Sex Drive by Stephanie Theobald #BlogTour

I don't often read non fiction, factual, books but like to keep things fresh by ringing the changes. With a catch line of 'On the road to a pleasure revolution', and a note from the publishers describing it as 'One woman's road trip across America in search of her lost libido', it was clear that Sex Drive wasn't going to be my usual kind of read.

The Blurb:

Arriving in New York with a failing relationship and a body she felt out of touch with, Stephanie Theobald set off on a 3,497 mile trip across America to re-build her orgasm from the ground up. What started as a quest for the ultimate auto-erotic experience became a fantastic voyage into her own body. 

She takes us from ‘body sex’ classes with the legendary feminist Betty Dodson to an interview with the former US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, who was fired for suggesting that masturbation should be talked about in schools. Along the way, we are immersed in a weird, countercultural America of marijuana farms and ‘ecosexual sexologists’. 

Sex Drive is a memoir about desire and pleasure, merging sexuality and spirituality, eighteenth-century porn and enlightenment philosophy. A new sexual revolution has begun – and this time round, it’s all about the women.

Sex Drive was published by Unbound on 18th October 2018. You can purchase it from Waterstones, Amazon UK and US, and other good bookshops. 

My Review: 

Well, where to start? With the basics, I think -  I love the cover. It's bright, eye catching, and evokes a sense of freedom. 

This is a memoir with a difference. It covers a short period of the author's life when, unhappy with herself, she sets out to find out more about her body, particularly her genital area, and to rediscover her sexuality. Mainly through masturbation. 

I would not describe myself as prudish, and who wouldn't want to be more in touch with their own body? So I wasn't offended by the escapades in the book, but I certainly had my eyes opened by them. I was touched by how open and honest the author is about her own memories, feelings and experiences. She shares things that many of us would consider to be private, and it's really refreshing. This isn't a book for everyone - it's very descriptive and explicit, but never titillating. Theobald writes frankly, openly and with good humour. 

Her search for her libido encompasses all manner of experiences and she interviews many women, and men, considered to be experts in their particular fields. She takes part in a masturbation workshop, visits a BDSM sex party, goes for an ecosexual walk in the woods and meets a Raëlian princess who believes the alien Sky People want us to have more sex, to name but a few of those experiences. As well as relating her adventures, Theobald also quotes from history, literature, medicine and science, which meant I learned stuff along the way. 

I found this book to be incredibly interesting, entertaining and educational. And eye opening. A breath of fresh air. I  didn't agree with everything I read, but that's fine. It didn't make it any less of a book. The only small thing I struggled with was the pretty consistent use of the word 'cunt'. It's not a word I'm particularly comfortable with, and I'm not used to hearing it from a woman. Perhaps not as broad minded as I thought I was!

As I said earlier, this is not a book for everyone, and definitely not for the faint hearted or easily offended, but I feel it would be an entertaining and beneficial read for both women and men interested in finding out more about female sexuality and pleasure. 

Huge thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the tour, and Unbound for my review copy. 

The Author:

Stephanie Theobald is a British journalist, novelist, public speaker and broadcaster known for her playful and thoughtful work around sexuality and feminism. The Times described her as as 'one of London's most celebrated literary lesbians' and she writes regularly for the Guardian, the Sunday Times and Elle UK. She is the author of four novels, most recently A Partial Indulgence (2010). She lives between London and Los Angeles. You can find out more by visiting her website.