Why am I passionate about this?

As the sex and relationship advice columnist at Menā€™s Health Magazine, Iā€™m obviously pretty damn obsessed with sex. I find it fascinating on so many levels, which is why I not only have a ton of it but also made it my career. For so long, I struggled with sexual shame, and one thing I realized as a writer is that Iā€™m not special. Sure, Iā€™ve probably been to more sex parties than you, but if Iā€™m struggling with shame, being bisexual, and embracing my kinks, then other folks are, too. And just like Iā€™m obsessed with sex, Iā€™ve become obsessed with helping others remove sexual shame.


I wrote

Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto

By Zachary Zane,

Book cover of Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto

What is my book about?

At its core, my book is about how to overcome sexual shame. If you were born on planet Earth, youā€¦

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Portnoy's Complaint

Zachary Zane Why did I love this book?

This is THE book for neurotic hypersexuals. It set the genre. I think itā€™s wild, brilliant, horny, thoughtful, introspective, delusional, and absurd at the same time. I mean, for the love of God, thereā€™s no plot! Itā€™s the protagonist (Alex Portnoy) rambling to a psychologist about his clear Oedipal Complex. The man is torn, trying to be a good Jewish boy who betters the world, but he has some nasty sexual desires (and messed-up feelings about his sexual partners) that are holding him back. 

This book is one of my obsessions. (Itā€™s fitting, given the obsessive nature of the book.) Ironically, I felt really seen and sane while reading it. No, Iā€™m not as neurotic and horny as Alex, but boy, do I struggle with some of the same obsessive thought patterns as that man!

By Philip Roth,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Portnoy's Complaint as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'The most outrageously funny book about sex written' Guardian

Portnoy's Complaint n. [after Alexander Portnoy (1933-)]:A disorder in which strongly-felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of a perverse nature.

Portnoy's Complaint tells the tale of young Jewish lawyer Alexander Portnoy and his scandalous sexual confessions to his psychiatrist.

As narrated by Portnoy, he takes the reader on a journey through his childhood to adolescence to present day while articulating his sexual desire, frustration and neurosis in shockingly candid ways.

Hysterically funny and daringly intimate, Portnoy's Complaint was an immediate bestseller upon its publicationā€¦


Book cover of The Erotic Mind: Unlocking the Inner Sources of Sexual Passion and Fulfillment

Zachary Zane Why did I love this book?

While some aspects of our sexuality are innate, many are born through pivotal sexual experiences in our lives. This book breaks this down and encourages readers to unpack where their sexual desires came from so they can remove shame and have healthy sexual relationships. 

It encouraged me to be introspective about the root of my desires. For so long, I had steered clear of this. I believed that feeling the need to understand the origin of our desires was coming from a place of sex-negativity, an attempt to ā€œjustifyā€ our current sexual behavior, which I donā€™t think requires justification. 

But after reading Morinā€™s book, I felt I understood my sexual desires better than ever before, and it led to me having more meaningful, passionate, and wild sex.

By Jack Morin,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Erotic Mind as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Challenging accepted theories about what makes for terrific sex, The Erotic Mind is a breakthrough exploration of the least understood dimensions of human sexualityā€”the psychology of desire, arousal, and fulfillment. Nationally known sex therapist Dr. Jack Morin offers a bold new perspective that celebrates the joys of Eros without denying its risks.

Based on an in-depth analysis of over 1,000 provocative stories of peak sexual experiences, The Erotic Mind offers clear, accessible guidance on how anyone can utilize his or her own peak encounters and fantasies as powerful tools of self-discovery.

The Erotic Mind explains the many paradoxes of eroticā€¦


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Book cover of You're Doing Great!: And Other Lies Alcohol Told Me

You're Doing Great! by Dustin Dunbar,

An inspiring, hilarious, and much-needed approach to addiction and self-acceptance,

Youā€™re Doing Great! debunks the myth that alcohol washes away the pain; explains the toll alcohol takes on our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being; illustrates the steps to deal with our problems head-on; exposes the practices usedā€¦

Book cover of Kink: Stories

Zachary Zane Why did I love this book?

I loved this collection of fictional essays. Each story wasnā€™t just ā€œhotā€ and ā€œsmutty;ā€ they had a larger message. One story spoke to power dynamics, while another addressed shame or the desire to be loved, etc.

Sexuality, desire, and arousal are so complex and individual, and I feel like this book explored so much. It really ā€œwent there.ā€ Through reading these fictional stories, I felt empowered to do more sexually and push the boundaries of what sex can mean to me. 

