Serious Books That Don't Suck, Part 2: The Sexy Ones

Earlier this week, we offered up a selection of books that are great fun to read but nevertheless have major literary credibility—y’know, just in case some crazy administrator lets you choose your own reading material this year.

(We also got some great feedback from the Sparkler commentariat, including a well-earned smackdown courtesy of two Austen fans, who pointed out that I had confused the Willoughby scandal of Sense & Sensibility with the Wickham scandal of Pride & Prejudice. An easy mistake to make, but still--sorry!)

However, Monday’s post only contained three book suggestions…and that, of course, is clearly not enough.

So today, we’re doing another three-title list of Serious Books That Don’t Suck… and this time, we’re incorporating a theme! Yes, as implied by the title of this post, all the books listed below will light your mind AND your pants on fire, 'cause they’re super-sexy.

(Obligatory note to the children of concerned parents: While all of the following books have sexual content, none of them are pornographic, and all are award-winning or otherwise significant contemporary works that are worth reading.)

Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex is a Pulitzer Prize-winning coming-of-age story, centering on an intersexed (hermaphroditic) person growing up in late 20th-century Detroit. The novel spans three generations of major family drama, beginning in 1922, when two orphans flee war-torn Greece and decide to marry… even though they’re brother and sister. (Yikes.)

Atonement, by Ian McEwan: If you’ve seen the film that came from this novel, you know the hotness of which we speak. (You also know that this isn’t the book to read if you’re looking for a happy ending.) But if not, we have just three words for you: HOT LIBRARY LOVIN’. A beautifully written book set in the decade surrounding World War II, Atonement explores the decade of life-changing consequences that follow when a 12-year-old girl accuses her sister’s boyfriend of a crime he didn’t commit.

Henry and June, by Anais Nin: Based on Nin’s own diaries, Henry and June follows her acquaintance and subsequent relationship with playwright Henry Miller and his wife in 1930s Paris. Nin is known for erotica that isn’t quite school-appropriate (read: embarrassing for your teachers), but the sexy content of this book is more implied than explicit, leaving you free to enjoy the book AND report back on its literary merits without blushing.

Can you recommend some books that belong on this list? Hit up the comments and tell us your favorites (and don't forget to let us know if you'd like us to make a SparkNote for one!)

Related Post: Serious Books That Don't Suck, Part 1