We live in a world awash in sexual images. Television. Internet. Movies. MTV. The visual rules. Yet, the sacred combination of ink and paper still has the power to rock your world.

If reading is thinking with someone else's brain, then erotica is feeling with someone else's body parts. With that in mind, we set out to find the books that arouse the most. We limited our search to novels (perhaps we'll tackle memoirs and manuals next), focusing on works of fiction marked by frank language, candor and enthusiasm. Body parts are named and interwoven in ways that arouse, linger and channel your own desires. Some titles were famous for being dirty books for decades, contraband smuggled in from Paris. A few were champions in the courts, books that freed the language. Some tackled taboos. Others showcased attitude -- either curiosity or humor or energy. To us, they are the ultimate love stories.

Our list is certainly subjective, but we're also experts on the subject. And while we know some of our choices and their order will be hotly debated, we hope the debate inspires people to seek out and enjoy this hot type.

 
Click on a cover to read an excerpt, synopsis and brief history of each novel.