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Girl Sex 101

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Girl Sex 101 is a sex-ed book like no other, offering helpful info for ladies and lady-lovers of all genders and identities, playful and informative illustrations on each page, and over 100 distinct voices, plus a hot narrative that shows you how to put the info to good use!
Learn how to navigate the twists and turns of female sexuality, with special guidance from sixteen guest sex educators including Nina Hartley, Sex Nerd Sandra, Jiz Lee, Sunny Megatron, Dirty Lola, Julia Serano, Reid Mihalko and more!

GIRL SEX 101 WILL TEACH YOU…
* The bits and pieces that make up female sexual anatomy
* Simple ways to communicate in the heat of the moment
* How to build a “Road Map” of your partner’s pleasure
* Essential moves for cunnilingus, strap-ons, hand sex and more!
* Positions to avoid fatigue and generate the power you need to rock your girl’s world!

You’ll gain confidence to please your girl, no matter what your hands-on experience.

BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELT AND GET READY TO RIDE!

388 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Allison Moon

10 books184 followers
Allison is the author of the award winning, critically-acclaimed sex-ed book,Girl Sex 101, Getting It: A Guide to Hot, Healthy Hookups and Shame-Free Sex, and the sexual memoir, Bad Dyke. As a sex educator, Allison has presented her workshops to thousands of people around the US and Canada. www.GirlSex101.com

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5 stars
438 (64%)
4 stars
170 (25%)
3 stars
46 (6%)
2 stars
4 (<1%)
1 star
16 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
Profile Image for Tobi.
Author 14 books59 followers
August 9, 2017
Let me tell you a bit about this book. To begin, when I was first asked to write a little bit for it about queer sexuality and trans women, I thought it’d probably be yet another instance of something written just with cis women in mind and one little section mentioning trans women. I was happy to be told that information for trans women would be included in every chapter of the book, freeing my writing to be more than just the basics. Even so, when I got my hands on the final copy I was amazed at just how much it exceeded my expectations!

The colorful playful illustrations throughout the book just casually include trans women alongside everyone else. In one of the narrative sections describing sex between an older dyke couple there’s a simple mention about how sex is different for one of them because she has a prostate. In the section on hormones, birth control and transition are discussed in the same paragraph. In the section about post-surgery bodies, hysterectomy, menopause, and vaginoplasty are discussed side by side.

The anatomy chapter uses “phallus” instead of “penis” and the explanation of why includes: “Remember, a clit is basically a small penis. A penis is basically a big clit. And both of them are phalluses.” In the chapters on hand sex and on cunnilingus, there’s a ton of techniques and several pages of discussion about how those techniques may work differently for trans women who haven’t had vaginoplasty - with illustrations!

The care put into integrating information for trans women alongside everything else is just one example of all the things this book got right. It also does a great job talking about disability, flirting, consent, healthy relationships, polyamory and monogamy, and more.

A lot of guides can feel a bit academic or bland, in part because they are never written for me. It’s like they are letters written to straight and/or cis folks that I have intercepted and I have to interpret the information and figure out what applies to my life and my body. This was the first time I read a guide and felt it was speaking directly to me.

The fun and friendly tone throughout the book is incredibly inviting, alongside cute stories, small comics, strong encouragement, clear guidance for dealing with difficult situations, and a ton of puns and silly humor. I’ve been teaching sex ed for more than 15 years and there was still a plenty here new to me. I found myself laughing, getting playful, and kinda turned on.
85 reviews18 followers
March 30, 2015
This book felt like what would happen if Your Body and You from the American Girl publishers and Erika Moen of the Oh Joy Sex Toy comic decided to write a book together. Topics range from how to pick up on signals of interest and flirt without being a creeper, to dealing with relationship drama (from both inside and outside of the relationship), to options for a whole slew of sex acts. It scales well, and regardless of one's sexual interest or gender identity there is something interesting to be learned.There is also a series of narrative interludes that pop up between each of the chapters, following friends/exes Jamie and Layla and their sexual encounters as they travel across country. The effort to connect the story to the educational chapters is a nice attempt, but one that felt a little forced. However, this book would still be a particularly useful read if you are a woman, or someone interested in being involved with a woman at some point.
Profile Image for Alexandra Calaway.
217 reviews51 followers
November 17, 2015
So amazingly inclusive, for Trans Women, no matter what their anatomy is. I realize this is a book for ladies looking to love other ladies, but a huge part of the book is devoted to self-love too, which includes masturbation but is certainly not limited to it. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has a vulva or anyone who wants to spend some quality time with someone else's vulva. Straight guys included! Definitely a fantastic sex-ed book, that is so much more than sex-ed.
Profile Image for Nicole .
141 reviews8 followers
November 30, 2015
THIS BOOK! You will wish you had this book when you were younger. You will wish your lover had this book when they were younger. You will want to fall to your knees and praise the collective wisdom of our queer, sex-positive elders contained in this book. Just read this book if you have sex with women please.
Profile Image for Lea Saurusrex.
517 reviews45 followers
September 4, 2023
Le genre de livre qu'on devrait voir plus souvent, voire dont on ne devrait même pas avoir besoin tant tout ce qui y est décrit représente les fondamentaux de toute relation sexuelle. Mais bon, le patriarcat a encore de beaux jours devant lui, donc autant distribuer largement un ouvrage de cette trempe.

