The Essential Clitoris Library

5 Must-Read Books About the Clitoris & Female Arousal

If you take her pleasure seriously (and you should!), you’ll need at least a few good books in your library. Here are some of our favorites.

Note: You won’t find any affiliate links to Amazon.com in this article. It was created to educate and inform you, not to earn us a few measly bucks.

5. The Hite Report

This book came close to not even making our list.

It's from a completely different era in history (written 35 years ago). The author is an avowed feminist who is frequently accused of bias. The research methods are dubious and possibly unscientific. Hell, it’s even downright depressing in some parts.

But it’s also one of the most interesting books of its kind. A classic, that has sold more than 48 million copies worldwide.

The Hite Report was the result of a nationwide sexual study of over 3,000 women. It reveals their intimate thoughts on subjects such as intercourse, female masturbation, orgasms, and sexual frustration. The series of questionnaires were incredibly specific, asking questions such as “If you had to choose between intercourse and clitoral stimulation by your partner, which would you pick? Why?”

The answers to these questions are what make this book so valuable. It's packed with revealing confessions on a variety of sexual topics. Women who read it will understand that they aren't alone in their fantasies and frustrations. Men who read it will receive priceless (and sometimes shocking) insights into female sexuality.

The Hite Report tends toward the negative. It even seems to take an accusatory (almost angry) tone in some sections. Perhaps this is a justified reaction to the ignorant ideas of the times. Maybe it's a reflection of the author’s unfair bias.

Nevertheless, The Hite Report is a valuable read. Despite its flaws, it’s still an extremely informative book packed with the fascinating thoughts of thousands of women. We're glad Dr. Hite had the balls to write it. (Yes, we know she would punch us right in the face for that comment -Ed.)

Book Excerpt: "My partners usually are very clumsy when it comes to clitoral stimulation - either they press too hard, or right in the center which is agonizing, or they move too jerkily. I use my whole hand and not fingers like they do so that the pressure is evenly distributed and my clitoris doesn't get poked and shocked to death."

4. The Whole Lesbian Sex Book

Just like The Hite Report, we initially weren't too thrilled about this book either. It seemed to have too many chapters on scary things like leather harnesses, “detachable dicks”, and perimenopause (What the hell is that?). But it must have been a favorite in our resident bisexual staff member's library, because she kicked and screamed until we took a second look at it. She was right. This book is packed with great information.

The author, Felice Newman, freely shares her extensive knowledge of female anatomy and sensuality. And by extensive we mean extensive - The paperback version alone weighs in at a hefty 400 pages. She candidly covers all the expected basics (anatomy, sexual response, masturbation, orgasm, etc.), but also delves into more interesting territory such as shaving, spanking, piercings, anal, and even some hardcore S&M. Some of the most valuable advice in the book, such as the chapters about intimacy and relationships, will greatly benefit any couple, heterosexual included.

The Whole Lesbian Sex Book goes slightly overboard when it comes to safety. Don’t get us wrong; we’re all about safe sex! But one might get the impression that Felice isn’t happy unless her partner’s pussy is covered in two layers of plastic while she uses a latex glove holding a condom-covered vibrator.

But that’s a very minor criticism. If you can get past it (along with the aforementioned lesbian-specific sections), you’ll find an interesting and informative book written by someone that knows more about the inner workings of vaginas than the Backstreet Boys’ manager.

Book Excerpt: “Ask your partner to touch herself for you. Watch how she handles her labia and clitoris. Notice how many fingers she uses, and whether she focuses her touch on the left or right labia, the clitoral shaft or hood, under the clitoral glans, or directly on the glans itself. Then, take your own tour.”

3. She Comes First

Poor Ian Kerner.

As a long-time sufferer of premature ejaculation (“Just the sight of a woman’s naked body could make me lose control”), sex was an un-enjoyable source of “depression and heartache”. His sexual dysfunction, which he now laughingly refers to as his “Achilles Penis”, left him completely unable to have a normal sex life.

In order to somewhat salvage his college years, Kerner desperately needed to find an alternative to intercourse. He found it in cunnilingus. After a period of trail and error, he became a master “cunnilinguist” and was able to finally relax and enjoy sex again.

Today Kerner is happily married and no longer suffers from PE, but he still firmly believes in “the way of the tongue”. His entire philosophy is that cunnilingus isn’t foreplay, it’s “coreplay” - Meaning that oral sex is the best way to satisfy a woman and shouldn’t be relegated to just a few minutes before intercourse.

The first half of She Comes First makes a very compelling case for that philosophy. Kerner is an excellent writer (and researcher) and uses it to thoroughly destroy the Freudian notion of vaginal-centric orgasms. He also has no problem pointing out how inefficient the penis is compared to the tongue or how much more effective cunnilingus is for female sexual response.

The second half is the “How-To” section of the book. It covers positioning (no more sore neck syndrome!), step-by-step techniques, and the finer points of oral sex. It’s those small details that make She Comes First stand apart from other less-helpful books. Techniques are great, but Kerner’s explanations of rhythm and sexual tension are what really bring everything together. Don’t be surprised if you have a few “Ah Hah!” moments.

Critics point out that Kerner may be too attached to cunnilingus. For instance, he spends little time on the G-spot and doesn’t mention women who prefer to reach orgasm from penetrative sex. Also, some women don’t even enjoy oral, and, unless we missed it, he only addresses this “shyness” with a few paragraphs at the end of the book.

Still, the main purpose of She Comes First was to passionately preach and teach cunnilingus. Mission accomplished!

