“Terrifically encouraging… McLaughlin has written a thorough primer on everything from sex toys to bondage to ‘no means no,’ intended for women readers who might be new to the idea that they deserve, and own, their personal pleasure.”
—The Times Book Review
“McLaughlin carefully homes in on the myriad ways that mental and physical health connect with sexuality in this uplifting and refreshingly inclusive guide to women’s sexual health based on a podcast of the same name. Combining sex advice with health information, McLaughlin addresses sex work, body image, sexually transmitted diseases, along with topics like masturbation and sex positions, while using language (“person with a vulva” and “person with a penis”) to ensure inclusion of trans and gender-nonbinary people throughout. In a chapter detailing her own personal recovery from anorexia, the author interrogates how lack of sexual empowerment can contribute to body image issues and a damaged sense of self. This message is reinforced later in a profile of the Olympic runner and former escort Suzy Favor Hamilton, who notes that cultivating sex positivity was a crucial part of her recovery from postpartum depression. McLaughlin balances these heavier chapters with lighter fare, including a coloring page, word search, prompts for further reflection, and plenty of illustrations. Equally fun, risqué, and informative, this is a welcome addition to sexual health literature.” —Publisher’s Weekly
“In Girl Boner: The Good Girl’s Guide to Sexual Empowerment, August McLaughlin touches on topics that sex ed classes skip. Her aim is to give all of those who identify as women the tools necessary to figure out how to own their sexuality. You’re bound to find it inspiring and, er, stimulating.” —Bustle
“…terrifically encouraging…a thorough primer on everything from sex toys to bondage to ‘no means no…'” —The New York Times
“August McLaughlin is a powerful and necessary voice in a world that is finally ready to listen. Her work to demystify and destigmatize frank talk about sex and sexuality encourages a new generation of women to proudly embrace their personal journeys.” —Dr. Lisa Masterson
“August McLaughlin takes on sexuality, body image, depression and female empowerment head on! One part memoir, one part sociological manifesto = something of interest for women of all ages… She hit the nail on the head with this book. Frank personal stories and interviews interspersed throughout the book help us unpack our personal inner conflicts that when unexamined suck the joy out of the female experience.” —Cheryl Grant M.A., MFT, Psychotherapist
“Discussions about sexual health and desires help young women to better understand who they are. Unfortunately, these conversations are few and far between, leaving many woman grappling with their sexual feelings. I could not think of a more compassionate and sincere person to lead these conversations than August McLaughlin. Her experiences and conversational writing style create a sense of trust for her reader. I would highly recommend Girl Boner in my practice and to my friends.” —Cora Reidenbach, School Psychologist
“With uncommon intelligence and humor, August tells us everything we want to know about the guilt-free pursuit and enjoyment of female orgasm. As Chief Passion Curator for Bring Back Desire I understand the challenges women face in trying to experience authentic sexual excitement. Girl Boner is a book every woman should read, including our daughters, not just for the pleasure it offers, but because it validates the link between female orgasm, power and happiness. I can’t wait to carry Girl Boner at Bring Back Desire!” —Ande Lyons, Chief Passion Curator of Bring Back Desire and host of the After Dark Radio Show
“Girl Boner is the book on female sexual empowerment we’ve been waiting for. August McLaughlin takes on the question of female pleasure and sexual autonomy in an unflinching, sometimes irreverent and always honest fashion. Opening up about everything from masturbation to anorexia, religion to the cult of female beauty, and everything in between, August shares her story in order to help readers tell their own. I’m so excited to use this book in my university classes about gender and sexuality. It’s the first book I’ve found that bridges the gap between academic theories of female sexuality and real life. With its confessional style and insightful exercises, reading Girl Boner is like having a sleepover with your cool older sister. This book has the potential not only to empower young women sexually, but to change their lives in radical and important ways.” —Susan Harper, Ph.D. Anthropologist, Sociologist, Sex Educator, and Professor of Gender Studies
“What about girl boners?”
The innocent curiosity of eleven-year-old August McLaughlin set her on a path no one saw coming. She’s spent much of her adult life committed to making sure these curiosities are broadly addressed or, better yet, prevented.
In a culture where female sexual empowerment is used to sell everything from sex toys to soap, most early sex ed bypasses pleasure, and women continue to be “slut” or “prude”-shamed. Because of that, determining our own paths and defining what such empowerment really means in our lives is vital.
In Girl Boner: The Good Girl’s Guide to Sexual Empowerment, August guides readers through just that. A spicy blend of personal narrative, in-depth reporting, and inspiration, Girl Boner is the go-to companion for “good girls” seeking the richer, more authentic, and pleasure-filled lives they deserve through embracing their bodies and sexuality.