C'est délicieusement queer et inclusif, et plusieurs fois à la lecture, je me suis dit que ça pourrait être carrément utile aux mecs cis. Parce qu'on n'y parle pas vraiment de techniques pour faire du sexe (même si certaines pratiques sont décrites et évoquées), mais surtout de tout ce qu'il y a autour : respect, communication, prévention des risques, consentement. Que des choses qui me semblent couler de source, mais qu'il est bon de rappeler.

J'ai aimé que l'autrice élargisse un peu le propos de son livre pour inclure d'autres thèmes, comme ceux de l'orientation sexuelle, de l'identité de genre, voire même de l'amour. Évidemment, ce n'est pas exhaustif, et ça mériterait probablement d'autres tomes si on voulait aller plus loin, mais ça porte bien son titre : il s'agit ici du B.A-BA.

Pour les puristes, je préviens, quelques coquilles sont disséminées dans le texte, avec des petits soucis de mise en page parfois, mais honnêtement, le fond du propos n'est pas impacté par les petits couacs de forme.

En tout cas, c'est clairement un livre qui restera dans ma bibliothèque, et que je laisserai "innocemment" traîner dans le cadre d'une nouvelle relation, que ce soit avec un mec, une meuf, une personne non-binaire ou queer... bref, avec un·e potentiel·le partenaire.
518 reviews1 follower
March 7, 2017
This was a great book! It was very inclusive and very detailed. I even learned a few tricks! I liked the additions of stories in between chapters and the illustrations. I particularly liked the comments coming from a wide range of people. It certainly makes you think that you're "normal" whatever your normal is! Good job!
29 reviews
March 8, 2017
The ideal sex Ed book. Aimed at lesbians, but perfect for anyone with a vulva and anyone who is a woman/femme. Interesting, informative, extremely useful, easy to read.
Profile Image for Noah.
13 reviews1 follower
April 21, 2019
Definitely the best sex-education book I've ever read or heard of. Ostensibly for women who have sex with women, but it's so inclusive and universal I would recommend it to anyone.
💕
Profile Image for Cecilia.
96 reviews3 followers
April 19, 2019
I highly recommend reading this book! Even if the only girl you’re having sex with is yourself.

The first three chapters (communication, consent, anatomy) alone are super important for anyone of any identity, even for non sexual romantic relationships.

This book is full of information presented in an easy to read and relatable way. There’s even an erotic short story woven throughout.

I learned a lot, not just about how to have sex with women (cis, trans, nb, gnc, intersex), but also what I might like for myself (partnered or not) and how to communicate these needs and desires to a partner (of any gender).

It even helps take a bit of the nervous and awkward out by reading that loads of people experience the same, or also don’t know much of this stuff starting out either. And it’s kind of funny.

Any woman, or any person who has (or wants to have) sex with women should read this book.
Profile Image for Greymalkin.
1,313 reviews
September 16, 2016
A funny, frank, warm, well-researched and inclusive book on sex. Primarily sex with women, but the fluidity of that term and the acceptance of a wide range of partner sexual identities and anatomy means that this book has many useful things to teach no matter where you personally may fall on that range. It is the best of this genre I have read so far and the only one I would likely recommend to other people (from those that I've read). The examples were great, and the story thread kept things moving and was reasonably compelling on its own. I appreciated the body- and sex-positive vibe while it never wavered from stressing physical and emotional safety. There were step-by-step lessons on giving good cunnilingus as well as step-by-step lessons on how to talk to someone about expectations and boundaries. I learned a lot, especially about trans and the fantastic range of sexuality.
2 reviews
February 17, 2016
One of the most important books I've ever read. I highly recommend this to not only all stripes of queer women with an interest in sex, but straight women as well, or just about anyone. There is a lot of great information in this book that goes beyond "how to go down on your lesbian lover," such as safe sex, consent, identity, sexual integrity, love, and so on.
Profile Image for Nina (Death, Books, and Tea).
497 reviews33 followers
March 26, 2015
Wide ranging, comprehensive basics. Loved the illustrations and the colour scheme. Also enjoyed the stories and the many perspectives, both from the 16 named contributors plus anonymous commenters.
Profile Image for Dawn Serra.
55 reviews70 followers
January 12, 2016
Allison Moon takes a sex 101 manual and turns it into a funny, informative, creative road trip for anyone and everyone.

