Recommended Reading
I’m doing some Amazon shopping today. I’m asking for suggestions on BDSM themed reading.
Anything from how-to’s on s&m practices and bondage to erotic stories to domestic discipline to Dominant or slave manuals to Surrendered Wife stuff. What have you read, what do you recommend, what do you suggest NOT to buy?
~cunt
ps. Why is the second book of the Marketplace series selling for $70.00 when the rest of the series is about $6.00? Is it THAT good of a book??
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Uncategorized | kaya | 
Monday February 4th, 2008 10:10am
Loved the kinky girls guide to dating, but I think that you’re way beyond needing something like that. It’s still interesting, really it was just a whole lot of fun to read.
Carries story was interesting. I wouldn’t read it again but I’m all picky about these things, and I’m not really into BDSM erotica, but I think it’s an interesting take on slavery.
If you can find a copy, get Mary Gaitskills Bad Behavior. It’s a collection of short stories (including the one that inspired secretary) and they’re great. They’re not shiny happy BDSM land things… It’s more just snippets of life.
I don’t think that the second marketplace book is worth 70…thinking about it, I can’t see what in it would inspire that price, except someone thinking their going to make a big buck. The first is the best in my opinion.
Screw the roses… is something I would recommend to a beginner, but you’re way past that.
I enjoyed the stories of De Sade. Not all of them, but they make good bedtime stories ;-)
Kushiel’s Dart by Jaquieline Carey was pretty good. Although this isn’t necessarily hard-core BDSM, the story was good, and there was an interesting prespective of erotic slavery, and her surrender to pain. Suprisingly, I found it at the public library.
I am on the search for Macho Sluts. Heard that was a really well-done classic. Have you read it already?
Enjoy,
Radha
The Marketplace series by Laura Antoniou. The Slave – the 2nd book is probably one of the most popular. But the first book and the last are my favorites. To Love, To Obey, To Serve by Vi Johnson is another one I always recommend. I have a review of the first 3 Marketplace books (5 books total with another one coming) and Vi’s book here. Like you I can’t really read erotica — and Marketplace doesn’t read like erotica. I know the Sleeping Beauty trilogy did but Marketplace is NOTHING like that.
Vi Johnson is incredibly dynamic, in person and in the book (though I should note that I have not read the entire book, just parts).
The Better Built Bondage Book is a wonderful book that shows you how to make your own bondage toys and furniture. Check it out at http://www.tbbbb.com/ , or see the reviews at Amazon. You’re a crafty girl — bet you’ll find something you like!
We love Bondage for Sex by Chanta Rose and The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage by Midori. Both have beautiful pictures.
Just read your ps….that is weird about the 2nd book in the marketplace. I am sure it isn’t selling at that price on her website.
Nope. Only $15.95 on her site. Man.. the amazon prices were insane for that book! So was ebay. Weird.
I was going to get the whole series and then thought better of it. Maybe I’ll just start with the first one and see if it even strikes my fancy at all.
The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage by Midori — that Lee mentioned above we have and Master really likes. It has beautiful pictures in it but help/how-to on rope bondage.
I should have said that — Chanta Rose’s book is also a how-to.
I highly recommend Slavecraft by “a grateful slave” I think. Introduction by Guy Baldwin.
I’m sure the second book price is just a typographical error, an extra 0, when the real price was supposed to be $7.00 as the others were $6.00.
You! Are you getting my emails? I’m trying to get in touch with you!
“Your Pain, My Pleasure: Inside the Mind of a Sexual Sadist” by FifthAngel and Friends.
It’s not an Amazon or anything like that. You may be able to order it here: http://www.artofbdsm.com/fifthangel.htm
Good stuff.
~magpie
Darn.. it’s sold out. That looks like a good one too. Exactly what I’m looking for. Bummer.
Sell me yours? ;-)
god i love FifthAngel. my Sir has had dinner with Him several times. He’s a pretty fab dude. i just wish Sir hadn’t taken up FifthAngel’s fingernail-pressure-point-at-dinner thing. trying to be quiet when all i want to do is scream and flail is SO hard!! and god, that hurts. jeebus.
who am i kiding. i love it. *sigh*
~melly,
a painloving slave in His house
I just finished reading the Ethical Slut and I really enjoyed it. It was recommended to me from another blogger who loved it and I have recommended it to others. :)
I also loved the book, Surrender. I’ve read it so many times now! I recommend it a lot.
BIG HUGS
padme amidala
The second book of the MKplace is more expensive because it was published by a different distribution house, one that no longer exists. The current distribution house hasn’t picked up the past books, only the more current ones. So, The Slave is hard to find because of that. I paid 20 bux for mine.
You guys are great. Thank you all so so much! They all sound like terrific reads so far. :-)
E-bay’s got The Slave for $4.95 or $85.21. It’s a race to see how long it lasts now!
http://search-desc.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&dfsp=1&catref=C6&from=R10&_trksid=m37&satitle=Slave+Laura+Antoniou&sacat=267%26catref%3DC6&fts=2&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sabfmts=1&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=1%26fsoo%3D1
*shaking head* Some seller needs to do more research!
As for my own reading preferences? I’ve read a couple of things lately I’d not recommend… but I don’t think you’re going to be buying anything that sounds like a tutorial in something you’ve already done, so that’s not a problem :).
sparkle
Isn’t that crazy? And you can get it on her own site for 15 bucks.
