6 sexy, smart books to keep you warm this Valentine's Day

It's February, it's cold, it's time to turn up the heat a bit on your to-read list. But not just any trashy old erotic paperback will do — you want something that will warm up your brain as well as — ahem, other parts of your body. Here are some books that will keep you warm all winter long while stimulating your intellect as well as your passion.

Bonk
By Mary Roach
For you sexy science nerds out there. Can a person think herself to orgasm? Why doesn't Viagra help women-or, for that matter, pandas? Can a dead man get an erection? Is vaginal orgasm a myth? Mary Roach shows us how and why sexual arousal and orgasm-two of the most complex, delightful, and amazing scientific phenomena on earth-can be so hard to achieve and what science is doing to make the bedroom a more satisfying place. — From Amazon.com

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair
By Pablo Neruda
Could “Neruda” be Spanish for “Swoon?" That's exactly what could happen once you start reading this beautiful collection of poems published in 1924 when Neruda was 19  (trust me, he was a much better poet than you were at that age). His most famous line: “I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.” Yes.

Red, Hot and Holy
By Sera Beak
With a rare combination of audacious wit, scholarly acumen, and tender vulnerability—vibrantly mixed with red wine, rock songs, tattoos, and erotic encounters—Sera candidly chronicles the highs and lows of her mystical journey. From the innocence of her childhood crush on God; through a whirlwind of torrid liaisons and bitter break-ups with Christianity, Buddhism, Sufism, Hinduism, and the New Age; and finally into committed monogamy with her own Red Hot and Holy Goddess, Sera shares transformative insights, encouraging us all to trust our unique path and ignite our own spiritual love affair. — From Amazon.com

Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women's Sexual Fantasies 
By Nancy Friday
I first read Nancy Friday in junior high when I found my mother's copy of Men In Love on the book shelf, and whoa mama, that book taught me just about everything I needed to know about sex (the book collected men's sexual fantasies).  In Women on Top, Friday collects detailed sexual fantasies from over 150 contemporary women from diverse backgrounds. Based on intimate personal interviews and letters, this book updates the conversation opened in her earlier works on women's sexual fantasies, detailing how women's erotic lives have changed over the past few decades-and remained the same. 

---

The Soul of Sex: Cultivating Life as an Act of Love
By Thomas Moore
Known for his international best seller Care of the Soul, this book delves into a subject much more controversial, but with an intelligence and historical perspective that I haven't seen since. 

Thomas Moore wants us to think more deeply about the spiritual implications of everyday life. Which is to say that this is serious stuff — no sexy beach reading here. What does interest former Catholic monk are the historical, philosophical, religious, and psychological aspects of sexuality that people tend not to consider. "We have a habit of talking about sex as merely physical, and yet nothing has more soul," Moore begins. This wide-ranging meditation moves from the history of the word "orgasm" to the mythic presence of Marilyn Monroe. Those willing to follow Moore's mind as it courses through these subjects will find it a fascinating journey, one that ends by stimulating their own thinking about the relationship between sex and the spirit.

Another book that was formative for me , and very highly recommended.

Outlander
By Diana Gabaldon
Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. Plenty of steamy sex scenes. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Some my question whether this book is "smart," but her novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that introduced us to two remarkable characters, Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages.

---