Just posted my Week 42 of 52 (and have 5 lbs to lose for goal before my year is up). This week I talk about strong women and the newest best seller out there: Fifty Shades of Grey. I'll be interested to hear others thoughts on this popular book.

Written from the island of Kauai this week......thanks for following my Sundayy posts and hope everyone has a good week.

I love those books!

I don't understand the books. These things (sado-masochism) have been going on forever. Why the sudden interest now?

Has the book made S&M the topic of polite conversation? Can women whom have read these books honestly say any of this is new?

Or is it just acceptable "mommy porn" so that general readers can read it without concern that their friends will think they are "sick" or "perverted"?

Why be so worried about what others will think?

I sure miss the 70s! Of course I was only a kid, so...

How about we just do what we want with like-minded consenting adults and forget about what is "nice" or expected?

Besides, rumor has it there is much better porn out there!

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I am on book 2 I love christian gray my bff is gay and also loves him. I do think the writing is not great she uses the same words over and over

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Absolutely luv luv luv the trilogy. I can't wait for a movie to be made.

I haven't read them and not tracking.

Read the first one - her writing is awful! Every time she referred to her vagina as "down there", I cringed.... It was repetitive and made the Twilight books seem they were cerebral! (and I LIKED the story behind the Twilight series!).

I agree with the poster up above -this book has just crossed over into the socially acceptable realm - and it is unfortunate, because it really is a poor example of erotica. However - if women like it, and look for more - they will find it! It's a gateway book!!

Listened to all three books on Audible. First book was ok..the first 9 chapters were really boring. I don't see what the huge deal was with the books. I felt Harlequin romance novels had more sex going on than this book. The only difference was that this was S & M sex and is considered taboo. The second book was ok as well. I enjoyed the last book better than any of the books because it had more action in it ( not of sexual nature..don't want to describe what I'm talking about as to spoil it for everyone else) I would have liked more back story on Christian's childhood other than the epilogue at the end of book 3. Overall..it's a decent read. Not the best trilogy, but I have read (not finished) worse. As far as Twilight..I tried very hard to read the first book, and felt like I had been catapulted back to 6th grade. I just could not get through the book, and I tried really, REALLY heard to like the Twilight books..just couldn't do it!

Haven't read them and am not really that interested even though lots of people are telling me I *have* to read them.

Aren't the 50 shades books more about dom/sub than S&M? Do all dom/sub relationships include S&M? I don't know... ?

I suppose I could see the appeal of giving up sexual control to partner who was entirely focused on the pleasure of the person they were controlling but bringing any pain into that is beyond me. But, I also believe consenting adults can do whatever they want and it's none of my business! =)

The writing was appalling and I was stunned they made best sellers. I don't get the fuss, I don't think that the writing is representative of people who actually engage in bdsm or dominant and submissive relationships. The writer herself said she researched online. This is little more than a product of her own fantasy.

They were titillating books, but there is better soft porn available!

Aren't the 50 shades books more about dom/sub than S&M?

True-it was. A quick post on my part, sorry if I was misleading.

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Read all 3 for me the sex was dull and shes so annoying that she cums all the time every time on cue blah blah

Its not really kinky exciting or risqué sex it’s a bit of tying up and spanking so I would skip the sex a lot 8 or so pages of blah bored me.

I did like the story didn’t think it was too bad but honestly do not get the major hype over these books I only read them because I had read 22 books had none left and my sister already had all 3 recovery was a bookfest for me lol

Indeed there are better writers out there. It was boring and repetitive especially the third one. I rathere read Zane instead of her but working night ****, I guess it was a distraction !

Indeed there are better writers out there. It was boring and repetitive especially the third one. I rather read Zane instead of her but working night shift' date=' I guess it was a distraction ![/quote']

I haven't read them and had considered because of the hype. But thank you to all who prevented me from wasting my money. BDSM probably draws some as it is an underground topic. I would assume the books would sell partly from curiosity, partly for the fact we can read them and place ourselves into our darkest fantasies safely without actually taking part. We all have some dom/sub parts to our personalities. I personally have no desire to read about a weak minded submissive woman as I would quickly lose all respect for the female character. That, and well, being feminist I don't think I could read a male sexually dominant character and get into it. The reviews of it being poorly written just cinched its place on the "no buy" list.

I think that there are a lot of previously "kinky" ways of being that are breaking into the mainstream. Now that being gay is no longer forbidden or naughty, other shades of sex are the new "hot topic."

I'm polyamorous -- my girlfriend and I both enjoy other lovers, despite having been together for almost ten years. We disagree with the notion that love and sexuality are something that gets "used up" and so can only be shared with one person; our experience has been that the more people we love (in all meanings of that term), the more we're capable of love (including with each other -- our relationship is stronger than it's ever been). Up until recently I had thought that I was in a teeny, tiny minority. Society tells us that the only acceptable sexuality is one man, one woman, missionary position, lights off, to make babies. Imagine my surprise when we finally went to a polyamorous potluck dinner, and it was FILLED with nice, attractive, interesting, NORMAL people like us. No slavering deviants, no serious mental illnesses, just normal people who like (safe) sex and enjoy it with multiple partners. Wow! We're not kinky or deviant, after all; we're definitely in the sexual minority, but that's okay -- we're not broken or mentally ill or morally defective, we're just in the minority. And that's okay!

Moral of the story? Most things that most people think are "naughty" or "kinky," aren't, really. And I think that the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon isn't really about BDSM suddenly becoming acceptable (it always WAS acceptable), but rather because society is suddenly deciding that it's perfectly okay to talk about "non mainstream" flavors of sexuality.

It's okay to be who you are, people -- gay, straight, monogamous, polyamorous, swingers, single, coupled, in a "clan," a furry, into BDSM, a Dom/sub, into ropes, fire, whatever. Just make sure everyone is consenting adults and having a good time (and please, folks, practice safe sex!) and just remember:

It's okay to be who you are. Sexually, too. It's really okay.