Yes, this book is about girl sex (which includes tons of tips and advice for trans bodies), but the advice ultimately works for all bodies and orientations.

The art by kd diamond is perfection. The fictional story that introduces each chapter is not only sweet and real, but it helps the reader confront some of their own assumptions about sex and relationships in a way that feels safe and playful.

With tips on safer sex protocols, toy basics, and loads of tips on TALKING about sex - with yourself and a partner - this book is one of my top referrals for clients.

Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Chloe.
65 reviews35 followers
March 3, 2016
I really loved this book. It's a 101 book, but it's really good at that — and it's conscientious, it's conscious of its limitations and how much it can offer the reader, and just generally I think it was put together really well and with an eye toward all inclusion possible. Would recommend to people of all ages having or hoping to have girl sex.
Profile Image for Cat Tobin.
281 reviews6 followers
December 10, 2017
I never knew there was so much about sex I didn't know! Incredibly enlightening and educational for anyone having sex with women, or while a woman. The tone was occasionally a bit progressiver-than-thou, and the story running through it didn't do anything for me, but the content is so informative that it's definitely worth reading.
Profile Image for Haven.
33 reviews5 followers
July 23, 2020
By far the most comprehensive queer sex book I've ever read! And authentically trans inclusive which makes it doubly useful. This is an essential read for any lesbian or bi woman.

My only criticism is I wish they had talked about the risks of oral HPV for queer women. Oh well, maybe in the next edition.
Profile Image for Zuzka Jakúbková.
Author 1 book28 followers
August 23, 2016
Great sex ed book on all the things girl-on-girl. Covers communication, consent, safety, technique, toys. Excellent section on transgender issues.

A must-read for any and all girls out there, written in easy-to-understand tone. #SexEdEssentials
Profile Image for Sinclair.
Author 37 books225 followers
November 9, 2015
Smart, funny, real sex advice for queer women of all kinds. Definitely worth a spot on the bookshelf.
101 reviews
February 10, 2024
Wow! I loved how extensive and inclusive this book was and how it talked not only about techniques but also touched on important topics such as consent. I also liked the anatomy part (why didn't we cover this in school?!).
I thought that the book started out great, both in the nonfictional and fictional parts, but then the quality decreased a bit as it progressed. The fictional story was completely lost on me at some point and while the nonfiction parts were delightfully detailled in the beginning, I felt like the author(s) sped throught some of the later chapters without the same amount of precision. Also, the last few mini-chapters were a bit random, as in they felt like they didn't fit in with the rest of the book so they were just added to the end.
However, overall a great read and I very much recommed it to everyone who is venturing into (or has for years partaken in) the world of sapphic sex.
I'm looking forward to Girl Sex 201 :D
Profile Image for Robin.
229 reviews7 followers
September 9, 2021
I wish the book hadn't quoted Dan Savage a few times considering how bi/trans-positive the rest of the book is, but oh well. It's still fantastic.
Profile Image for Apolline.
46 reviews
December 25, 2023
Tout d'abord, je tiens à dire que la traduction française est absolument épouvantable et que je déconseille vivement sa lecture. J'avais commencé par lire ce livre en français, et j'ai immédiatement changé pour la version originale.

La version française est truffée de calques grossiers, de phrases bancales et de traductions littérales (je soupçonne les traducteurs d'avoir eu recours à la traduction automatique), ce qui rend la lecture très désagréable.

