G Is For Games - book by Cleis Press Inc. - review by Sammi

G is for Games was published by Cleis Press in 2007, and is edited by Alison Tyler. This is an oversized paperback, but smaller than many of the other erotica collections that Cleis Press publishes, both in the number of pages (140) and the actual physical size of the book.

The book contains an introduction by Alison, an About the Editor section, and 13 stories that deal with games, both literally and figuratively.

Alison, the editor of numerous erotic anthologies, is also the author of several novels and a multitude of short stories which have appeared in Playgirl, Penthouse, and numerous erotic anthologies. She reveals in her introduction that she isn’t that good at gambling, but she loves a good bet. She talks about the stories inside as ways to play games and what they can reveal about the participants.

The stories in this book run a rather wide gamut of games, from Twister to tennis, football to pool, baseball to chess. Many of the stories feature the “game within a game.”

Inside these pages, the stories are mostly about heterosexual couples, although a few contain game-playing lesbians and another contains a tryst between two men and a woman where the men are more than just cocks for the lady.

Some of the stories give great ideas of ways to spice up your own sex life at home while enjoying the particular game at hand. While most of the stories in this collection are quite good and arousing, several stand out:

“No Limits” by Madelynne Ellis In the opening story, a game of Twister gets the last two participants hot and horny while they strive to win the game. The two (man and woman) tease each other mercilessly while battling for the win – who will come out on top?

“The Big Touchdown” by Erica Dumas The star football player and the popular cheerleader park on the hill after the game. What will they do in the backseat, and have they played this out before?

“Who’s on Top” by Emerald She’s attracted to Cory when she meets him, but there’s a problem: he’s a Red Sox fan and Paige is all for the Yankees. They decide to watch games together,with a little bet on the outcome of each one. Will Cory top Paige? Or will she come out on top for the season?

“Showtime” by Bonnie Dee She gets a kick out of dressing young and slutty and going to the adult theater, where she puts on a show for one lucky guy in the audience. One night when she comes out the ticket taker is waiting for her – will she give him a show?

G is for Games is a paperback with a glossy cover. The front features a rather wicked drawing of a woman in lingerie holding cards and a wand. She looks a bit like a 50s pin-up girl.

The size of this book, while oversized, is smaller than most of the other Cleis Press paperbacks I’ve read. The font is also smaller, although still crisp and readable.

This book had some very interesting and arousing stories. While there were some that weren’t to my taste, there were many that gave me some great ideas for future escapades, and one or two that brought back some good memories from college.