I will be reviewing the individual sections laid out by Editor Shawna Kenney.
I was throughly blown away by the majority of these authors. While not all resonated with me, I think that really just speaks to the fact that there is something in this collection for everyone.
I was practically giddy with enjoyment over her compilation.
I was enthralled.
I fell in love with this book.
This is the type of Anthology so flawlessly written as to demand second and third readings.
Introduction by Shawna Kenney
Kenny explains her process of working on Book Lovers:
"Curating this collection forced me to examine what I think "good writing" means, as well as answer the impossible question: "what is sexy?" I'm delighted with the kaleidoscope I've found."She walks us through her introduction to erotic literature as she came of age. Her story is both touching and humorous.
"I owe a debt of gratitude to the written word, both for my sex education and my career path. I'm glad for the many times as a young woman I went to bed with the right book instead of the wrong boy. (That said, sometimes "the wrong boy"was fun, too.)"
A to Z by Kristina Wright
A beautiful story about romance found between two women at a library. The relationship begins with flirting… and a recommended reading list starting with "A is for Austen" Zoe introduces Amy to a wealth of literature at their biweekly rendezvous at the Public Library. As the books move Bronte to Christie to Daphne du Maurier, and the rest of the way down the alphabet, their relationship evolves from flirting to fondling - to sex in the library's bathroom. I found that the ending was especially satisfying in his story.
"Oh, baby, that's it," she moaned, her voice soft and urgent. "You must have really liked Sappho."
Playmates at Play Izabella St. James
Told from the point of view of a Playmate living within the walls of the infamous Playboy Mansion - She tells us about the frustration that comes from being one of several Girlfriends of Hugh Hefner, which is not quite as glamorous as it seems. The core of the story centers on how she assuages the dissatisfaction of her sexual exploits within the Mansion by burring herself in literary romance.
"I'd end up going to bed with a mind filled with sexual imagery and the keen awareness of unfulfilled desire, sexually uberawakened only to fall asleep sans the postcoital bliss.
The Descent by Cara Bruce
An homage to The Pit and the Pendulum with a BDSM twist, written in flawless prose. A beautifully crafted tale of darkness, fear, and trust. It might have been my favorite of the collection.
"There is something about lying in darkness, your skin alert with expectation, waiting for someone or something to touch you. When you have no sight, no taste, and only silence, your skin pulses from experience, to live in anything except a tomb which turns every inch of you so wretchedly alive."
Ai, Junior: Sex, Love, and Junot Díaz by Adina Giannelli
A moving tale of heartbreak between young lovers, paralleled by their love of the author Junot Díaz. I wish I could conjure a better description of the writing style of Giannelli's work - for now I'll have to settle on etherial; the chemistry between Adina and Emilio was touching and sweet, even as it vibrated with sexual energy.
"The rhythm of our sex was constant, and it changed with our moods or the wind or the weather-sometimes slow and languid, sometimes rough and messy, sometimes funny, never foreign, often complicated. But it was always vast, and deep, and generous-more ocean than earth; it was less the land and more the water."
A Little Irish Honey by Valentine Bonnaire
Strangers stuck between the pages of James Joyce's Ulysses find each other in a small village. Each independently searching for the embodiment of the book's characters in a modern world.
"At only twenty-eight, he'd decided to chuck anything to do with technology and become something of a steampunk luddite"
Twenty Seconds or Longer by Laila Blake
From the fist line of this story I was smiling:
"I want to be an exhibit in a zoo on Tralfamadore."A story about Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five! A story of mourning; the loss of a child to a married couple (so it goes). Told from the husband's perspective one morning in the midst of their suffering. It hits at the place where many readers hide - the escapism of fiction, but also the oppressive nature of being absorbed into a fictional work which mirrors our own troubled mind.
"The book was on her nightstand, Pete noticed. He stifled a frustrated sigh. It was open, lying pages down on the wooden surface, teasing its spine to crack over and over. Pete hated cracked spines but Aoife did not. Aoife loved them; all her books had cracked spines and dog-ears and coffee stains like so many hickeys on a lover's skin."
An Ode to Ass-Lick Park by Assia Fengari
The seductive poetry of adultery. The beginning, the wild middle, and the bitter end of an affair as told through memories and the combined poetry written to one another.
