The Mominatrix's Guide to Sex

As a younger-than-I-looked (and that's saying a lot) editorial assistant in my first job, I was once sent on an errand to a nearby bookstore. To buy sex advice books.

I think I turned bright red the moment I stepped into the elevator and didn't return to normal until I got home from work that evening.

Look at me now: Reviewing a sex-advice book—for moms. Even I'm curious about whether I can pull this off. But the truth is, I think all of us could take a cue from the Mominatrix, aka Kristen Chase and the author of The Mominatrix's Guide to Sex: A No-Surrender Advice Book for Naughty Moms. In the book, on Twitter, and in her advice column at Imperfect Parent, Chase talks frankly about sex from a mom's perspective and makes the point that sex doesn't have to end with conception. Where else would you find a list of cover stories to use when you're caught in the act by your kids? ("We were wrestling!")

The book includes chapters on sex during pregnancy, your "first time" (after giving birth, that is), and advice for single moms. It's all packaged with a clever, cheeky design (check out the chapter numbers to see what I mean), plenty of humor, and a refreshing matter-of-fact tone. Chase is a realist, but the Mominatrix doesn't take kindly to excuses either. She's here to help you get your groove back and she won't stop until she gets the job done.

Chase doesn't have training as a sex educator or therapist. She's a well-known blogger (disclosure—I've been reading her blogs, Motherhood Uncensored and Cool Mom Picks for years, and have talked life, motherhood, and blogging with her online and off. But I never asked her any sex questions!) and a busy mom who happens to enjoy sex. Imagine that! But she's done her research, too; check out the book's shopping list of sexy essentials and its collection of recommended websites.

You can read through this book in one naptime and get inspired for post-(kids')bedtime, or you can turn to it as a reference when you have a question or want to spice things up. I recommend keeping it on a high shelf, just in case you forget to move it before your little ones learn to read. But do keep it around, or the Mominatrix will come knocking, and she carries a whip.

I received a free copy of the book at a promotional event. You can buy yours at Amazon (that's an affiliate link) or directly from the Mominatrix. Please read our disclosure statement.

What I Would Tell Her: Essays on Fatherhood

Last year, I reviewed Andrea N. Richesin's anthology of writings on mother- and daughterhood, Because I Love Her. Now Richesin is back with a strong collection of essays from fathers, which her publisher sent me for review. The new book is What I Would Tell Her: 28 Devoted Dads on Bringing Up, Holding On To and Letting Go of Their Daughters.

As with any anthology, there are some standout pieces here and some that fade from the memory almost as soon as the page is turned. Frankly, I'm just not that interested in how much daddies love their little girls and how hard it is to let them go. That's not news.

But much of the writing here goes soaring far beyond the cliches. I was spellbound by James Griffioen's account of attending a "purity ball," and his thoughtful views on teaching his daughter (and son) about love and sex. (You may know Griffioen as half of the husband-and-wife blogging team writing at Sweet Juniper.) I admired Michael Kearns' moving, but saccharine-free account of the family he, an HIV-positive, white, gay man, created with his adopted, African-American daughter. I felt the frustration of Swan Anderson and Brendan Halpin, stepfathers reaching out to stepdaughters in very different ways and circumstances.

Richesin has gathered an impressive array of writers here, putting together a collection of original works (only two have been previously published) that portray the richness of the father-daughter relationship. Share it with your children's dad or your own.

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Mayberry Mom lives with Mayberry Dad and their two kids in, you guessed it, a small town reminiscent of Mayberry.

Please read our disclosure statement. The book's publisher provided one copy of this book for review and one for giveaway. The link to Amazon.com is an affiliate link; if you should click through to purchase this book or another item, the Full Mommy earns a few cents' commission.