Language warning.
I've seen the odd post about some old fogey or two somewhere wanting to ban spicy books because they're thought of as porn, because porn is bad (and we all know without a shadow of a doubt that those old fogeys have never watched porn in their entire lives), and how dare women get in the mood without their husbands.
This got me thinking, just what is the difference between Porn and Spicy Books?
Porn:
Dude: whoa, hey, I, uh, have a pizza? For this address?
Hot Woman: Oh, hey, yeah, why don't you come on in?
Dude Comes. On. In.
Obligatory hot sex scene on a counter.
Obligatory anal sex scene.
Obligatory two girls one guy sex scene.
Optional boob sex scene.
Obligatory sex on a bed, but not in a position that looks remotely comfortable.
Obligatory blow job scene.
Obligatory someone else is watching the sex scene.
Not necessarily in that order. No story line. Just some random reasons to have sex. If you're lucky, you'll come across a sex scene where both participants look like they're having fun.
And if you're really lucky, the sex will be graphic. If you're stuck in a remote camp with limited satellite porn options, you might have to watch some guy get a blow job while he holds his unbuttoned shirt out so that you can't see the cock in the mouth.
If I wanted to use my imagination, I'd read a spicy book.
Spicy Book:
Meet-cute chapter.
Flirty chapter-character 1's POV.
Flirty chapter-C2's POV.
Flirty let's go for dinner/coffee/camping chapter.
Oh my god he's so cute chapter.
Make out session chapter. Sometimes it's a sex chapter.
Oh my god why is someone that hot into me chapter.
Self doubt chapter #2.
Do stuff together chapter.
Ohmygod she's so hot chapter.
Sex chapter.
Lack of communication chapter.
Almost break up chapter.
Almost sex chapter.
Miscommunication chapter. Or someone gets kidnapped. Or almost dies. Whatever it takes to bring about a big climax. Of the story.
Somebody saves the day / finally says whatever the fuck needed to be said in the Lack of Communication chapter.
Sex chapter.
Super sex chapter.
Stupid epilogue.
Of course, depending on the habanero pepper rating, you could have sex scenes sooner and more often, with more people (at the same time), with tails and/or tentacles, with ropes and whips, and with really creative positions.
What you definitely have is a story.
What's so wrong with spicy books?
Let's say that the porn is hot. Awesome. Chances are that unless dude's wife is watching with him, he's done at the end of the movie. Or the first scene. She misses out. Maybe. Maybe she dodges a mediocre bullet.
Spicy books, on the other hand, can be foreplay. They can rev you up and get your imagination going, and once that imagination is going, keep you hot until your partner is available.
Case in point:
My husband likes some of the books that I read more than others.
He has no idea what I'm reading. Just that I am good to go.