Read this primarily for pleasure
586949
This is a wonderful book (I read the hardcover) as entertainment, if it cannot be said to be evenhanded about Argentine culture.  I think the vitriolic reviews are from offended natives and I can understand their motivation---I wasn't crazy about the depiction of two coarse American tourists---but after all each episode in the book must be assumed to have actually happened, and the present condition of the country, so utterly unlike the predictions held for it in the early days, is an objective testimony to profound flaws in its society.
2647685
This story is decently long and allowed for much character development. You got a real sense of the characters as their history unravels. It was interesting to learn about Phil and try to figure out why he ended up developing a school for Littles. It was also easy to see why our MC very much loved the idea of reliving the childhood she had lost. While there was one character who acted like she didn't wish to be a Little and caused some upset, it was rather a misunderstanding that caused all the unpleasantness. Rather, I had wished that there was some who didn't want the Little lifestyle, both to be realistically since this lifestyle isn't for everyone and also to add a degree of strife.

I also liked the fact that everyone involved that disciplined didn't do so because they derived pleasure from it but to achieve the end result of positive behavior. I find sadistic tendencies don't match with Age Play as well. Even in the case of the Mysterious Man whom was Etta's betrothed before her father got ill disciplined harshly because he truly thought that was how you handled women in the Victorian era. The Mystery regarding whether this man faked the papers between himself and Etta's father or if it was legitimate will always keep this a fresh novel in your mind.

Lastly, it was nice to see that even in Victorian Era, Cunnilingus is not a dead art and was represented in this novel. Too often I find that a man's pleasure seems to be the paramount picture with erotica. The only thing that I feel disgruntled with but not surprised about was orgasm denial. The idea that you can only have pleasure when your "Papa" deems it so. Yet is another element to Power play that is all too common.
2294654
If you  enjoy this genre, then you will enjoy this.
1515247
I found this to be an engrossing and enjoyable read.
3581536
Excellently written, fun to read in general!
2929894
The first few chapters of My Wife's Affair felt clunky to me, too many self-conscious pretensions aimed at creating an air of light, cultured intellectuality on the part of the narrator. It almost turned me away from reading further but because the story soon fell into a slightly easier voice, (and just enough of one), some of the studied appearances dropped in favor of a more genuine intimacy, I plugged on. And from there it didn't take long for me to get hooked into the story, the voice, all the characters, the plot and the cat's cradle of tangled impulses underneath the story. Soon I loved it and like others reviewing here, I didn't want to put it down. Fortunately I'm kept pretty busy, which helps me to pull out and savor a book because I can only steal a read here and there. I could see ripping through the book in an afternoon, or a few days, because the story does pull you along. But I was glad it took me over a week. This helped take an already somewhat compressed story and let it spread out a little, it's private moments morphing from temptation to indulgence, from escape into chaos, lingering enough for the effect to be felt before being returned to the shelf. A fantastic read with truly marvelous insights into the depth of complex feelings where twin impulses exist simultaneously, equally inexplicable. Bravo.
4498744
I enjoyed this because Harris's real skill is giving us characters that we can like; they feel like people we might know or perhaps want to know.  And that makes them fun to read about.  I was disappointed with the virginity thread (trying not to spoil this for anyone). It wasn't up to Harris's normal standards. I would recommend this to friends.
4871440
What was most exciting about reading a chick lit novel like Waking Virginia, as a male, was the insight I seemingly had into the fantasy world of the women I seek out. It made me think of whether my partner would enjoy reading this and which parts specifically she found most enticing. I saw it as a window to opening a conversation about how sex is perceived by my partner, and what her sexual fantasies are currently. It was the #Girl. Power version of 50 Shades of Gray, which, as a feminist, I found much more helpful in leading to discussions with my partner. Rather than get inspiration from half-baked corny sex scenes taken to their BDSM-y extreme, Id rather see the need for discussing fantasies satisfied with the nuance, the thought and the values I incorporate into my life that Waking Virginia embraces.
But what made this book particularly wonderful was that these implications were a mere afterthought. While reading the book, I was simply enjoying Ginnis journeys, her ponderings and her sexual escapades. The book is, simply put, delicious, fun and sexy. While at times I felt the characters were a bit flat, particularly the two men, and as a future academic I was a little discomforted by Ginnis obliging to the professors sexual advances, but that may be too much to ask for in a perfect beach-read. The writing style is whimsical and easy-going, switching easily between the architectural details of Geneva, the history of political thought and delightful female-centered sex scenes. I honestly just sat down one evening and read it in one go.
I genuinely hope that Waking Virginia will be the next 50 Shades of Gray.
The women of the world deserve it to be.
3058162
I've enjoyed this more than most reads in the past 6 months. I like the characters, and the eloquence of the author. More meaningful than many of the popular ( trashy in my opinion) novels currently doing the circuit.
2600894
When I read, I generally read for fun.  It's not that I don't like to learn, but my job in IT requires that I learn new things all the time and when I'm ready to relax with a book, the last thing I want to do is use my brain.  No problem here, Sex, Death & Honey requires no heaving thinking.  It's like candy for the brain and calories be damned.