Le collectif derrière cette traduction n'avait clairement pas les compétences nécessaires, et a même trahi a plusieurs reprise la vision de l'autrice. La traduction est effet censurée à de nombreuses reprises. Notamment, le livre originale contient normalement des fictions érotiques censées illustrer les concepts décrits dans les différents chapitres. Les traducteurs ont tout bonnement "choisi" (ce sont leurs mots) de supprimer ces histoires qu'iels jugeaient "peu intéressantes" (pour avoir lu le livre en anglais, je peux affirmer qu'il s'agit pourtant d'un contenu essentiel). Le collectif se permet d'insérer son propre contenu (j'ai pu par exemple constater la présence de définitions supplémentaires dans le lexique français par rapport à la VO, notamment en lien avec les kinks, le BDSM et la transidentité), en le faisant passer pour le contenu d'Allison Moon, ce qui est contraire à toute éthique de la traduction. De plus, en VO, l'autrice emploie le féminin générique (tout en reconnaissant l'existence des personnes trans/NB et en prenant soin de les inclure dans son livre), le collectif a pourtant décidé d'avoir recours à l'écriture inclusive et au genre neutre, ce qui encore une fois ne correspond pas à la vision de l'autrice.

J'ai vraiment eu l'impression que le colectif imposait sa vision face à celle de l'autrice, ce qui était extrêment désagréable et m'a donné l'impression, en tant que lectrice, d'être prise pour une idiote. Et, en tant que traductrice, je ne peux qu'être révoltée face à un tel manque d'éthique et de professionalisme. On peut être en désaccord avec l'oeuvre que l'on traduit, mais cela ne justifie en rien de la réécrire. Je ne peux que vivement vous conseiller de rester loin de toute oeuvre traduite par le collectif SexyTrad, ainsi que de l'éditeur Goater qui cautionne visiblement de telles pratiques.

Now, onto the book itself (which I read in English): this is an absolute goldmine and the best source of information regarding lesbian sexuality I've ever found. I've learned many things, even regarding subjects I thought I knew about already (for example safe sex practices). The book truly covers a wide range of subjects, from flirting to feelings, but also STIs, different ways to have sex, labels... I cannot recommend it enough. The only downside (for me at least), aside from the awful French translation, are the illustrations. I felt like they could have been easier to understand when it comes to the different gestures or the anatomy (I wish we could have had something similar to Bliss Club by Jüne Plã, which had done an excellent job at illustrating anatomy and gestures), which is why I'm not putting 5 stars. Still an amazing read though.
Profile Image for Jennifer Stoy.
Author 4 books12 followers
June 4, 2021
OK! So first things first: I'm a boring middle-aged married lesbian. So of course lots of this information was not particularly For Me. This is legitimately a 101-201 guide for a world where Girl Sex can include peen, non-monogamy, an amazing array of toys, gender fluidity, nonbinary gender, et cetera. As such, it is solid! And to be honest, there's plenty non-101 practitioners of Girl Sex can learn from. I found Reid's difficult conversation guide to be quite helpful and honestly, it's always valuable to review who you are as a sexual being every so often. Your Yes/No/Maybe list is going to change over time. Your body changes and illness and disability are something that will be more likely to happen the older you get. Maybe you didn't have words for your gender identity or sexuality 10 years ago and discovered that you fit into a different part of the rainbow than you thought.

So this book: great! Also would be great: a book like this with a more up-to-date style for people who know what oral/hand/anal sex are but are dealing with perimenopause, kids, post-divorce, gender identity doubts, all that fun midlife stuff.
Profile Image for Jessica.
1,287 reviews130 followers
October 19, 2021
This was billed as a fully inclusive sex-ed book, and it definitely delivered! Although addressed primarily to queer women, it covers all genders and genitals; the only people who aren't a focus are cis men, and it's not like there's a shortage of information out there about having sex with cis men. In addition to extensively covering trans bodies, it's inclusive of disabled bodies and fat bodies as well. If you're a woman and/or you were assigned female at birth, or you're having sex (or want to have sex) with someone in that category, you'll get something out of this book, whether about your own body, your partner's, or both. It covers everything from flirting and finding partners to the mechanics of different sex acts to having honest conversations about safer sex practices. It even touches on asexuality. The world would be a better place if everyone read this book before they had sex!
Profile Image for Mina.
1,068 reviews125 followers
December 13, 2020
Extensive and beautifully illustrated.

Picked this up after looking for a good book into female sexuality and it proved to be very useful. It's probably not going to be required reading in Sex Ed, but it should be.
Profile Image for Grace.
189 reviews6 followers
July 23, 2016
Apparently I have never had a day of sex education in my life because this was extraordinarily eye-opening. I would recommend this for anyone of any age, gender or orientation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews

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