24 Books That Definitely Caused Some Sexual Awakenings

    The kind of books you read under the covers in secret.

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    Editor-at-Large, BuzzFeed Australia

    We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community what books sparked their sexual awakening. Here are some of the ~sexiest~ responses...

    1. Forever by Judy Blume

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    "I’m sure everyone will pick this one but I️ have to say Forever by Judy Blume. It was on my seventh grade summer reading list. I went to an extremely small, sheltered Lutheran school and I️ still to this day don’t think my teacher had ever read that book prior to putting it on the list. I️ had no idea what had hit me and the name Ralph will 'forever' make me cringe." —Gannlindsay

    2. Lace by Shirley Conran

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    "Came home one day and my mum had left Lace by Shirley Conran on my bed. She said she learnt everything she knew from it. Not the best knowledge to have when reading a sexy book, but it was definitely an interesting read nonetheless." —Pebblethekorat

    3. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

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    "I was 15 and bought this coz I was a huge the Beatles fan. Didn't expect the book to have sex/masturbation scenes." —Sasha Smith, Facebook

    4. The Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean M Auel

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    "Especially the second and third books. I’m not sure why my mother bought them for me – maybe forgot about all the sex scenes?" —Chrislyn Elizabeth Anne, Facebook

    5. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

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    "Specifically when Henry goes down on her. Holy fuck, that scene alone is my Fifty Shades right there!" —Charlotte Badiali, Facebook

    6. Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters

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    "It's a wonderful book, and helped me come to terms with my sexuality." —AntisocialAchromatic

    7. Lockie Leonard: Human Torpedo by Tim Winton

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    "The graphic foreplay descriptions made my 12-year-old self blush. I was self-conscious that someone was aware of what I was reading!" —L4a2f7441e

    8. The Story of O by Pauline Réage

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    "I read it when I was 12 – 'at entirely too impressionable an age' according to my BFF, as it forever linked intimacy, sex and BDSM in my mind." —Valerie Bailey, Facebook

    9. The Sleeping Beauty Quartet by Anne Rice

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    "I read the first three when I was 15, and it opened BDSM up for me. Now I have been in the kink community for fourteen years and I have those books to thank." —Setha8

    10. The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

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    "There was one sex scene in it and all the girls in our class knew the page number it was on. It was normally on your mum's or grandma's bookshelf, so you could sneakily read it at home too." —Hattybob

    11. Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

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    "My best friend and I got this book from a thrift store and took turns reading it. I would have to hide it from my parents and younger sister like a government secret. Let me tell you, I have discovered many, many new things while reading this book – and not just sexual things. I’ve read it maybe a dozen times since my pre-teen days." —Zeytink

    12. The Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton

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    "I started reading them as a freshman in high school. I found them in my parents bookcase and they let me read them! They knew what happened in them and let 14-year-old me read them anyways." —Margaretroseb

    13. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence

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    "I read it as a college freshman. It was so frank and non-apologetic. I still have my well-worn copy." —Rachelsporyh

    14. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

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    "I was 14 and very innocent-minded and got recommended 'a cool time-travel book'. About 50 sex scenes later, I was not so innocent-minded anymore!" —Caiavandene

    15. The Tomorrow series by John Marsden

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    "Like many Aussie kids in the '90s, the first sex I encountered in books was Ellie and Lee's relationship (and Ellie's fantasies about Homer) in the Tomorrow When the War Began series. Thank you, John Marsden." —Ivy Williams

    16. The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

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    "I read it for the first time at nine, and although I didn’t understand most of it then, re-reading it led to a greater understanding of pleasure, and that women can have needs too!" —Kelseyanneh

    17. The Picture Of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

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    "I had never been more turned on or attracted to a fictional character. I wanted to be him and be with him." —Wynne Boliek

    18. Wifey by Judy Blume

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    "I read it when I was about 14. It basically taught me how to masturbate!" —Lajaaaam

    19. Anatomy Of A Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

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    "I was like 11 or 12, and this book was in my elementary school library. It really shouldn’t have been. But it did the job ,and I️ was never the same after I️ read it." —Skylara458894420

    20. White Oleander by Janet Fitch

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    "It had very vivid sex scenes, but they were described so beautifully, it never felt raunchy or gross. I read it over and over until the spine broke off!" —d4b4a5d6bd

    21. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

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    "I found it on my mom's old bookshelf and wanted to read it because it had my name in the title. I got to the part where she described him like an animal and I had a lot of questions. I think my mom regretted letting me read the book." —Madisonr4b7e97d6d

    22. Fifty Shades Of Grey by E. L. James

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    "I remember stealing my mom’s copy of Fifty Shades of Grey when I was 16. It was so vivid and I was so confused, because my first time reading a sexual encounter in a book involved whips and chains. Fifty Shades probably wasn’t the best choice, but it was a learning experience." —Marissam4d60a7542

    23. Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews

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    It felt kinda wrong, but it was impossible to look away. —Lola Darling, Facebook

    24. The Sookie Stackhouse series – Charlaine Harris

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    "I was in eighth grade and some girl did her book report project on it. Of course, she left out all the juicy parts, and my mom agreed to buy them for me. I took them on a weekend away and was so shocked that a 13-year-old did an actual school project on it, but gave her credit for being so ballsy." —Monikap6

    Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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