The Erotica section is one of the most-browsed sections in the bookstore--and one of the slowest-selling.  I imagine it's partly because buying erotica means letting a clerk see what you bought.  Responses to any form of erotic literature or art are so individual, revealing, and precious that we keep them private. 

I'm breaking the rules here by sharing a few favorites.  If you find yourself feeling more confident buying what you like because of these few little recommendations, I'm delighted for you. 

Let me start you off with a review of my all-time favorite collection of literary erotica, unfortunately out of print but frequently on hand as a used book:

These stories first appeared in Libido, a magazine that ran in print in the 1990s.  The mag's editors did a rare job of choosing intellectually stimulating, satisfying short stories where the literary quality equalled the erotic content.  My favorite in the collection is "Freud, Cavafy, and the Comforts of Civilization" by Richard Collins.  The overeducated married couple, travelling from one famous writer's house to another, make love in each and carry away memories...anyone could guess that I would like such a story!  As well, this little piece introduced me to a poet who now ranks among my favorites, the Egyptian writer Constantine Cavafy.

Other likes include housewifely stories by Jane Underwood, and the really very funny "Jewish Sexuality, Such As It Is: Volume One"--a wry exploration of the feminist implications of the words used for naughty bits in different languages.