New hot (and not so hot) reads this holiday:

• She’s On Top: Erotic Stories of Female Dominance and Male Submission, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Cleis Press, 220 pp.) — Stories like “Mark of Ownership” in the She’s On Top collection provoke the question: why do we read erotica? A truly hot story should offer release from our day-to-day negotiations of relationships and emotions. After a detailed list of all the ways that her and her oh-so-delicious boyfriend are incompatible outside of the bedroom, she writes “about the only thing we had in common was my need to control and his need to surrender.” Right-o, madam! This is all we need to know, so leave it at that. Ponderous descriptions suggesting anything other than outrageously great sex don’t exactly ignite the passions of the reader.

By contrast, Kristina Wright’s “The Mistress Meets her Match” begins with an unapologetic, fast-paced rant by a “benevolent bitch goddess” who was born to dominate men for money. Drooling yet? Wait — she’s about to leave her professional practice and settle down, and this careening story starts to read more like a romance novel that happens to be slightly kinky rather than the hardcore romp of domination and submission that she teases about in the first few pages. The implication that the domme who narrates this story of her life is also deeply unfulfilled is, quite simply, offensive. By the story’s end, we’re left with a fallen heroine — the Bitch with a capital “B” who gives up her power for the faint promise of a hetero-monogamous relationship.

A carnivorous story about erotic feeding is the last straw, and I’m not even vegan. A housewife with a feeding fetish infantilizes her business-suited boyfriend by describing the way he masticates a juicy extra-rare slice of steak in a rambling, pseudo-erotic mess of mixed metaphor. Yum. Not. (AB)

• He’s On Top: Stories of Male Dominance and Female Submission, edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel (Cleis Press, 220 pp.) — Why do all of these stories follow the “stock trader by day, masochist by night” routine? Most of the tales bleed into one another, making the hilarious language (how many different ways can you say “his dick got hard”) unbearable. It’s lurid melodrama without any craft, conjuring images of some lonely creep at his computer in a basement, writing about his “sacrificial lamb.” Yikes. (BE)

• Virgins: A Cultural History by Anke Bernau (Granta Books, 272 pp.) — Breezy, terse look at virginity as a cultural phenomenon, through religion, the law and entertainment. Interesting, but lacks a greater contemporary focus and as such, reads more like a term paper than a book. (BE)

• The Best American Erotica 2007, edited by Susie Bright (Touchstone, 256 pp.) — Latest collection from the usual suspects (or, people with their own websites), although each year’s edition does feature some recognizable authors (often with excerpts from new novels). That said, there’s a lot of variety with the stories here, ranging from genre fiction (sci-fi, vampires) to the usual random-encounter-ends-in-hot-sex tale. (BE)

• Hot Cops: Gay Erotic Stories, edited by Shane Allison (Cleis Press, 220 pp.) — Maybe because I landed myself in the hospital with a hot male nurse recently, the erotic potential of this volume’s several stories on cops and doctors was most persuasive. The thought of starchy white hospital linens rubbing up against crisp police shirts translates into hot “men in uniform” fantasies — yes, it’s a well-established archetype within gay erotica for a very good reason. Hell, even Jean Genet managed to hold an erotic fascination with cops after being jailed repeatedly during his formative years and acting as a political organizer around justice issues later in life.

Other contributions reflect a troubling intolerance within some parts of the gay community against anyone other than the clichéd thin, toned gym gods — some passages seem more focused on enforcing a dislike of men who don’t fit this body type than in generating sexual heat. Given that the average reader probably isn’t a bronzed Adonis, the stories that regard big, burly men — affectionately known as “bears” — in a positive sexual light are a big relief. By the end of Hot Cops, the sheer number of skin-tight uniforms, stretched over rippling chests, thighs, tight asses and the dicks, cocks and balls galore that populate this collection, start to read like a page from a stock script. Just what the doctor ordered. Keep it on the night table, and pull it out when the night needs a spark. (AB)