"We are no longer gods; our apple barely tasted, we have been chased from Paradise. Because was started as adultery, even if it felt like planetary sway, like the most natural of all natural things, must end in guilt, because he had finally done it, destroyed himself, because he's made her pregnant, before we had the chance to run away, to find our cave."
Bibliolatry in Blue: a Case Study by Meena Delmar
Written in the form of a psychological case study, the story of one woman's evolution from child book worm to bibliolatric fetishism.
"She had become increasingly fixated, not just with owning books, or being surrounded by them, but with the need to be in perpetual contact with them. To hold them, envelop them, feel their touch against her skin…"
Cash for Books by Trina Calderón
A humorous tale of taste. An older woman drawn to shiny new books; a younger man with a taste for unique first printings. Their taste in literature bleeds into their sexual desires, and the result is a steamy afternoon in the back room of a used book store.
"I like old books. There's something about a limited edition, the one-of-a-kind book that stays current even years down the line." "Not me. I like my pages bright and clean. I want to be the first one to crack it open, the first one to close it satisfied or wanting more," she throws back. She wonders if he's a virgin."
Come Immigrate with Me by Laurie Stone
Former lovers, separated since college, reunite in a tour of a foreign country. The narrator finds nearly everything about the experience dissatisfying and cold, worlds away from the heat and passion of their collegiate affair. This story failed to resonate with me like the rest of the collection - probably due more to my youth than any failure of the author.
Marco by Laurie Stone
Totally lost on this one, I'll have to take a break and come back to it. I feel like I've missed something here.
Open Letters to Famous Writers by Laura Robers
Laura writes a series of letters to various authors who have made an impact on her life - her Letters to Anaïs Nin and Henry Rollins were absolutely brilliant, they had me wondering what I would write and to whom should I be afforded the opportunity.
"You were my first contract come, Anaïs. And you'll always be the best, even now that I've got a stable full of talent to trot out every night. Your words still echo in my brain, with perverse pleasures and portraits of ladies of the night. I still hope that one day you will indulge me, the way you allowed your characters to indulge their lovers in garrets and boudoirs across Paris, but even if you find me vile and debased, we are always entertained on the page. I own a piece of you now, and it fits perfectly on the shelf like any other trophy."
The philosophy of Hamilton by Chelsey Drysdale
Absolutely magnificent! A story of college romance, philosophy, free will, losing religion in the way only a 90s college student can. I was moved by this piece. It made me nostalgic for my own collegiate career wanderings…
"We talked in whispers like this for five weeks without kissing each other's lips or ever seeing each other off campus - The ultimate torturous and wondrous foreplay"
"They were the glorious college days of intellectual discussion, late morning cuddling, and scrutinizing meaning in the lyrics off an album jacket."
Smut by Jay Xuret
A cute memoir recounting one man's sexual education as a young (Grade School-age) boy. Searching for dirty magazines with stories of graphic sex, eventually gaining the courage to purchase a Playboy, and later finding a book of erotic fiction. I loved the balance of innocence and naughtiness that can only be achieved by being a curious little boy in 1950s America. The narrators frank retelling of his coming of age put me in mind of Ralphie from A Christmas Story, but instead of coveting the Red Ridder BB Gun, he was surreptitiously squirreling away pornography.
"But what a book. The prose was brilliant. Even the torrid pages of Velour had not prepared me for the ferocious intensity of sexual congress as described by a writer of the talent of Pierre Lacroix. In his sure hands the sexually charged congress of two windswept and animally magnetic artists was stunning. I couldn't believe my fortune. This book was worth its weight in gold. It was, as Greg Palumbo and I for once agreed, true smut."
Whom by Jeremy Edwards
A love of linguistics is the focus of this laugh-out-loud story. Throughout reading this entire compilation I've been highlighting little sections here and there, inserting my favorite passages into the small reviews I've been writing for each story… However with "Whom" I've nearly highlighted the entire feature, which I believe says more about the quality of Jeremy Edwards's writing than I ever could. This was simply marvelous!
"I'm fascinated by people who have interesting relationships with their books. After all, anybody can just read a book, right" She laughed. "True. So… have you had any good relationships with books lately?"
