BOOKSHELF

This book belongs at the top of our list as it presents arguments and reasons for non-monogamy in clear and objective writing. It is a must-read before getting into any poly book.
For most people today, romantic love is tantamount to monogamy. However, the ideal of one true love that lasts forever has long given way to the sobering reality of serial monogamy. The simple fact that a life may comprise more than one love poses a challenge to our established conception of fidelity. Why must one love end when another one begins? In this book, the meaning of love and sexuality is reassessed. The author points out that emotion, reason, commitment, and freedom do not have to be at odds. Monogamy as a relationship model is shown to rest on questionable preconceptions. Its impositions prove objectionable not only from a hedonistic, but also from an ethical point of view. Alternative models such as “Don’t ask, don’t tell” agreements, swinging, and polyamory are reviewed.

A FRANK, FUNNY AND EMPOWERING CELEBRATION OF FEMALE PLEASURE
An orgasm will help you sleep and keep you looking younger, it doesn’t cost money and isn’t a scarce resource. So why is it that, like the pay gap, there is an ‘orgasm gap’ between women and men?
The Hotbed Collective began life as a podcast with a mission ‘to make life better one orgasm at a time’. Their debut book, More Orgasms Please is an open, honest and at moments hilarious dive into all aspects of sex for women. It covers feminist porn, body image, menopause and much more.

“I learned about the mechanics of female sexual pleasure in my sex ed class.”
“I am able to have a difficult conversation with my partner about our relationship.”
“I can boldly and openly carry a tampon to the restroom in public.”
“I am totally comfortable being naked in front of a new partner.”
If you disagree with any of these statements (or all of them), you are not alone. You are one of many, many women who are feeling the effects of “sexual madness.” According to Jennifer Gunsaullus, PhD, sociologist and sex coach, it is time for women to break free from the labyrinth of societal baggage in relation to sexual education, expectations, and fulfillment.

Included in the bookshelf because there are few general audience books addressing these issues in depth.
Consensual nonmonogamy (CNM) means that all partners in a relationship consent to expanded monogamy or polyamory. Clinicians are on the front line in providing support for the estimated millions pioneering these modern relationships. This first available guide for therapists provides answers to prevalent questions: What is the difference between expanded monogamy and polyamory? Is CNM healthy and safe? Why would someone choose the complexities of multiple partners? What about the welfare of children? Through illustrative case studies from research and clinical practice, therapists will learn to assist clients with CNM agreements, jealousy, sex, time, family issues, and much more.

This practical guidebook will help women break out of the mold of traditional monogamy, without the constraints of jealousy, possessiveness, insecurity, and competition. The Smart Girl's Guide to Polyamory incorporates interviews and real-world advice from women of all ages in nontraditional relationships, as well as exercises for building self-awareness, confidence in communication, and strategies for managing and eliminating jealousy. If you're curious about opening up your current monogamous relationship, exploring group sex, or ready to "come out" as polyamorous, this book covers it all!

For 20 years The Ethical Slut — widely known as the “Poly Bible” — has dispelled myths and showed curious readers how to maintain a successful polyamorous lifestyle through open communication, emotional honesty, and safer sex practices. The third edition of this timeless guide to the ethics of relationships, communication, and sex has been revised extensively.

With intelligence and humour, Ryan and Jeth‡ explain how our promiscuous past haunts our contemporary struggles. They explore why many people find long-term fidelity so difficult; why sexual passion tends to fade even as love deepens; why homosexuality persists in the face of standard evolutionary logic; and what the human body reveals about the prehistoric origins of modern sexuality.
Shocking, enlightening, and ultimately inspiring, Sex at Dawn offers a revolutionary understanding of why we live and love as we do.