• Country Boys: Wild Gay Erotica, edited by Richard Labonte (Cleis Press, 220 pp.) — Despite the cheap look and descriptions of “lonesome queers meeting for moonlight trysts in the cornfields” and “yielding to the rugged charms of that hunky ranger during bear season,” this collection is OK. Not the greatest endorsement, but the writers opt for a “small town” touch, with prose that could be boiled down to “we had pie, and I gave him a hand job while milking the cow.” One of the more egregious offenders, Dale Chase’s “Laying By,” attempts an invented early 1800s Wild West vernacular, reading like low rent, smutty Louis L’ Amour. There are a few clever tales, but they still sound like city slicker gay men pretending to be Farley Mowat. Anyone expecting cool tales of lonesome queers travelling cross-country will find little of interest here. (BE)

• Play Piercing by Deborah Addington (Greenery Press, 100 pp.) — Like many books in the how-to genre, Play Piercing intersperses erotic writing with down-and-dirty details on exactly how to safely and erotically pierce lovers and play partners. An advanced BDSM technique, play piercing involves the temporary insertion of sterile needles through the skin to stimulate endorphins, adrenaline and deep connection between the piercer and pierced. The book goes to great pains to discuss the intellectual, emotional and safety factors involved in play piercing and dissuades (or at least informs in great detail) those wanting to simply add an extreme kinky practice to their repertoire. Most experienced play piercers would also strongly recommend attending a good workshop or being mentored by an expert in addition to the knowledge gained in this excellent introductory guide. Otherwise, everything you need to get started is here — minus a willing pincushion, of course. (AB)

• Black and White and Blue: Adult Cinema from the Victorian Age to the VCR by Dave Thompson (ECW Press, 350 pp.) — The book jacket touts Thompson as “one of the top five foremost music writers in the world today.” What that has to do with writing about porn, I dunno. Black and White and Blue isn’t a grand overview of the genre, but rather a history of the first stag films from the late 19th century to the age of home video. It’s a little-explored period, and some of Thompson’s commentary on production details is enlightening, but the book is dominated by exhaustive descriptions of the films — and with only a few pages of dull photos, it feels like a cheat. There’s a lot to explore here, but Thompson should’ve suppressed the reviewer and brought out the historian. (BE)

• Money Shot: Wild Days and Lonely Nights Inside the Black Porn Industry by Lawrence C. Ross Jr. (Thunder’s Mouth Press, 304 pp.) — This fascinating exploration of the black porn industry features great interviews and reportage and a commentary on how race informs it (including the forced, ingratiating racism actors and actresses had to endure just to get a foothold in the industry). (BE)

• The Adventurous Couple’s Guide to Strap-On Sex by Violet Blue (Cleis Press, 160 pp.) — Like many instructional sex books, this slim volume spends most of its time assuring people that pegging is OK. But for those interested in a basic intro to butt fun, Blue’s friendly, no-nonsense commentary proves useful, with tips on toys and lube (and online sites for shopping) and cursory info on other hot spots and rimming (and the requisite, unfortunate, erotic short stories). (BE)

• Lust in Translation: The Rules of Infidelity from Tokyo to Tennessee by Pamela Druckerman (Penguin Press, 291 pp.) — Hilarious, trivia-laden account of infidelity both culturally and historically. Druckerman’s done her homework, and the results are surprising. You’ll forswear ever cheating on your partner again. Or maybe not. (BE)

• Best Lesbian Bondage Erotica, edited by Tristan Taormino (Cleis Press, 200 pp.) — Yes, ladies, breakup sex is messy, emotionally charged and often mind-blowing. Reading about breakup sex? Not so much.

However, stories on water torture, slicing a pair of cotton panties off with a knife, and a contribution from Vancouver powerhouse writer and leatherwoman Elaine Miller all offer incredible ideas for future bondage scenarios. Her fast-paced story, “Fee Fie Foe Femme,” expertly cuts to the chase. Knot-nerds will enjoy her descriptive clues as to how to re-create her sexy predicament bondage in their own bedrooms.

Skian McGuire’s “Pheobe’s Undercover Bon Voyage” rivals Pat Califia’s menacingly sexy tale of two cops who abduct a dyke on her birthday, which is part of his now classic Macho Sluts volume. They both expertly hold the erotic tension between genuinely scary and campy role-play, which is the exact sweet spot that I've been hoping to find amidst piles and piles of lacklustre erotica. (AB)