The Thrillhammer Orgasmatron by Slash Coleman
I laughed and giggled and snorted at this tale with such frequency that my husband started giving me worried looks. Slash Coleman's story of an educator attending a Masturbation Party hosted by an Erotica Author. It had a rhythm and prose which evoked a Douglas Adams style in my mind, though the author was not mentioned. It had me hooked from the first line:
"The first time I witnessed the Thrillhammer Orgasmatron in action was at Petal Snow's Third Annual Masturbate-a-thon. Seeing as I had just taught my own class on masturbation and now considered myself a masturbation instructor, I thought I should go out and see what others in the neighborhood were doing with the medium."
The Longest Unzipping of My Life by Stephanie Auteri
A woman discovers (through erotic literature) and embraces (in reality) her fetish for exhibitionism - at a sex party, at a friend's house, in the front seat of her boyfriend's car. A classic case of finding what turns you on as you turn the pages of a book, then bringing those elements off the page and into your life.
"I certainly never expected I would one day be attending a sex party with my boyfriend. Up until now, the closest I'd gotten to the elicit thrill of possibly getting caught in the act was when we did it in our parents' homes, in rooms that had no locks. Which, to be honest, was more stressful than thrilling."
That Sweet Tone by Charlotte Musée Lorenz
Attraction between two musicians culminates in a waxy romp on the scattered pages of classic literature.
"It was a stack of pages that had once been a book. The binding was completely gone, disintegrated, nonexistent. I saw it as a small miracle that I still managed to finish (and reread) it in this state; the pages were always together and in order. I cherished that book not only because I loved what it held in its pages, but because of its brokenness. Because of the miraculous staying power it had. I kept it carefully together with a rubber band, which I gingerly undid every time I wanted to open it. That was exactly how his copy of Frankenstein was: a stack of pages that had once been a book. And he was a stack of crazy that had once been a man."
Shafted by Landon Dixon
Beat-Speak, car metaphors, and 1950's colloquialisms. A private dick (pun intended) Conning a Con-Man in the legendary Lavender district of NYC. Using the front of a Gay-Erotica Book Store to gain back money the mark had stolen from his client. Heavily sexual, highly entertaining.
"He gave me the shaft man!"
"We should all be so lucky."
"Don't you ever think about anything except taking it up the ass, Reynolds?" I stared out the window of my cubbyhole office at the air shaft that separated the two dilapidated wings of the crumbling building. "Yes. Sometimes I think about giving it up the ass." I swung around in my squeaky swivel. "When my mouth isn't full that is."
Ana Maria by Michelle Cruz Gonzales
Ana Maria's pregnancy-hormone-fueled sexual daydreams about her college professor.
"Arturo, tapping at the page of his copy of Lolita, a well-worn, dog-eared paperback copy, brought her back to the room, leaving her wanton. They were discussing rhythm and sound in prose. There was certainly a lot of rhythm in that particular passage, like hands, and arms, and legs and bodies all over one another, like the kind of sex she had before she got pregnant.
Anaïs by Dani Bauter
The author inserts herself into a fictional affair with Henry Miller and Anaïs Nin. A tale of knowing what's missing; of not knowing you crave something until you've lost it. About adultery, muses, and artists, and using someone to heal your wounds while simultaneously being used by another. Twisted. Depressing. Cold.
"Her love was like a hickey on my heart. Even now, as I think about the time I have spent with her, I wince in a simultaneous pain and pleasure, blood coursing through my veins. Our love was painful, dangerous, but thrilling. She almost destroyed me. But she's fading now - fading into just a bruise, hopefully not a scar. I almost feel like I don't have to cover her up anymore."
Inked by L.C. Spoering
After signing an autograph on the arm of a young fan, an aging author becomes a voyeur. Shaun Biltmore, an author at an event held in his honor stumbles across his autographed young fan and her lover in an empty room of the hotel banquet hall. Biltmore watches their trust silently from just outside the door. A particularly satisfying and sly ending to this story.
"…as she turned both of their bodies away, he caught a glimpse of this own signature, faint and in reverse, over a white thigh. Best of all luck."
The Wolf by Amy Halloran
A dream-like tale of spells and stories - a remaining of Little Red Riding Hood, where stories have the power to transform the wolf into man.
"You bring out the beast in me," guys say at school in the hallway. But wolves become human when they want and have. Or at least my dear, sweet Wolf does. Not for everyone, but just for me, when I tell him stories. This is how it goes. First the snout recedes, all the better to kiss me. Then his pointy ears change to shells that are perfect for my tongue."
