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Valentine’s Day is officially here, and with it comes a whole lot of obligatory rom-com programming on TV and pressure to be sent flowers, chocolates, giant stuffed bears, and every other age-old token of romantic love. If you’re not into celebrating via the Hallmark industrial complex, though, there are still ways to mark the occasion that aren’t quite so cliché; for example, might I suggest running a bath, pouring a glass of pét-nat (or flavored seltzer, if you’re not a drinker), and settling in with a good book?
Yes, it might sound granny-ish to mark Valentine’s Day by reading, but I would argue it’s actually the best way to enjoy the holiday. (After all, on February 14 don’t we all just want to feel like characters Jane Austen might have written?) Below, find a list of great (and titillating) books perfect for celebrating your relationship with Y-O-U.
Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown
Is there anything sexier than knowing what you like? That’s exactly the self-discovery process that Brown preaches in this guide to what she calls the “politics of healing and happiness,” drawing on decades’ worth of Black feminist tradition.
Women by Chloe Caldwell
Caldwell falls under the spell of a seductive yet withdrawn older woman in this sparks-flying, gorgeously composed queer novella that’s about so much more than romantic love.
While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
This New York Times bestseller details a sweet and deeply sexy romance that gets surprisingly intimate (while always retaining its light, comic touch).
Kink, edited by Garth Greenwell and R. O. Kwon
This short fiction anthology, full of stories by the likes of Larissa Pham, Roxane Gay, Chris Kraus, and Carmen Maria Machado, makes everything from bondage to the world of underground sex clubs feel achingly poignant.
Coming and Crying, edited by Meaghan O’Connell and Melissa Gira Grant
Yes, this book is quite literally about sex (as you might have guessed from the title), but it’s so much more than smut; its collection of true stories by writers including Tyler Coates, Maria Diaz, Sarah Dopp, and Tao Lin is somehow both spine-tingling and heartbreaking.
Milk Fed by Melissa Broder
Broder excels at depicting the pleasure—as well as the horror—of being alive in a human body, and this story of faith, food, love, lust, and frozen yogurt makes the perfect gift for your open-minded sweetie.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
A time-traveling queer romance? Say no more. Ah, the joy of two lovers making it work (and sharing extremely satisfying kisses) across the space-time continuum.
Another Marvelous Thing by Laurie Colwin
Colwin might not normally be thought of as a sexy writer, but this tale of an extramarital affair between a flighty young woman and the bemused older man who loves her is as hot as it is tender.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
To round out the list, an oldie but a goodie that dates all the way back to 1928, yet still manages to scandalize with ease. There’s a reason it was banned for obscenity in five countries!
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