Read My Lips: A Complete Guide to the Vagina and Vulva by Debby Herbenick and Vanessa Schick

 Many people make New Years' resolutions about their body. They want to get in shape, lose weight, or otherwise do something about their physical fitness. Debby Herbenick and Vanessa Schick have another idea: why not make 2012 the year you get to know your vulva and vagina? In Read My Lips, almost no vaginal topic is left uncovered: menstruation, health, hair, fashion, sex, pop culture, and much more.

When this book first came across my email, I saw it and thought "Huh. Who wants to read a book about vaginas?" Then, as a few moments passed, I realized that I wanted to read a book about vaginas. Despite having had a vulva for my entire life, I've only recently learned much about them (including the difference between a vagina and a vulva). There is a lot of information packed into this book, and while it comes backed up with citations and resources, it never feels too clinical or academic and is often balanced out with crafts, anecdotes (my favourite was the one about the glitter rag), or references to vulvas and vaginas in popular culture. It's not every book that has photo portraits of many different vulvas.  This won't be a book for everyone, but the information that's inside of it really should be shared by as many people as possible.

I read a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim
Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers by Nancy Redd
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler