Action

April 4, 2016
Debut author Spiegel charms with frank, empowering advice on embracing one’s sexuality without apology. After advising that feeling good about one’s self is crucial to good sex, she divides her wise book into three sections: “Ready for Action” (on mentally preparing for sex), “Where the Action Is” (finding sexual partners), and “Pieces of the Action”(advice on dealing with embarrassing moments, such as when someone walks in on you when you’re masturbating and there’s period blood all over the bed). No sexual subject is off limits, including enjoying anal sex, giving a blow job, buying sex toys and lingerie, group sex etiquette, sexually transmitted diseases, pornography, and fetishes. Even the sensitive topic of sexual assault is skillfully handled, with an eye toward reassuring and empowering assault survivors. Spiegel’s witty, slapstick style of prose veers into the absurd (such as discussing the possible fetish of ben-wa balls embossed with the faces of America’s founding fathers) but the advice is warm and sensible. Spiegel liberally dishes about sexual experiences from her life, personalizing the book. This should be required reading for anyone even considering having sex for the first time.