# The Most Eyebrow-Raising Books You Own? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495 "2002-07-11T20:33:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/1 "2002-07-11T20:33:28Z")
Not the most lurid or the rarest; I mean, what books do you have on the shelf that you don’t want a first date to see? Or that you’d hide from the cat-sitter? I just bought [Suicide in the Entertainment Industry](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786410388/qid=1026419061/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/104-6094840-2105525), which is highly absorbing. Other questionable books in my flat: • [Voluptuous Panic](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/092291558X/qid%3D1026419211/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-6094840-2105525), recommended—as if you’re surprised!—by Ukulele Ike. • [Death Scenes](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0922915296/qid=1026419266/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-6094840-2105525). Too creepy even for _me_. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/2 "2002-07-11T20:49:12Z")
Well, we have a reasonable collection of leathersex books. I don’t know that we would hide them, though. I have several volumes of L. Ron Hubbard’s _Mission Earth_ series; that’s enough to provoke ridicule from any science fiction fans that may visit. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/3 "2002-07-11T20:50:36Z")
“Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Old West”. Mrs. R gave it to me (!); I suspect that she felt that it neatly combined three of my main interests: girls, crime, and the Old West. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/4 "2002-07-11T20:52:34Z")
Best Bisexual Erotica I & II Best Women’s Bisexual Erotica (I’d rather broach the subject myself than have a date see them…) Sex Tips from a Dominatrix Sex Tips for a Straight Woman from a Gay Man Sex Tips for Gay Men Bones (About murder cases & Forensic Science) Dead Men Do Tell Tales (ditto) I also have a book about NecroSearch International, but I forget the title. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/5 "2002-07-11T20:57:58Z")
Yeah, _Voluptuous Panic_ was the first one I thought of, too, when I saw the thread title. Until my copy of John Willie’s [_Adventures of Sweet Gwendoline_](http://www.belierpress.com/previewgallery.html) arrived in the mail last week. At first glance it’s all demure and '20s-ish, but then you realize that the artwork is almost entirely made up of ladies in ropes and manacles. I had a copy of [_Tom of Finland: His Life and Times_](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/031211365X/qid=1026420356/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/104-6721561-1664714) on my office bookshelf for YEARS, which was always good for a few dropped jaws and bulgy eyes. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/6 "2002-07-11T21:00:07Z")
I have some Wiccan books that I hide when my fundie sister comes to visit. I am definitely in the broom closet when she’s around. I refer to my altar as the “candle table.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/7 "2002-07-11T21:04:29Z")
[B} End Product — THe Last Taboo\*\* – a book about…uhhh… human fecal matter. I saw it in a used book store and couldn’t resist. **Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown** – a collection of humorous science and engineering articles, intended to prove that scientists and engineers _do so_ have a sense of humor. It arguably makes the opposite case much better. The same article also appears in **A Random Walk through Science**. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/8 "2002-07-11T21:19:27Z")
I’ve got quite a collection of books on witchcraft and demonology, including the infamous _Malleus Maleficarum_, which explains when and why to use torture, as well as how a man ought to proceed if he suspects a witch has stolen his penis. Probably not first-date material, although it _would_ be an interesting way to weed out the ones who spook easily. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/9 "2002-07-11T21:29:57Z")
I shall be buying _Voluptuous Panic_ from my local global online bookseller _tout de suite_! I have a book on chaos magic that I wouldn’t expect people to understand or approve of. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/10 "2002-07-11T21:33:54Z")
a pop-up version of the _Kama Sutra_ ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/11 "2002-07-11T23:27:05Z")
The Bedside Erotica Review. All my Nancy Friday books. The Topping Book. My true crime books. ---
**Author:** ![Lao\_Tsu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lao\_Tsu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lao_Tsu)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/12 "2002-07-11T23:36:16Z")
[Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0931580587/qid=1026428867/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-8837810-7577641), always raises eyebrows and comments. However, [DeSade](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140286772/qid=1026430128/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/002-8837810-7577641) raises eyebrows but no one ever comments. Most people just say “Holy Crap! You have a lot of books.” Looking at the selections of others, I gotta get out and read more. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/13 "2002-07-12T00:03:01Z")
Probably _The Other Balkan Wars: A 1913 Carnegie Endowment Inquiry in Retrospect with a New Introduction and Reflections on the Present Conflict_. Intimidating as all get out, pretentious sounding, and nerdy. Not to mention all those V. C. Andrews books. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/14 "2002-07-12T00:08:41Z")
To Serve Man-A Cookbook For People By Karl Wurf A Poisoner’s Cookbook The History Of Torture The Melancholy Death Of Oyster Boy The Smythe Report-Atomic Energy For Military Purposes Many Jack T Chick tracts ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/15 "2002-07-12T00:12:57Z")
I have a book called _Golfing for Cats_ with a big swastika on the cover. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/16 "2002-07-12T00:23:56Z")
Final Exit For Cats-A Feline Suicide Guide Revelations Of The Dark Mother (the book is actually supplement to the Vampire rpg. ) ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/17 "2002-07-12T00:24:27Z")
I have a couple of Left Behind books. I really hate having to explain those (“Yeah, I know the writing is shite and the message annoys me, but I started reading them at work, and they’re ADDICTIVE, DAMMIT!”). Also, my more obscurely occult books. “Enochian Magic for Beginners,” for instance. Also, “The Last Days of Jesus Christ, Vampire,” which is just a weird-titled book. And the Baby-Sitter’s Club books left over from my childhood. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/18 "2002-07-12T00:41:59Z")
The Turner Diaries. Just because I own a copy doesn’t mean I agree with the author - but it’s better to keep it out of sight to prevent anyone from making assumptions. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/19 "2002-07-12T00:49:41Z")
I’ve got a big, leather-bound book of Rudyard Kipling stories that’s liberally festooned with swastikas. That’s given more than one visitor pause. I’ve also got a lot of books with names like, “Saucy Susan and the Naughty Sorority,” but I don’t put those out on the bookshelf. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2002, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495/20 "2002-07-12T01:40:11Z")
Mine are so tame: _The Kama Sutra_ (non-pop-up version). One of those fake _Necronomicon_s that’s in every mall book store. Yawn. _The Fermata_ by Nicholson Baker. _Frank Zappa’s Negative Dialetics Of Poodle Play_ by Ben Watson. The title always gets “WTF” reactions from people peeking at my shelves. After reading this thread, I have new heroes, and a whole new reading wish list. :: prints thread :: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-eyebrow-raising-books-you-own/118495.md?page=2)