Book Excerpt: “Cunnilingus is all about the balance between movement and stillness, the counterpoint of action and reaction. To that end, a flat still tongue pressed softly, later firmly, into her vulva will prove to be one of your most powerful positions.”

2. The Clitoral Truth: The Secret World at Your Fingertips

The clitoris has been abused over the years. And we’re not talking about by clumsy frat boys either. Sex advice books, scientific communities, and even whole societies have all been guilty of neglecting the clitoris and focusing on a vaginal-centric view of sexuality. The clitoris has been ignored, misunderstood, and undervalued.

The Clitoral Truth sets the record straight. If this book isn’t the Bible for the clitoris, it’s damn close.

Not content to be just a guide to the female anatomy – although it is (a great one, in fact) - The Clitoral Truth is an all-out assault on years of ignorance and misinformation. Readers who are expecting step-by-step techniques may be disappointed. History lessons and socio-political commentary fill up much of the first half of the book. The author, Rebecca Chalker, makes no secret that she is feminist and proud of it.

But, unlike The Hite Report, there doesn’t seem to be any lopsided slant or anger here. For example, Chalker freely admits that some women actually prefer intercourse. (“‘I just love the delicious sensations of penetration,’ Diane says. ‘Besides orgasm, it’s my favorite part.’”) There’s also an entire chapter on the G-spot and female ejaculation - Proving that even though The Clitoral Truth exists to extol the wonders of the clitoris, it doesn’t blatantly ignore other sources of sexual pleasure for purely political reasons.

It may start slow, but the book eventually picks up steam, covering more practical topics such as sexual response, masturbation, and intercourse. It may not be in a “how to” format, but anyone with half a brain will realize how useful the information is. For instance, in chapter four, Chalker points out that the average male orgasm occurs within 2 to 5 minutes of stimulation, but it takes the average woman nearly 30 minutes of sustained stimulation to move into orgasmic range. You don’t need a PhD. to figure that one out.

The book also contains vivid personal accounts and experiences. The last chapter is mostly a collection of these – including several explicit (and somewhat strange) recounts of self-discovery and liberation at sex workshops for women (i.e. hot lesbian sex – Ed.).

If MAXIM is the brainiest thing you’ve read lately, this book won’t be for you. It’s not really a “how-to” manual – since it’s more concerned with “why” than “how”. But it’s a revealing, thought-provoking guide that deserves a spot near the top of this list.

Book Excerpt: "Rosalind, who has had many sexual experiences with both women and men, describes what she recalls as the most erotic night of her life. 'At an office party, I started dancing with one of the executives I had a crush on, and it turned out to be mutual. He invited me to his place. We started talking about what we thought about each other, fantasies we’d had about each other, and that escalated into sex. I didn’t have my cervical cap, and he had no condoms, so we did everything but intercourse over and over all night long. I was so dizzy that I would have an orgasm if he blew in my ear.’”

1. The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus

The cover to The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus states that “Violet Blue is like the trusted best friend you can ask anything – but with the expertise of a sex educator who has advised hundreds of thousands of people.”

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.

Reading this book is like having a long and honest conversation with a smart, sexy girl. There’s no confusing medical jargon or flowery language. The writing style is straightforward and in plain (sometimes deliciously dirty) English.

From the start, it’s obvious that The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus is nothing like the typical book or article. Even the introduction is a verbal skewering of the many “how-to” books that either oversimplify female sexuality (“Give her an orgasm in three easy steps!”) or present the instructions in such a vague, new age way that they lose all usefulness.

The second chapter, “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Getting Head”, is also a great example of how the book stands out from the norm. Unlike She Comes First, which is all magical vulvas and rainbows, Violet isn’t afraid to bravely deal with what doesn’t work about cunnilingus. She uses real anecdotes (including her own) to reveal the all-too-common hang-ups about receiving oral sex. These stories and quotes aren’t regulated to the second chapter, either. They are sprinkled liberally throughout the book and are almost always helpful and interesting.

Next up is the obligatory anatomy lesson. The illustrations are very basic (and sometimes ugly), but the descriptions are spot-on and easy to understand. Likewise for the sections about how the female anatomy reacts and responds to sexual stimulation.

Reading this book is like having a long and honest conversation with a smart, sexy girl.

Positions and techniques are necessary for any decent cunnilingus guide. You’ll find plenty here…along with advanced concepts such as rhythm, technique combinations, how to gauge her reactions, G-spot stimulation, and even how to handle tongue and jaw cramp!

It’s hard to find fault with The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus. But if we were going to nitpick (and we are), we’d have to mention the “erotica” chapters sprinkled throughout the book. These short, explicit stories are a great concept, and would even be welcome if they were directly related to the content in the preceding chapter. Many times they are not, however, and end up coming off as filler to make the book longer.

Speaking of filler, the “Resources” chapter also seems a trifle unnecessary. In an age where we can Google anything in 10 seconds, do we really need the phone number to Planned Parenthood or the address to the National Center for Disease Control? Probably not. It’s a chapter that you’ll find in almost every sex guide, though – so maybe we’re just ranting about all of them at this point.

These are minor quibbles, however. The Ultimate Guide to Cunnilingus is informative, easy to read, and just plain cool. If you only have room for one cunnilingus manual in your library, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Book Excerpt: “Sure, maybe you can identify the clitoris, perineum, and anus – and make up all the fruity names for techniques you want – but how do these body parts respond to erotic stimulation? We need to retell the story of Female Genital Anatomy 101 from a pleasure perspective…”

This is by no means a definitive list - and we'll probably keep adding to it. Feel free to comment with your own recommendations!