Looking to hone your sexpertise while you cozy up by the fire? Here are five recommended reads.

1. For rolling up your sleeves : Girl Sex 101 is the essential book for “ladies and lady-lovers of all genders and identities.” This fun illustrated guide gives hands-on ideas for navigating anatomy, safer sex, better cunnilingus, communication, and more.

2. For getting down to it : What You Really Really Want is a shame-free guide to carving out the bounds of sex and sexuality. Writer and activist Jaclyn Friedman offers sex-positive advice, creative writing exercises, and quizzes to help readers discover their unique sexuality.

3. For the intellectual in you : Come As You Are presents exciting new research on how women’s sexuality and orgasms work. The unique perspective of Emily Nagoski, Ph.D—that how women feel about sex is just as important as how they do it—can help readers have more pleasurable and fulfilling sex lives.

4. For your playful side : Oh Joy, Sex Toy: Volumes 1 and 2, by cartoonist Erika Moen , illustrates everything from personal anecdotes about sex, birth control, and body positivity, to tips for getting it on better.

5. For erotic inspiration : Can’t Get Enough – Erotica for Women , edited by Tenille Brown, includes 27 stories from bestselling erotica writers that offer plenty of ideas for new ways to play.

And if hitting the books leads to hitting the sheets, don’t forget the birth control .

Keep your socks on ,
Bedsider

P.S. Ever wondered if whiskey dick is really a thing? Here’s what we know about how alcohol affects your brain, your body, and your birth control .