Would you mind telling me what you wouldn’t recommend so that I don’t buy something I don’t need?..lol. I’m really new to reading bdsm stuff (except online journals. teehee) and, really, I don’t want to end with a basic how-to primer that I’ve “outgrown”. The reviews given on places like amazon are helpful, but even with those, I don’t know if the person giving the glowing review has ever so much as dipped a toe in the BDSM waters. So what might be wonderful to them, might not be for us. So.. would ya? :D
I came back too late! (Should’ve subscribed to the comments, I know.)
One was actually SM101, which another commenter recommended against anyway. The other was The Compleat Slave by Jack Rinella.
I am always a little hesitant to diss books, you know, because it does NOT mean that nobody ought to read them. They might be very, very helpful and fantastic for the right reader, but it wasn’t me :). Nor, I think, would they be immensely helpful to someone already living in an M/s relationship. But that’s my opinion only.
sparkle
1. But you can get the mass-market copy of the book for $24 off Amazon–go here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1563336014/ref=lp_g_2
I think luna’s right–seems like the copy of the book that looks like the rest in the series is out of print. :shrug:
2. Things people haven’t mentioned . . .
Carrie’s Story and its sequel
Kushiel’s Dart and its sequel http://www.jacquelinecarey.com/
Lots of the erotica anthologies–I liked “He’s On Top”, might not be heavy enough for some . . .
3. Hm, how-tos? People mentioned most of them. I liked SM 101 but it was kind of . . . 101. Y’all already know how to do spankin’. ;)
MJ’s been reading “The Loving Dominant” by John Warren and seems to find it interesting. i can’t get thru “Erotic Surrender: The Sensual Joys of Female Submission” by Claudia Varrin. The title doesn’t imply it’s for extreme newbies. She spends a long time helping the reader figure out if they are submissive or dominate and then even more explaining how to teach an inexperienced Dom how to do what you want..even calls it topping from the bottom and justifies it.
i ordered “Fascinating Womanhood” by Helen Andelin at the same time and haven’t started it yet i think it’s supposed to be of the same vein as “The Surrendered Wife” which i did find helpful when i was trying to transition from thinking i “had” to do it all. Turning over control is the focus and it’s not BDSM at all but worth the read.
Jay Wiseman’s “Erotic Bondage Handbook” is interesting but i think you are way beyond it’s scope.
On a more religious point of view is “What Makes a Man Feel Loved: Understanding What Your Husband Raally Wants” by Bob Barnes is interestingish..i usually read at night and it doesn’t keep me awake so i haven’t finished it.
On a completely nonBDSM note, if you are looking for fiction that will keep you awake at night “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Wall (NYT best seller, autobiography) is a page turner. Dad’s an alcoholic and mom is just off the hook…Great read!!
If you haven’t seen “Fashionistas” on DVD, it is the best BDSM porn i can remember watching but that isn’t a lot. But it is female oriented and i thought it was HOT! What ever the porn Oscar’s are, it won tons of them.
Happy reading!!
~nik
nik, yes the Glass Castle is a terrific read! so are Janet Fitch’s 2 books, White Oleander (book 10 times better than the movie) and Paint it Black the most recent novel.
I loved WHITE OLEANDER…and agree..the movie didn’t do it justice..will look for “Paint it Black” next..thanks!
if it’s BDSM erotica you’re looking for, i recommend MASTER/slave edited by N. T. Morley. it has two different sections of erotica–one with stories all written from the Master’s perspective and another with stories all written from the slave’s–and offers a nice selection of scenarios, fetishes, etc. to whet your whistle.
Hmmmm… i’ve been on a BDSM reading kick lately, and i’ve read most of the non-fiction books mentioned here.
Unless you’re looking for a refresher, most of them will likely be too elementary for you. If you are trying to wrap you mind around the poly-thing, i second the Ethical Slut recommendation. It is awesome and has some terrific, realistic tips for dealing with the poly-thing.
The Surrendered Wife was the book i found most helpful. i read it and then reread it, but i really needed help seeing where i’d been shooting myself in my own foot D/s-wise.
Slavecraft had some food for thought, but was written so poorly i had to keep setting it down. Sincere book written by someone who genuinely wants to surrender all – but, is not a writer. If you can get past that, he shares some terrific concepts on slavery.
i also second the Fashionistas DVD. OMG – HAWT, and slick. Very well done and has penetration. Woot!
I agree about slavecraft not being the best written book I’ve ever read, but I thought it made me think enough to outweigh it. Although when I looked it back up today I found that there is apparently a bit of drama associated with it and whether or not Guy Baldwin himself wrote it.
I’m sure you’ve read the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. But if you haven’t … medieval fantasy heavily laced with BDSM. Amazing writing!
well kaya this is a shameless plug, but Master has a book out there, it is called “BDSM Primer” and it is by Ralph White. It is a combination of some basic BDSM knowledge, but what i really love about it, is in between each chapter are short erotic stories. He is also looking for ideas for stories for His next book. Amazon carries His book for about $20.00.
I LOVE YOUR BlOG!!
You’re turning into the BDSM Oprah!!
Only she isn’t sexy…geeze..now THAT boggles the mind..
Now, if I could only make Kaya give me a car or some kinky stuff. ;)
Seriously. I second that.