12 best sex books that are worth the read
If you're looking for recommendations for the best sex books to read, look no further. Women (and everyone, regardless of their gender) should read educational sex books.
Making time to read them will help you better understand yourself and help you to build fulfilling intimate relationships. When you are in tune with your body and sexuality, it will lead to increased pleasure, confidence, and improved sexual communication in your relationships.
We recommend a variety of sexuality books and recognize the positive impact they can each have, however, these twelve books should be part of every woman’s sexual education. They are the go-to guides we recommend for all friends, hands down.
12 best sex books you must read
The Multi-Orgasmic Woman: Sexual Secrets Every Woman Should Know
This book is a guide to help women dramatically enhance their pleasure, health, and happiness. Two experts, Chia, a renowned Taoist master, and Dr. Abrams, a family practice physician who specializes in women’s health and sexuality, partner together in this book to share a more holistic view of the linkage between energy and sexual energy.
They share detailed step-by-step exercises you can use to grow your sexual energy in a way that enriches your overall health and body. If you are looking for a book that walks you through techniques for cultivating pleasure, having multiple orgasms, and living a more fulfilling sensual life, this book is for you.
The Sex and Pleasure Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex For Everyone
If you are looking for a great guide that has answers to your sex questions, we highly recommend this book for you. Sexologist Carol Queen, Ph.D., and Shar Rednour, Editor at Femmrepress teamed up to demystify sex and offer detailed, fun, and accurate information on just about any sex topic.
You’d be surprised how many times you will use this book to look up common women’s health and sexuality topics: anatomy refresh, tips for positive sexuality, STI 101 symptoms, and treatments, self-pleasure topics, sexual position information, sexual communication help, guides for conducting your own breast exams or sex toy information. This book is a great investment for yourself and your sexual health.
Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic
This book is a fantastic read for people in long-term relationships who are looking to rekindle the flame in the bedroom or even people who are just entering a new relationship but want to learn how to keep sexual desire and eroticism in the relationship alive for longer.
Written by one of the most popular couples psychotherapists in the world, Esther Perel, Mating in Captivity explains how sexual desire works when we're in a relationship, the stages we go through, and gives valuable advice for couples who want to sustain a healthy and satisfying sex life in a long-term relationship.
Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life
Written by sexologist Emily Nagoski Ph.D., Come as You Are is basically a sexuality 101. It's an informative book that explains the science of sexual desire from the biological and societal point of view, as well as gives basic human anatomy lessons that might surprise you.
For example, did you know that the clitoris and the penis develop from the same part meaning they are anatomically more similar than we think? Come as You Are has many more valuable sex ed lessons.
This book is also wonderful for understanding your sexual desire from a perspective you haven't considered before. So, if you're interested in learning about your sexuality, this book is worth a read.
Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters — And How to Get It
Written by a sex therapist and professor Laurie Mintz Ph.D., Becoming Cliterate is hands down one of the best sex books on the market. It dives deep into the topic of a woman's orgasm, examining why many women have issues with reaching orgasm during sex, and how to fix that problem.
One of the reasons why women tend to not orgasm as often during sex as they might want is a lack of knowledge on their orgasm and especially the role that the clitoris plays in female orgasm. Becoming Cliterate is dedicated to providing missing education on the clit to people with vulvas and their partners (there is a chapter in the book dedicated to partners on how to stimulate the clitoris!).
The Ethical Slut: A Guide to Infinite Sexual Possibilities
Written by sex educators Dossie Easton and Catherine A. Liszt, The Ethical Slut is one of the best sex books on ethical non-monogamy. There is a lot of misunderstanding and misconception about the topic, and if you're curious to explore polyamory either as a single person or as a couple, then The Ethical Slut can help you figure out the right way to do so.
Sex for One: The Joy of Selfloving
Sex educator Betty Dodson Ph.D. has written one of the best sex books on self-pleasure and masturbation. One of the best ways to improve your sex life and to understand your sexuality better is through self-pleasure. In Sex for One, Dodson explains why masturbation is important and how to use it to learn more about yourself and your pleasure. It's a read that's useful for single and partnered people, as everyone could use a little bit of self-loving no matter their relationship status.
Tongue Tied: Untangling Communication in Sex, Kink, and Relationships
Communication can be one of the hardest parts of any relationship, especially when the communication is about sex and sexual needs and desires. If you're interested in trying new things in the bedroom like kink and want to find the best way to communicate your desires to your partner, Tongue Tied is the perfect read for you.
Intimacy educator and coach Stella Harris offers a ton of useful tips and advice on how to communicate what you want in the bedroom, how to navigate the kink for beginners, and how to feel empowered to try kink with your partner.
The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina — Separating the Myth from the Medicine
Dr. Jennifer Gunter has written the ultimate book on everything vagina related. If you're curious about the health of your vagina and want to learn information to help you feel more confident and empowered in your body, then this is a great read. The Vagina Bible busts the myths and normalizes things about vagina health many people don't talk about in public.
Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life
Tell Me What You Want is one of the best sex books dedicated to understanding and untangling the complicated topic of sexual fantasies people have. Justin Lehmiller Ph.D. has interviewed thousands of Americans to learn what sexual fantasies are the most popular among people and in his book he reveals what role sexual fantasies play in our lives.
This book also offers advice on how couples in relationships can improve their sex lives by learning to accept their sexual fantasies, be comfortable with them and share them with their partners so they can explore them together.
Sensual Self: Prompts and Practices for Getting in Touch with Your Body: A Guided Journal
Ev'Yan Whitney is a sexuality doula® and sex educator who works with women and nonbinary people to help them reclaim their sexuality. Her book, Sensual Self, is a unique blend of sexuality education and mindfulness practices like journaling to help you take the steps in healing your sexuality.
If you're looking to get more in tune with your body, sexuality, and how sex feels, this is one of the best sex books to read.
She Comes First: The Thinking Man's Guide to Pleasuring a Woman
Written by sexuality counselor Ian Kerner, She Comes First is an ultimate guidebook on how to pleasure women. It has techniques and tips on how to give better, more satisfying oral sex and why a woman's pleasure should be a priority.
She Comes First is targeted toward the heterosexual male audience to help them learn about their partner's anatomy and pleasure, but it's also a great read that might enlighten women about their sexuality and what feels good, and why.