***I was provided an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review***
January 27, 2014
5 STARS to BOOK LOVERS
Stories Edited by Shawna Kenney
Never in all my years of reading, and they are many have I encountered someone who I felt understood the power of an authors words on my soul. Each writer's key or pen stroke can be a caress or violent strike to the reader. Each reader's response different and yet the same. It has plauged me forever; how does one really explain the triumph or desolation that a story has provoked? How can you possibly make someone else understand that in a mere few words this faceless person has destroyed you?
It's a constant arguement that my Book Girls and I have. One that none of us can explain, one that none of us would change because that is the power of a book. It lifts humanity highlighting all the wonder and possibility while punishing by pointing out all of our short comings. A book breaks your heart and allows you to hope that one day it will be filled again. I know...I know I'm rambling, but this is me. This is the road my mind wanders when I lose focus on the everyday insanity. This is what rattles around in my brain when I'm bursting at the seams wanting to share some intense moment from my latest read or when I've a character breakthrough of my own.
Never, until now have I felt heard or understood. never have I shouted out loud "YES" at nothing more than the introduction to a book. I should have known never to never...because finally I found it...found them. Shawna Kenney has collected a series of erotic shorts that are phenominal! Each story is a carress to the mind, a whisper to the heart and a jolt to the senses. They run the gamit of scenerios; a little of something for all, but none of that matters.
It's the tone, the language, the scenarios that all blend together into a perfect storm. Each just enough of a tease to jumpstart your heart and mind. Each boiled down to the true essence of what you as a reader really wants when cracking open the pages of a tale. The words are feather light and land impossibly deep. I love to quote a great story, love to share the authors words that so move me. But to do so here would be a disservice.
You have to immurs yourself in each tiny tale and feel the weight of the words. It's what every reader wants...isn't it? To float in a sea of words, in a world created just for your enjoyment. To read about finding the 1 person who finally sees "all your colors". I am completely obsessed and utterly enraptured by this collection. It is now and forever will be close at hand and continually reread.
Stories Edited by Shawna Kenney
Never in all my years of reading, and they are many have I encountered someone who I felt understood the power of an authors words on my soul. Each writer's key or pen stroke can be a caress or violent strike to the reader. Each reader's response different and yet the same. It has plauged me forever; how does one really explain the triumph or desolation that a story has provoked? How can you possibly make someone else understand that in a mere few words this faceless person has destroyed you?
It's a constant arguement that my Book Girls and I have. One that none of us can explain, one that none of us would change because that is the power of a book. It lifts humanity highlighting all the wonder and possibility while punishing by pointing out all of our short comings. A book breaks your heart and allows you to hope that one day it will be filled again. I know...I know I'm rambling, but this is me. This is the road my mind wanders when I lose focus on the everyday insanity. This is what rattles around in my brain when I'm bursting at the seams wanting to share some intense moment from my latest read or when I've a character breakthrough of my own.
Never, until now have I felt heard or understood. never have I shouted out loud "YES" at nothing more than the introduction to a book. I should have known never to never...because finally I found it...found them. Shawna Kenney has collected a series of erotic shorts that are phenominal! Each story is a carress to the mind, a whisper to the heart and a jolt to the senses. They run the gamit of scenerios; a little of something for all, but none of that matters.
It's the tone, the language, the scenarios that all blend together into a perfect storm. Each just enough of a tease to jumpstart your heart and mind. Each boiled down to the true essence of what you as a reader really wants when cracking open the pages of a tale. The words are feather light and land impossibly deep. I love to quote a great story, love to share the authors words that so move me. But to do so here would be a disservice.
You have to immurs yourself in each tiny tale and feel the weight of the words. It's what every reader wants...isn't it? To float in a sea of words, in a world created just for your enjoyment. To read about finding the 1 person who finally sees "all your colors". I am completely obsessed and utterly enraptured by this collection. It is now and forever will be close at hand and continually reread.
December 19, 2013
I figured there was no better time of year to review a genre that's out of my usual comfort zone, that being erotica, than the month that plays host to Valentine's Day. Well, Cupid's big day has come and gone, but that's no reason not to shine a light on some more naughty fiction. I read a little bit of everything, so when I saw this new anthology dedicated to--you guessed it--book lovers, I figured I should check it out.
"A to Z" by Kristina Wright started off the book really well, with a love affair between two women who meet in a library, their affair intensifying with each book they read together, going alphabetically through various authors from A to Z. I thought it did a great job in encapsulating the whole theme of the anthology, and setting the bar quite high for the rest of the stories that would follow.