This is how the hero describes himself... "My name is Butch Quick, and I deal with Paradise Valley's less savory residents for a living.  I work for my Uncle Higheagle and his various enterprises.  Depending on his current needs I am a nightclub bouncer, a repo man, a bail bond recovery agent, and pretty much any other job too dangerous or dirty for anyone else to do."

In Sex, Death & Honey it's a simple repo job on a 1968 Mustang convertible.  However, we find out soon enough why the series is called The Misadventures of Butch Quick.

The writing here is direct and refreshing, very down to Earth.  There's also a parrot, sorry...a macaw, with a very colorful vocabulary, used effectively in a comic relief role.

"Nothing says I'm doing something illegal, please arrest me quite like a giant Indian running with a birdcage under his arm."

Once again, I found myself outside of the Horror genre with this book, but I do enjoy a good crime novel on occasion, especially John Sandford's Prey series and James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheau novels.  Both excellent series.  Sex, Death & Honey isn't quite at that level, but it sure was a lot of fun.

If you'd like to sample Brian's writing and take a look at the seedy side of Paradise Valley before purchasing Sex, Death & Honey you can now get Big Trouble In Little Boots in both Kindle and ePub formats for FREE by visting the Genius Book Publishing website.

Sex, Death & Honey will be available on August 17, 2012 in print and ebook formats from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple ITunes, Kobo and wherever books are sold.
2882403
Some books are like eating dessert for dinner. There are the gulity pleasures that is fun to endulge in.
437402
This whole story is written from a guys perspective. There is some raunchy, some boasting, some sexy, some erotic & some self deprecating humor. This type of book may not be for everyone, but for me, I enjoyed this book immensely. Good plot, likable characters and hot erotica. Well worth reading.
244535
A joy to read, and very thought provoking.  Warning--you will be spoiled for today's mass market junk.  I feel sure that Rear Window was based in part on this book's setting.  See if you notice that when you read this--and DO read this.
4267715
I enjoyed the book looking forward to the next part of the story.
i read mostly for relaxation and probably some escapism.
this book did both for me.
789923
This is a well written story that will appeal to the taste of only some readers. Read it through, but find I am not one of those with quite the right preferences. Not a complaint. I like a lot of the author's books, and it is asking too much to always find a fit.
647049
I read for pleasure and I guess I'm not a critic, so I enjoyed this satisfying read.  The plot involving the camera is cool...just read the story...
2771954
Bob Carr has a profound love of reading books.  Bob Carr is also a former Premier of New South Wales.  This book interested me on two levels: would knowing anything about Bob Carr's reading tell me about the man behind the politician?  Would I learn anything new? Most importantly, would I be able to augment my own reading list, find some shared reading interests?

The answer to each of these questions is yes.  The only mistake I made was reading a borrowed copy: a mistake I will address tomorrow when I buy a new copy in which to insert my ubiquitous post-it notes.  This is not a difficult book to read but it will be (for me at least) a book to be referred to.

So, why did I enjoy this book and why would I recommend it to other bibliophiles?  In short, it made me think.  About why I read what I read and the balance I choose between fiction and non-fiction.  I am also intending to revisit some old favourites and to explore some suggested titles in a range of other fields.  I do not agree with all of Mr Carr's choices and recommendations and nor do I need to.  It is always a pleasure to read why others select particular books and what they have learned from those books.

I cannot do justice to the breadth of Mr Carr's reading in a short review.  However, I will quote 5 sentences under the heading `Reading the classics or hard literature:

1. Don't rely on hearsay about great books.
2. Don't just read for pleasure or, that is, immediate and obvious pleasure.
3. Be open to new discoveries.
4. Identify the source of the difficulty some works present - Proust's long-windedness, Joyce's parodies, Dostoyevsky's religious messages, for example - and seek to understand it.
5.  Look, as Nabokov advises, for the author's art.  This is easier on a second or third reading.'

I like these suggestions and, after I've read a few books suggested which immediately appeal I will read Shakespeare (and others) through new eyes. I may even tackle Proust.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith