Outstanding Best Sex Writing 2012 review!

I love this review of Best Sex Writing 2012 by Lily K. Cho on Amazon.

I received a copy of "Best Sex Writing 2012" to review last week, and after a few days of procrastination decided to crack it open. I ended up reading it in two nights! "Best Sex Writing 2012" is a fascinating and diverse collection of essays all related to sex. The subjects, styles, and viewpoints are wildly different, and yet they come together into a cohesive unit. I'll admit I enjoyed some of the stories more than others, b

ut that is the joy of this collection. There is something here for just about anybody. Well, anybody who is not afraid of sex! The stories I found a bit self-indulgent will undoubtedly be the stories that others may find inspiring.

For me, the highlights of this book were the ones that painted a picture of a life I have never known. I loved Marty Klein's article on circumcision; as a woman, there are some things I will just never understand, but after reading "Criminalizing Circumcision: Self-Hatred as Public Policy" I did find myself at least considering some things in a very different light. The story of Ketty Teanga described in "Latina Glitter" by Rachel Rabbit White also opened a window to an alien landscape, that of a trans performer who has seen a lot of cultural shift in her time.

Tracy Clark-Flory's "The Worship of Female Pleasure" inspired me to look within and maybe learn how to take things slowly... while "I Want You to Want Me" by Hugo Schwyzer made me determined to show the man in my life just how animal-sexy he is.

Tim Elhajj and Abby Tallmer manage to expose totally different sides of LGBT life in their stories "An Unfortunate Discharge Early in My Naval Career" and "Losing the Meatpacking District: A Queer History of Leather Culture," respectively. The first details a sailor's life way before DADT, while the second shows us the wild ride that was Manhattan's gay sex club scene.

I find it totally appropriate that it is editor Rachel Kramer Bussel's own contribution, "Penis Gagging, BDSM, and Rape Fantasy: The Truth About Kinky Sexting" that sums up the book for me. Her point is that one person's turn-off is another person's fantasy, and it's all ok, really. As I see it, some people like vanilla, some people like chocolate, and some people like rainbow sherbet with sprinkles and gummy bears. That's how "Best Sex Writing 2012" is... with all the flavors between its covers, there is something for everyone's tastes, and if you're willing to explore, you may find, like Chloe in Lidia Yuknavitch's "Love Grenade," you're licking something new... and loving it.