Stories about book lovers weren't relegated strictly to libraries though, as the anthology sees characters getting up to all kinds of hanky-panky in small Irish villages--even the Playboy Mansion in Izabella St. James' "Playmates at Play." Some stories wound up being like erotic homages to famous authors like Edgar Allen Poe and Junot Diaz. As a matter of fact, the anthology lends itself to references with countless winks and nods to several authors.
That said, as varied in style as the stories are, they vary in enjoyment as well, as some were just a little too saturated in their inspiration. Almost like they were trying to hard to emulate and pay tribute to, rather than focus on the story itself.
All in all, a book of erotic fiction that aims a wee bit higher than Twilight fan-fic, Book Lovers offers quite the heated blend of stories that all show a deep and abiding love of the written word. Call it smut if you like, but you can't say it doesn't have heart.
"A to Z" by Kristina Wright started off the book really well, with a love affair between two women who meet in a library, their affair intensifying with each book they read together, going alphabetically through various authors from A to Z. I thought it did a great job in encapsulating the whole theme of the anthology, and setting the bar quite high for the rest of the stories that would follow.
Stories about book lovers weren't relegated strictly to libraries though, as the anthology sees characters getting up to all kinds of hanky-panky in small Irish villages--even the Playboy Mansion in Izabella St. James' "Playmates at Play." Some stories wound up being like erotic homages to famous authors like Edgar Allen Poe and Junot Diaz. As a matter of fact, the anthology lends itself to references with countless winks and nods to several authors.
That said, as varied in style as the stories are, they vary in enjoyment as well, as some were just a little too saturated in their inspiration. Almost like they were trying to hard to emulate and pay tribute to, rather than focus on the story itself.
All in all, a book of erotic fiction that aims a wee bit higher than Twilight fan-fic, Book Lovers offers quite the heated blend of stories that all show a deep and abiding love of the written word. Call it smut if you like, but you can't say it doesn't have heart.
November 19, 2013
I was given the opportunity to review this book from Netgalley.
I did like this book. All the different types of stories was quite refreshing (I, personally, didn't like every single one though). It is a collection of stories, no two quite the same nor written the same.
It's slightly harder to review this since it isn't just one book, really, to review. I liked it as a whole even if there were a few stories that I didn't care for.
If it's words that work for you, in any way, you'll probably enough this book.
I did like this book. All the different types of stories was quite refreshing (I, personally, didn't like every single one though). It is a collection of stories, no two quite the same nor written the same.
It's slightly harder to review this since it isn't just one book, really, to review. I liked it as a whole even if there were a few stories that I didn't care for.
If it's words that work for you, in any way, you'll probably enough this book.
December 20, 2013
Book Lovers: Sexy Stories from Under the Covers is a nice collection of short stories by various authors about love, lust, long lost love, once upon a time love, cheating, longing, fantasy. There are stories that are bittersweet, stories that are hot, that are surprising, unacceptable (just for me) and most of all, there is always a story about book(s).
It is a good read with some easy stories, some very emotional and some are just stories. Everybody will find a story from here that suites them the best and stories that will drive them nuts.
Good selection of stories!
It is a good read with some easy stories, some very emotional and some are just stories. Everybody will find a story from here that suites them the best and stories that will drive them nuts.
Good selection of stories!
September 27, 2015
The book includes many short stories by various authors. The stories have erotic contain and their link is the books. The book can satisfy lots of tastes. The stories are F/F, M/F and M/M. They have different themes and some have happy endings while others don't.
After a point I was tired of reading the book. I felt that once I had read a certain amount of stories it would be as if I had read them all and I could not read the others. I was jumping from one story to another, from one world to another and I didn't like that.
After a point I was tired of reading the book. I felt that once I had read a certain amount of stories it would be as if I had read them all and I could not read the others. I was jumping from one story to another, from one world to another and I didn't like that.
March 19, 2014
Ever had a sensuous dream about Mr. Darcy? Is a steamy rendezvous in the stacks at an old library your secret fantasy? Then I have the book of sexy stories for you! Shawna Kenney has gathered a collection of racy tales written especially for the literary inclined. Centering around books and literature, these stories range from highly charged fiction to seductive creative nonfiction. They also run the gamut of literary fantasies.
Read the rest here: http://www.thewhynottblog.com/book-re...
