Alison Tyler

It’s banned book week and I thought I’d celebrate with a list of my five favorite smut collections! If you’re a big fan of the first amendment, I suggest you check out my list and then check out the ALA website to learn more about the ridiculous books that are challenged in our public libraries year after year.

With A Rough Tongue: This is my favorite collection of erotica of all time. The stories challenge gender and lesbian sexuality in a way that’s totally engaging and super duper sexy. Plus, it’s from Canada – and you know I love me some Canada.

X – The Erotic Treasury: If you’re looking for a gift for your favorite perv, you can’t go wrong with this gorgeous collection edited by the amazing Susie Bight, it even comes with a protective slip case. Besides looking great, it includes stories by some of my favorite authors including Carol Queen and Bright herself.

I is for Indecent: I’ve enjoyed each of the Erotic Alphabet collections that I’ve read, but this one really stands out for me because I found it really challenging. There were things in here that really pushed the boundaries for me and I loved it. Not every story did it for me, but as promised, this one will offend and titillate. Not a bad combination in my opinion.

Homosex: This Simon Sheppard collection is packed full of hot gay erotica and I think that’s great. However, what makes this one of my favorites is the fact that Sheppard has managed to tell a history of gay men in America through these sexy stories.

Burning AngelHow could I make this list without including this amazing photo collection of the Burning Angel girls. There are no annoying words to get in the way of your enjoyment, just 365 pages of tattooed girls. Joanna Angel and the crew are fantastic eye candy and fans should really own this book.

Learn more about Banned Book Week over at the ALA website.
-The Porn Librarian

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I fell in love with super short erotica stories when I read Got A Minute? last year. There’s nothing like the rush you get from a few stolen moments of passion in a place that many would deem inappropriate. Well, Alison Tyler has done it again with another hot collection of ultrashort smut, Frenzy, and I’m loving it.

With 60 stories packed into a little over 200 pages, everyone is sure to find a little something that turns them on. I was pleased night after night as I picked up this book and made my way through it. Of course, not every story was my cup of tea, but there’s a ton of great stories that will please.

One I really enjoyed was Permission by P.S. Haven, an author I don’t believe I’ve read before. While it’s less than two pages long, I was transported into the mind of a man who’s been cuckolded by his wife time and time again as he watches another man with his wife. It’s not really JO material for me, but I loved the sneak peek into this man’s mind and was amazed by how much the author conveyed in so few words.

Another story that pleased me for the same reasons was Xan West’s This Boy. This time we’re privy to the thoughts of what I imagine is an older man as a college boy sits at his feet staring up at him. Let me tell you, he isn’t dreaming of cuddling. It’s raw and powerful writing that makes me long for a companion story told from the student’s point of view. Does he know what he’s in for, because I’d like to think he’s waiting to be ravished!

I have to say that I’m a huge fan of these short stories of sudden sex. Time and time again, the authors manage to convey the energy and tempo of a quickie while introducing me to scenarios I’ve never dreamed of!

Add this great book to your collection today!

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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!

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I believe that one of the turning points in my life was when I realized I was checking out ladies in suits instead of girls with shaved heads on bikes. This was probably around the time that I decided I should go to grad school instead of living in a hippie commune with my awesome, but dirty, friends. It was this life altering realization that allowed me to enjoy Alison Tyler’s Open For Business – Tales of Office Sex so damn much! Twenty-two sexy stories of women with corner offices and expensive suits that demand as much of a lover as they do from those they supervise. Ok, not every tale stars the type of power woman I worship, but most of my favorites do!

One thing that I love about this collection is that so many of the relationships revolve around power or secrecy. I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight Donna George Storey’s Sex, Lies, and Library Books. As someone who’s spent their fair share of time working in a university library, I was transported back to slow summer days pouring over the stacks. I could almost smell the books as Melanie and Liam get it on in a lost corner of the library. Storey does a great job of taking a common fantasy and spicing it up by sharing Melanie’s secret desires as Liam obliviously serves her.

My only complaint is that I’d read a handful of these stories before, including Lisette Ashton’s That Monday Morning Feeling. I raved about this story of an indecent morning commute in my review for I is for Indecent, and found it just as titillating the second time around. The good news is that most people don’t read as much erotica as I do, so you most likely won’t run into the same problem. However, having read a few of the stories before does in no way take away from the success of the book as a whole. Tyler has done a great job of assembling a variety of hot stories that will make your 6am alarm seem a little less harsh.

If you’ve ever thought of the possibilities of asking a co-worker to pull your office door shut behind them, you’ll love this collection. Some of the best writers in the business offer you endless reasons to get up and go into the office.

Add this excellent book to your collection!

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Before all of the controversy surrounding Zane’s first lesbian collection, Purple Panties, I never had a chance to read her work. I’m sure most of you have heard of Zane – her books are New York Times bestsellers and her fans are known for their cult-like devotion. Because of this, her titles get a lot of promotion whenever they are released but things were different for Purple Panties. Zane was not happy about it because the only difference she could see was that this book focused on lesbian sexuality – so she called everyone out on their bullshit. When I saw that, I decided this was a woman worth supporting!

Now on to the good stuff! Purple Panties, regardless of the controversy, is just good, sexy erotica. I was thrilled to read some great stories from authors that were new to me, like Anna Black’s Bread and Roses. This sexy story about a union organizer who seduces a hotel worker’s daughter stands out because it was more than just a sexy story.

I also enjoyed Joy Bringas’ contribution, Miss Julidene’s Sexy Items. There’s no heavy plot, just a hot, fun story of one woman’s marketing strategy in her sex toy store. Let me tell you, product placement is key in moving merchandise!

Besides being introduced to several author’s I hadn’t read before, I was also thrilled to see pieces by Rachel Kramer Bussel, Alison Tyler, and, of course, Zane herself! As always, I wasn’t disappointed.

To be honest, I didn’t really expect this anthology to offer any great insight into the lesbian experience – but it did. I can begin to understand the difference between the black and white lesbian experience from conversations with friends, but some of the pieces made me think about the different challenges women of color may face. Of course, the stories in this collection move beyond race for the most part and are just plain hot – but it did make me realize that this is the only erotica book I own that doesn’t have white people on the cover.

This is a good, diverse collection that makes me look forward to the second volume that’s due out later this year!

Add this excellent book to your collection!

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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!

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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?

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Sometimes there’s nothing hotter than a quickie. There’s just something about those frantic few minutes of indiscretion that leave you wet and wondering why your pants are around you ankles in a stairwell. In Got A Minute?, well known author of erotica Alison Tyler has compiled 60 short pieces that will fill your head with all sorts of dirty ideas and leave you plenty of time to follow through on them.

You’ll find a myriad of fantasies played out for you in this anthology. Two women welcome a man into their bedroom in Hired Hunk, but he’s only allowed to pleasure himself as they go at it. Rachel Kramer Bussel captures the emotion of this moment brilliantly. The confidence and trust these women have in each other is just as hot as the sex.

As expected with any compilation, not every story did it for me, but I can’t really complain about a three page story wasting my time. You’re sure to find plenty of gems in this compilation of very short stories from Cleis Press. You’ll find yourself reading your favorites again, and hopefully aloud, as you cuddle up against the cold this winter.

-The Porn Librarian

Add this excellent book to your collection!

Tyler, A (ed.). (2007). Got A Minute? Sixty-Second Erotica. San Francisco, CA: Cleis Press, Inc.

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