Eat Me
Linda Jaivin
Broadway Books, New York
<p>In this eye-popping first novel-a runaway bestseller in Australia-Linda Jaivin invites readers to a lusty, hilarious banquet of conversations about that hottest topic of all: sex. The talk sizzles when four bright, successful friends meet in Sydney's designer cafes and restaurants to gossip about their romantic exploits. Their sexy, clever, and delightfully wicked stories set a new standard for literary erotica, and Eat Me reveals what women really talk about when they talk about men. Julia, Chantal, Helen, and Philippa are the best of friends. Professionally, their lives could not be more different, but whenever they get together, there are always plenty of intimate revelations to dish up and devour. Julia is a spunky photographer with a penchant for Peking duck and younger men; Chantal is a fashion magazine editor whose sexual preferences give new meaning to the words "mixing and matching"; Helen is a feminist scholar whose outward wholesomeness belies her inner naughtiness; and Philippa is a somewhat secretive writer who appears to be taking rather close notes on her friends' raunchy tales. From the dark seduction of a Goth poet and frolics with truck drivers to a lesbian tie-me-up/tie-me-down and an erotic sushi bar for twenty-four samurai (no, those aren't swords in their pockets-they're just happy to see you), the four friends partake of an endless and uproarious buffet of fabulous liaisons. They couldn't be more open with each other. Or could they? As the conversation escalates, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate fantasy from reality. With its layering of stories within stories, Eat Me is as provocative in structure as it is potent in detail. Is it a literary romp? A work of pornography? A devastating social satire? One thing is clear: This outrageous, irresistible, and utterly original debut is the juiciest book you will read this year.</p>