Read the rest here: http://www.thewhynottblog.com/book-re...
June 12, 2014
Some of the stories were sexy. Some of them were funny. Some were ridiculous. But none were boring. Full review to come!
books-i-wrote
September 21, 2019Obviously 5 stars - because one of my stories is in it!
January 30, 2022
This is a collection of short stories most of which are about books and eroticism. One of the beauties of short stories is being able to move to the next one if you don't like the current one. For those of you who care about such things, some are romantically erotic,some are quite graphic.
September 2, 2017
Not worth the trouble it took to read it.
April 17, 2014
I adore short story collections like this one. There's something for everyone, and you don't have to read a whole novel before you learn that you're not at all into what the author finds sexy. And if that's the case, you can just move on to the next story to find something that works for you. You know, if you're reading it for that particular reason. Admit it: you totally do sometimes.
Book Lovers is a collection of erotic short stories from various authors, all with a bookish theme. Utter catnip for people like me. As with most collections like these, there are some that are sweet, some that are steamy, some that challenge you, and some that make you go "Huh?" Some intentionally perplex or disturb you, which is great -- we need more warped perspectives, in my opinion -- but some don't. Happily there were only a couple of the latter, at least for me, in this collection.
I enjoyed most of the stories on one level or another. Always on the literary level, which made reading them great fun. Only a couple seemed amateurish or unintentionally icky. And despite their similarities, their themes and styles happily vary widely. There are a few LGBT stories, a revealing true story from a former Playmate, a poetic ode to anal, and an unsatisfactory encounter with a Popsicle. And there are lots of really delightful stories of love and lust and obsession. I really enjoyed this collection.
If books turn you on, you'll find Book Lovers full of delights. I loved so many stories in it for so many different reasons, and I even loved some that I would normally hesitate to read. The poetic ode to anal comes to mind. Yeeps.
Lila
Reviewed from ARC. Published by Seal Press March 25, 2014.
Full review and excerpt courtesy of Seal Press at nomdeplumepress.wordpress.com.
Book Lovers is a collection of erotic short stories from various authors, all with a bookish theme. Utter catnip for people like me. As with most collections like these, there are some that are sweet, some that are steamy, some that challenge you, and some that make you go "Huh?" Some intentionally perplex or disturb you, which is great -- we need more warped perspectives, in my opinion -- but some don't. Happily there were only a couple of the latter, at least for me, in this collection.
I enjoyed most of the stories on one level or another. Always on the literary level, which made reading them great fun. Only a couple seemed amateurish or unintentionally icky. And despite their similarities, their themes and styles happily vary widely. There are a few LGBT stories, a revealing true story from a former Playmate, a poetic ode to anal, and an unsatisfactory encounter with a Popsicle. And there are lots of really delightful stories of love and lust and obsession. I really enjoyed this collection.
If books turn you on, you'll find Book Lovers full of delights. I loved so many stories in it for so many different reasons, and I even loved some that I would normally hesitate to read. The poetic ode to anal comes to mind. Yeeps.
Lila
Reviewed from ARC. Published by Seal Press March 25, 2014.
Full review and excerpt courtesy of Seal Press at nomdeplumepress.wordpress.com.
November 15, 2013
Full review at Pluviophile Reader:
http://pluviophilereader.wordpress.co...
Confession: this was my very first piece of erotica. I may be hooked...Thank you Netgalley for introducing me to this genre.
There were some very good stories in this novel, some much better than others and some that I was able to relate to more. My favourite story by far was the "A-Z", not only was it exceptionally written (as was promised with this collaboration) but it was extremely sexy. I actually re-read the story because it was so hot! There were others however that did very little for me as I was not able to relate either to the sex scene or the story that was being told, but there were some that surprised me, regardless, I still appreciated the story in and of itself for the most part. With that being said, it is truly a remarkable collaboration and I did love how each story was so unique and different from the next. Some stories were based on tragic relationships, existentialist thought or were completely fixated on the erotica associations of physical books and literature. I loved it all.
I feel that this collaboration was successful in portraying smut for literature geeks and would recommend it to a few of my nerdy friends.
http://pluviophilereader.wordpress.co...
Confession: this was my very first piece of erotica. I may be hooked...Thank you Netgalley for introducing me to this genre.
