Summer is (finally!) here! Whether you’re lounging in the sun, traveling to a dreamy destination, or enjoying the A/C indoors, there’s nothing like getting lost in a good book.
We’re mixing up your summer reading list, EngErotics style. Each of us on the team picked a personal favorite book — and one play! — with each recommendation rich in complexity, layers, and sure to get you thinking.
Our picks vary between post-apocalyptic dystopias to feminist revolution manifestos, and we are excited to share them with you. So whatever your vibe is this season, we’ve got something that will challenge, inspire, and leave a lasting impression.
Raven’s Recommendation
Hey! I’m Raven – the Founder, CEO, and visionary behind EngErotics. Books have been a large part of my life since I was a kid, and although I don’t get nearly enough time to get lost in literature these days, when I do have the chance, I find myself occupied for hours.
I absolutely love books that have sci-fi and dystopian themes, so it’s no surprise that I often reach for books about zombies and societal disasters. I’ve always found unsettling, dystopian themes to be fascinating topics to explore because they challenge one’s perception of our current reality – you can’t help but ask yourself, “Could this actually happen in real life?” or better yet, “Is what I’ve just read already happening?”
Of course, the world of science fiction is capable of taking you to another world entirely all on its own as you explore ideas and themes that incorporate life beyond Earth, novel inventions, and superhuman capabilities. Stephen King has been my favorite author for as long as I can remember, and I’ve read MANY of his books! Two of my favorites that he’s written are The Tommyknockers and Cell.
I also really enjoyed The Zombie Survival Guide – Complete Protection from the Living Dead and World War Z, which are both written by Max Brooks. I’m currently reading Mortal Escape by Amanda Murr. It’s about a college student who wakes up to find that the world that existed just the day before is no longer. She finds that she’s all by herself, a mysterious disease seems to be spreading, and she’s now navigating an unpredictable, dystopian environment. If you’re into dystopian themes with a sexy element, Mortal Escape is worth a read!
Heather’s Recommendation
I’m Heather, the Formulation Specialist and Chief Operating Officer for EngErotics. In my free time I enjoy reading fantasy and sci-fi novels, particularly urban fantasy.
My book recommendation this month is the novel Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn. It is a beautifully written post-apocalyptic dystopian murder mystery that also explores societal structure and morals. A recurring theme throughout the book explores the idea of what family structure and reproductive rights – or mandates – might look like following the collapse of the United States and humanity as we know it.
Carrie Vaughn is one of my favorite authors. She is a Colorado local and primarily writes fantasy novels that take place in the Denver and Boulder areas.
Amanda’s Recommendation
Hi! I’m Amanda. I am a sexologist and blog writer here at EngErotics. I LOVE to read – I read 150 books last year! I mostly read non-fiction (yes, I will always recommend Britney Spears’ and Paris Hilton’s memoirs), and I rarely rate a book with 5 stars. However, my hot summer book recommendation is, honestly, worth that plus more.
My hot summer book is Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given.
This is a book I didn’t know I needed. Each chapter made me feel bold, empowered, and unapologetically me! This book made me question my beliefs and thought patterns in the best way possible. Women Living Deliciously has become my new manifesto for when I’m needing to feel more confident and sexy, yet also be mindful and in the present moment. There are not many other books that beg you to take up space, ask for more, and love yourself more than you ever thought was possible. Not to be cliche, but I’d consider it like a guide for how to live your best life.
And the artwork!!! You can just tell by the art on the cover that this book is fearless, creative, and vibrant. Throughout the book, there are illustrations that made me stop, pause, and reflect on both the artwork and what I just read. The art is so good (and thought-provoking!), that there were many times I wanted to inquire about having these illustrations framed in my house (no joke!).
Here’s what I’ve learned from this book, and I hope you do too: Be authentic, unapologetic, and deliciously you.
While I could rant more about how great this book is, I thought it would be best to give you a taste of this fabulous book through some of my favorite quotes:
“I am aching to see a world full of women that love the shit out of their lives. Without apology, without disclaimers, without justifications.”
“I want the love you have for yourself to be so potent, so vibrant, so loud, that it commands everything that is meant for you into your orbit and rejects everything that isn’t. The love you create for yourself must be so potent that it’s impossible to even consider tolerating anything that might risk diluting it.”
“Loving ourselves isn’t a goal, but an intention, a direction, a slow and sustainable lifelong commitment. It needs to be a process and not an accomplishment.”
“I was always told that I was “too much.” Too intense. Too sensitive. But I have come to fucking ADORE these things about myself. They are my superpower.”
“Small doesn’t suit you, anyway. You were built for bigger things, and you fucking know it.”
Jacki’s Recommendation
I’m Jacki Mick, Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Marketing Manager at EngErotics. I spent all of 2024 reading nothing but Maeve Binchy because sometimes you just want warm, layered stories about real people trying their best. I also love literary fiction and personal essays. David Sedaris is a longtime favorite. I gravitate toward books that feel lived-in, a little messy, and grounded in emotional truth.
My pick for a hot summer read is The Inner Circle by T.C. Boyle. I have read it at least ten times, and I still find something new every time. It is a fictional take on Alfred Kinsey, the real-life sex researcher who pushed America into a more honest conversation about sexuality. Boyle pulls you into Kinsey’s orbit, into the strange and often uncomfortable world of his inner circle, where science, obsession, and intimacy start to blur.
This book is not sexy in a soft-focus, romance-novel kind of way. It is smart, direct, and full of tension. It is about desire, control, and the emotional cost of radical transparency. It asks hard questions and never hands you easy answers. That is what makes it so good.
Boyle is a master at capturing moments in time and turning them inside out. I also love Talk Talk and The Road to Wellville for the same reason. He writes with precision and attitude. He is not trying to charm you. He is trying to tell the truth.
If you are into fiction that is bold, intelligent, and a little dangerous, read this book. Then read it again. You will not be done with it the first time.
I’m still Jacki and I have one more to add: Last month I saw a play in NYC that has haunted me ever since: John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower. I was so moved I bought the script immediately and have now read it five times—crying every single time. This play is about girlhood, but not the sweet, nostalgic kind. It’s messy, raw, heartbreaking, and utterly important.
Reading a play script is a strange experience if you’re used to novels. Instead of paragraphs of description, you get stage directions like “her hands do Not know what to do”. It’s minimal but powerful. For someone like me with aphantasia—meaning I can’t visualize scenes in my head—this is a revelation. The script gives me just enough to feel the emotion and tension without forcing me to imagine everything. It’s like reading a blueprint of feeling.
Set in 2018, the play is infused with the music of that year: Taylor Swift, Lorde, and all those songs that defined a time and place. That soundtrack grounds the story in a world I remember well and adds this haunting soundtrack to the characters’ lives.
What really gets me about John Proctor is the Villain is how sweet, funny, and real it feels, even while dealing with really tough issues. The dialogue doesn’t sound like actors shouting on stage… it sounds like real people talking. The characters are flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human. You feel like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation that’s both painfully honest and full of sharp humor.
The play tackles male violence and the #MeToo movement head-on, but it’s never preachy. Instead, it’s a nuanced exploration of power, trauma, and survival. Kimberly Belflower writes with sharpness and heart and doesn’t let you look away.
And if you need proof of how important this play is, it just received multiple Tony nominations. This is a story that demands attention and will stay with you long after you’ve left the theater or finished the script.
If you want something bold, heartbreaking, funny, and real, John Proctor is the Villain has to be on your radar. Just be ready to feel everything.
