Review and Giveaway: "Take Me There", genderqueer and trans erotica!

(Winner of the giveaway- Curvaceous Dee!)

I read a lot of erotica. I tend to prefer to read porn rather than watch it, and I've read all sorts of smut, from spankings to female dominants to Daddies. There's not many niches out there I haven't read something about.

But what's been pretty common is cissexuals. I haven't really come across trans or genderqueer bodies, written about in a sexy way by people who know what they're writing. Usually it's been pathologized, or "a surprise reveal", or something humiliating. And that's been really disappointing for me.

Until now.

Tristan Taormino has edited "Take Me There", an anthology of trans and genderqueer erotica, and it is heartwrenching, filthy, and beautiful- like a lot of the queer sex I've had! Considering gender diversity is pretty much invisible in the media ad especially in eroticism, I was delighted to read a collection that was fluid and raw, with many authors I enjoy and respect.

I really, really love this book. I love that it shows, not just diversity of gender, but of class and ethnicity, too. Gender is omnipresent, but the pronouns are varied- you'll see "zie/hir" and "hym/hys" in here, which I appreciated. And this isn't all romance and sweetness, either- there's kink, and lust, and fire. This is genderfucking with the fucking very much left in.

With authors like Kate Bornstein, Sinclair Sexsmith, Patrick Califia, S. Bear Bergman, Laura Antoniou, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and far more, you'll find yourself eager to read the next story. I almost don't want to tell you too much, because I want you to uncover each delectable piece for yourself! But I'll give you this quote:

There was something about the way she touched me that made it clear she was touching the body I felt I had rather than the one I actually had. Oh, my god, her hands felt so good.
-from "The Perfect Gentleman" by Andrea Zanin

Thank you Cleis Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review (especially as I no longer intern for them!)

And to make things even better? I have a copy of "Take Me There" to giveaway to one of my readers- and international entries are welcome! (This Contest Has Ended!)

How to Enter

A separate post must be made for each entry! No blobs of text!

Mandatory Entry (Yep, mandatory, meaning yes, you have to): 
Simple- tell me why you want it! 

Other Ways to Enter (Not mandatory! 1 entry each, please leave a comment (with contact email) per entry):

• Tweet about it once a day.  If you tweet, please be sure to leave a comment! It’s just easier for me to keep track that way. Make sure to include @kittystryker and a link to this post.

Ex: genderfuck your day-@kittystryker's giving away trans/genderqueer erotic book "Take Me There" from @cleispress! Enter: http://tinyurl.com/3erz5z2 

• Tell me what other books at Cleis Press that you would love to have (or already have and love).

• Follow me on Twitter (comment to let me know)

• "Like" Cleis Press on Facebook (comment to let me know)

• Follow Cleis Press on Twitter (comment to let me know)

• Follow my blog (comment to let me know)

• “Like” Purrversatility on Facebook (comment to let me know)

• Follow Cleis Press on Tumblr (comment to let me know)

• Post about this contest on your blog, Facebook page, Tumblr, whatever… (comment to let me know)

• Comment on my other reviews/posts (give a link)

• Put a link on your blog leading to mine (comment to let me know and provide link)

• For 5 extra entries, review Purrversatility at Alexa and let me know!

Congrats to Curvaceous Dee!