Some say that time is the greatest Valentine’s Day gift you can give your partner. But what if you run out of things to say? While that isn’t likely, consider offering your lover an erotic bedtime story, or an erotic poem to start off Valentine’s Day right. If time or creativity constraints prevent you from penning your own words of love or lust, consider these collections of new and classic erotic writings.
1. 100 Best Love Poems of All Time
Essential seduction material whether you’re newly partnered or celebrating your 30th anniversary. With selections from Shakespeare and William Blake to Elizabeth Bishop and Charles Bukowski, this collection gives voice to the thousand unspoken reasons you fell in love, and the million more reasons you stay together.
2. Delta Of Venus
One of the greats in the world of erotic literature, Anais Nin leaves no stone unturned in these 15 short vignettes. Exploring both the darker side of sexuality, and a soft, sensitive side along with presenting her writing in an intellectual, poetic way, Delta of Venus is a delicious read. Too sexy to resist and too well written to skim through, Anais Nin’s work is one of the finest examples of brilliant erotic writing that will captivate and inspire.
3. 20 Love Poems: And A Song Of Despair
This collection of poems, which was first published by Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda when he was 19 years old, caused a scandal owing to its explicit and intense sexuality. You may want to hold off on the song of despair until after Valentine’s Day, but the love poems are powerfully evocative and Neruda’s use of language is unparalleled.
4. Sweet Life
This collection of erotica for couples is exactly what it claims to be, and more. The stories are hot and inspirational, delving deep into the fantasies and desires that come with couple hood.
5. Best American Erotica
This year’s installment features stories by David Sedaris, John Updike and Tom Perrotta, as well as notably hotter fiction from lesser known erotic writers. There’s always something for everyone in this long running series that covers a wide range of sexual tastes.
6. Vox
This Nicholson Baker novel was made famous by the Monica Lewinsky scandal (she gave a copy of the book to President Clinton). It tells the story of a long distance phone call between a man and woman, unknown to each other, forms the basis of this novel. A strong view of autonomous female sexuality, fantasy, solo sex; playfulness and imaginativeness are the order of day.