By R O Kwon (editor), Garth Greenwell (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kink as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Notable Book

Kink is a groundbreaking anthology of literary short fiction exploring love and desire, BDSM, and interests across the sexual spectrum, edited by lauded writers R.O. Kwon and Garth Greenwell, and featuring a roster of all-star contributors including Alexander Chee, Roxane Gay, Carmen Maria Machado, and more.

A Most-Anticipated book of 2021 as selected by * Marie Claire * O, The Oprah Magazine * Cosmopolitan * Time * The Millions * The Advocate * Autostraddle * Refinery29 * Shape * Town & Country * Book Riot * Literary Hub *

Kink is a dynamic anthologyā€¦


Book cover of Tweakerworld: A Memoir

Zachary Zane Why did I love this book?

I lost my fucking mind reading this bookā€”and I mean this in the best way imaginable. Yamas briefly became the largest meth and GHB dealer for the gay community in San Francisco. It looks at the underground Chemsex (chemical sex) scene in the gay community and details how meth destroys lives. 

I found the book heartbreaking because these gay men are so hurt and so desperate for love and validation, and the only way they can find it is through doing drugs and having sex with strangers. Donā€™t get me wrong, it can be hot, empowering, and even therapeutic to do drugs and have anonymous sex, but it was not for these men. As someone whoā€™s struggled with drug use and, at times, relied on drugs and alcohol to have sex and intimacy, this book really spoke to me. 

By Jason Yamas,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tweakerworld as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meet Jason: a college educated documentary film producer, cat parent of two, and one of San Franciscoā€™s top drug dealers. 

After Jasonā€™s world falls apart in LA, he moves to Berkeley for a fresh start with his kid brother. Just one problem: his long-closeted Adderall addiction has exploded into an out-of-control crystal meth binge. Within weeks, Jason plunges into the sprawling ParTy nā€™ ā€™Play subculture of the Bay Areaā€™s gay community. It is a wildly decadent scene of drugs, group sex, and criminals, and yet it is also filled with surprising characters, people who are continually subverting Jasonā€™s own presumptionsā€¦


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Book cover of The Finest Lies

The Finest Lies by David J. Naiman,

A mysterious stranger traps teen siblings in a precarious game where each must overcome their embittered past for the other to survive.

This suspenseful, yet winsome novel explores the power of family and forgiveness. But take heed. The truth can cut like shards of glass, especially for those whoā€™d ratherā€¦

Book cover of Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy

Zachary Zane Why did I love this book?

This is my favorite book about non-monogamy and polyamory; it uses attachment theory to explain our relationship dynamics. I particularly loved how detailed the book was. She described some of the self-destructive and less-than-ideal behaviors and thoughts Iā€™ve had in past non-monogamous relationships and explained, ā€œOkay, hereā€™s why youā€™re likely doing this, and hereā€™s how you become secure enough to do this stupid shit, no longer.ā€

I remember feeling very motivated after reading Fernā€™s book, as if I had an action plan for future relationships. Nowā€”and hopefully, Iā€™m not jinxing it hereā€”Iā€™m in the healthiest non-monogamous relationship Iā€™ve ever been in. 

By Jessica Fern,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Polysecure as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A practical guide to nurturing healthy, loving non-monogamous relationships using attachment theory.

Attachment theory has entered the mainstream, but most discussions focus on how we can cultivate secure monogamous relationships. What if, like many people, you're striving for secure, happy attachments with more than one partner?

Polyamorous psychotherapist Jessica Fern breaks new ground by extending attachment theory into the realm of consensual non-monogamy. Using her nested model of attachment and trauma, she expands our understanding of how emotional experiences can influence our relationships. Then, she sets out six specific strategies to help you move toward secure attachments in your multipleā€¦


Explore my book šŸ˜€

Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto

By Zachary Zane,

Book cover of Boyslut: A Memoir and Manifesto

What is my book about?

At its core, my book is about how to overcome sexual shame. If you were born on planet Earth, you have sexual shameā€”plain and simple. Thereā€™s simply no way to reach adulthood without internalizing all of the overt and more insidious sex-negative messages society rams down our throats (and not in the hot way). 

In my book, I share how I went from being someone debilitated by the mere thought of imagining a person nakedā€”chapter one details when I imagined my therapist nude, shared this with him and cried in his officeā€”to being someone who throws buck-wild, bisexual sex parties, which I detail in my final chapter. 

Book cover of Portnoy's Complaint
Book cover of The Erotic Mind: Unlocking the Inner Sources of Sexual Passion and Fulfillment
Book cover of Kink: Stories

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