There were some very good stories in this novel, some much better than others and some that I was able to relate to more. My favourite story by far was the "A-Z", not only was it exceptionally written (as was promised with this collaboration) but it was extremely sexy. I actually re-read the story because it was so hot! There were others however that did very little for me as I was not able to relate either to the sex scene or the story that was being told, but there were some that surprised me, regardless, I still appreciated the story in and of itself for the most part. With that being said, it is truly a remarkable collaboration and I did love how each story was so unique and different from the next. Some stories were based on tragic relationships, existentialist thought or were completely fixated on the erotica associations of physical books and literature. I loved it all.
I feel that this collaboration was successful in portraying smut for literature geeks and would recommend it to a few of my nerdy friends.
February 28, 2014
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars
I'm not sure exactly how to rate this book as a whole because this compilation of short stories contains such a wide variety of writing styles. There were some stories that were more literary in their writing style and perhaps it was my mood, or the fact that I'm reading at the end of a long day, but I didn't feel like being challenged and found myself skimming through these. There were others that did an excellent job of capturing my attention right from the start and kept my interest through to the end. Some were sexy, some were intriguing, some were raunchy, some were tongue-in-cheek amusing, some were melancholic, but they all contained elements of sex and books.
The varying writing styles made for a bit of a "start and stop" or "hit or miss" kind of reading experience overall. One story will set your blood pumping and the next will slow things right down and the juxtaposition of one then the other amplified the highs and lows. Perhaps this is the reaction the editor intended, but I think it made the slower stories seem slower and lessened my overall enjoyment of the book.
2.5 stars
I'm not sure exactly how to rate this book as a whole because this compilation of short stories contains such a wide variety of writing styles. There were some stories that were more literary in their writing style and perhaps it was my mood, or the fact that I'm reading at the end of a long day, but I didn't feel like being challenged and found myself skimming through these. There were others that did an excellent job of capturing my attention right from the start and kept my interest through to the end. Some were sexy, some were intriguing, some were raunchy, some were tongue-in-cheek amusing, some were melancholic, but they all contained elements of sex and books.
The varying writing styles made for a bit of a "start and stop" or "hit or miss" kind of reading experience overall. One story will set your blood pumping and the next will slow things right down and the juxtaposition of one then the other amplified the highs and lows. Perhaps this is the reaction the editor intended, but I think it made the slower stories seem slower and lessened my overall enjoyment of the book.
April 6, 2016
I think I can recommend this. my favourite theme is the one about having a crush on an author - or several - because, haven't we all?
As I've said elsewhere, I have strong feelings about anthologies, and the people who edit them. You've absolutely got to have a lead-off story that starts strong and tempts the reader to get further into the book.
Book Lovers is billed as erotica with literary (or at least bookish) themes, but having read the opening few stories, I found that it was falling short short on both counts. Not great literature, and not that sexy - just sort of formulaic.
But dear reader, please persevere - or if you're wiser than I, just treat this book as a smorgasbord, because you will find a tale or two that will hit your sweet spot
I found that the stories improved as I read further - better writing, more playful scenarios, and and adventurous themes. I still question the editor's choice to lead off with what I feel are not the strongest pieces in the book - and ones with too many points of similarity. With those caveats, I can still give this volume three stars as being far ahead of much of the erotica I have slogged through in my past research.
As I've said elsewhere, I have strong feelings about anthologies, and the people who edit them. You've absolutely got to have a lead-off story that starts strong and tempts the reader to get further into the book.
Book Lovers is billed as erotica with literary (or at least bookish) themes, but having read the opening few stories, I found that it was falling short short on both counts. Not great literature, and not that sexy - just sort of formulaic.
But dear reader, please persevere - or if you're wiser than I, just treat this book as a smorgasbord, because you will find a tale or two that will hit your sweet spot
I found that the stories improved as I read further - better writing, more playful scenarios, and and adventurous themes. I still question the editor's choice to lead off with what I feel are not the strongest pieces in the book - and ones with too many points of similarity. With those caveats, I can still give this volume three stars as being far ahead of much of the erotica I have slogged through in my past research.
January 2, 2014
Source: Netgalley
This is an interesting anthology. There are about 23 short stories but only 4 really stick out in my mind.
All are well-written. Some are hot [ A to Z by Kristina Wright , some are disturbing [An Ode to Ass-Lick Park by Assia Fengari ], a few left me confused [The Wolf by Amy Halloran and Marcoby Laurie Stone], and the rest just didn't do anything for me.
There's love, lust, long lost love, reminiscing, longing, fantasies, cheating. There's bittersweet stories, surprising stories, weird stories and hot stories. The thing that all the stories have in common is books.
I skimmed over a few because I couldn't get into it and some I reread.
Most of it isn't explicit which is good in my opinion.
My favourites are Ana Maria by Michelle Cruz Gonales, Whom by Jeremy Edwards and Smut by Jay Xuret.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
This is an interesting anthology. There are about 23 short stories but only 4 really stick out in my mind.
All are well-written. Some are hot [ A to Z by Kristina Wright , some are disturbing [An Ode to Ass-Lick Park by Assia Fengari ], a few left me confused [The Wolf by Amy Halloran and Marcoby Laurie Stone], and the rest just didn't do anything for me.
There's love, lust, long lost love, reminiscing, longing, fantasies, cheating. There's bittersweet stories, surprising stories, weird stories and hot stories. The thing that all the stories have in common is books.
I skimmed over a few because I couldn't get into it and some I reread.
Most of it isn't explicit which is good in my opinion.
My favourites are Ana Maria by Michelle Cruz Gonales, Whom by Jeremy Edwards and Smut by Jay Xuret.
All in all, it was an enjoyable read.
December 12, 2013
Book Lovers is a compilation of short stories of erotica based on reading and the written word.
I just finished this book and none of the stories really stick out in my mind. That being said, there were some that were really well written, exciting ones such as "A-Z" and some really really bad ones like Shafted (I think the thing that bothered me the most of this one was the main character saying 'dadio')
A lot just felt rushed or that I completely missed the point. Maybe it is because I read this at work, so I couldn't fully get into the story line, but some stories like "A Little Irish Honey" and "The Descent" was just like...what the point was that?
I liked that this book main feature was books. How books and the written word can turn you on, and satisfy your innermost desires. Plus, unlike this, it was written very well and beautifully.
December 17, 2025
As with most short story collections, I enjoyed some more than others. Some of the shorts here were a miss for me and I wound up skimming them over. Overall however, I found this to be a nice set of steamy and creative stories.
If you enjoy erotic fiction with a bookish twist, look no further.
"In truth, however, she was already in the throes of full-blown bibliomania, surreptitiously gathering tomes in quantities that should have hinted at her declining state."
-Book Lovers: Stories Edited by Shawna Kenney
If you enjoy erotic fiction with a bookish twist, look no further.
"In truth, however, she was already in the throes of full-blown bibliomania, surreptitiously gathering tomes in quantities that should have hinted at her declining state."
-Book Lovers: Stories Edited by Shawna Kenney
January 25, 2014
Review featured on www.books-n-kisses.com
2.5 Hearts Ok this book is just odd. Some stories are better than others and some are much worse. So it is as if pretty much a bunch of (mostly unknown) authors were ask to write a 10 page erotic story about their favorite book. In the style of Fan Fiction for lack of a better description. And I will be honest I have not read most of the “classics” these shorts are based on.
Maybe this is your style. It was not mine.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 Hearts Ok this book is just odd. Some stories are better than others and some are much worse. So it is as if pretty much a bunch of (mostly unknown) authors were ask to write a 10 page erotic story about their favorite book. In the style of Fan Fiction for lack of a better description. And I will be honest I have not read most of the “classics” these shorts are based on.
Maybe this is your style. It was not mine.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 13, 2013
It's very hard to review a book like this. There are many stories, each with different characters and themes.
Personally my favorite was The Descent, But there definitely seems to be something for everyone here!
Personally my favorite was The Descent, But there definitely seems to be something for everyone here!
March 3, 2014
Received an ARC from NetGalley.
So I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. Each story features a love affair involving books, but each in different ways. Some are steamy and some are very abstract. These were not my cup of tea.
So I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. Each story features a love affair involving books, but each in different ways. Some are steamy and some are very abstract. These were not my cup of tea.
November 27, 2013
Set out to write some sexy times short stories that all involve books? Not to shabby and way to hone in on the fact that sometimes the smell of a library or old book pages is a turn on! ;)
January 23, 2014
I enjoyed some of this short stories but not all of them.
I am a huge fan for the first 4 stories for sure.
I am a huge fan for the first 4 stories for sure.
Read
July 10, 2014Very interesting collection of stories... The first one is definitely my favorite. Proper review to come.
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