About the Author
August McLaughlin is a nationally recognized health and sexuality writer, media personality, and creator of the empowering brand Girl Boner®. Her feature articles have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Salon, Dame magazine, the Huffington Post, LIVESTRONG.com, and more. On her weekly podcast Girl Boner® Radio, she interviews sex and relationship experts, celebrity entertainers, everyday women, and more, exploring women’s lives and sexuality “like no one else.”
She was named Nutrition Writer of 2010 by LIVESTRONG.com, Editor’s Pick of 2010 by Demand Media Studios, and one of BlogHer’s Voices of the Year in 2013. In 2015 and 2016, she was ranked in the top 10 of Kinkly’s 100 Sex Blog Superheroes list. Her first novel, In Her Shadow, a National Indie Excellence Award finalist and an Amazon bestseller in women’s fiction, is loosely based on her experience with anorexia while working as an international model.
In 2016, she was selected to attend the United State of Women summit, convened by the White House, as a nominated change maker for her work in gender equality and women’s sexuality. As a speaker at a Beverly Hills TEDx Women event in October 2016, she shared her story of surviving an eating disorder. As an emcee, she’s spoken at North America’s World Sexual Health Day events in New York City and at Stanford University, and annually at the Artemis Women in Action Film Festival in Los Angeles.
Known for melding personal passion with activism, August uses her skills as a public speaker and journalist to encourage other women to embrace their bodies and sexuality, making way for fuller, more authentic lives.
Jess Witkins –
Affirming, Empowering, and Like a Chat With Your Girlfriends!
As a former community health educator who taught reproductive health in grade school through college classes, juvenile detention centers, and community events, I would LOVE to pass out August’s book to everyone I came in contact with! It is incredibly well organized, easy to read, fun, educational and informative, and empowering. She accomplishes all of this with her affable and curious voice that you will recognize from her blog and podcast too.As someone who worked in a reproductive health center for years, I know what an uphill climb it can feel like to get comprehensive, medically accurate information about sexual health into the hands of the public. Our country faces challenges in that we are very inconsistent with what we teach in our schools, and we still have a lot of work to do in terms of making sexuality, and female sexual empowerment in particular, a subject that is not taboo to talk about. August addresses these issues in her book and makes it ok to ask questions and start the dialogue. I particularly love that she’s included journal questions at the ends of her chapters to help readers discern for themselves their own implicit biases or undiscovered desires.Another aspect that must be highlighted is her research and inclusion of personal stories. She’s got a great mix of scientific studies that lay groundwork, but she also includes personal stories from her own life and people she’s interviewed so that human connection is in the book throughout. I could identify with August’s background being raised as a “good girl” and she does an exceptional job of eliminating shame and making the reader feel connected and able to unpack any baggage they want, so they can get their girl boner on! Her language is inclusive in terms of LGBTQ identities and sexual orientation, which is crucial for anyone doing this kind of work.In short, two thumbs up!! Whether you work in public health, are exploring your own relationships, or just need a safe space to get questions answered and know you’re not alone, Girl Boner is a book I wish I’d had when I was younger, but am proud to own on my shelf today! Thank you to the author for her years of research, dialogue, and empowerment in this topic.
Pam, Founder Down To There –
Can’t wait to read this again with my girlfriends!
As a relationship coach, I am always looking for great books to recommend to clients and August McLaughlin’s book just took the number one slot on my list. Not only is it a fun and easy read with humorous comments sprinkled throughout, but my favorite way to learn is through reading stories… and Girl Boner is full of inclusive, normalizing and uplifting stories.August’s love for empowerment around sexuality is completely contagious and despite knowing a lot about this topic already, I was excited to learn many new things myself as I read this book! Whether you are like me and are one of the many women who have felt shame or confusion around physical intimacy, or are a woman who has always loved that side of yourself and is looking for inspiration on how to celebrate it, this book is for you.Also, I am totally enamored with August’s idea to read this with friends and am eager to reach out to a handful of close girlfriends to talk about this book together!
Melanie Hooks –
Women, Heal Thyselves (with a little help from August)
I LOVE this book! Women’s sexuality journalist August McLaughlin presents a whole slew of complex topics around female sexuality in the most inclusive of ways — everyone from monogamous hetero wives to asexual intersex young people to transgendered transitioners will find guidance and representation here on some of life’s thorniest issues around our bodies and souls, and their knottiest ties to our sexual selves. How can there still be so much shame and guilt around our own pleasure? Why does it take many of us so long to own our own needs — heck, to even understand them? McLaughlin presents a different topic (e.g. monogamy, gender identity, sex and spirituality) in a different chapter, which makes it easy to hone in on the areas you want to read first. (I recommend them all!) The recent controversy over the R rating for the film “Eighth Grade,” which frankly faces the sexual pressures young girls experience now only highlights how unprepared most of us were, and many of us still are, to handle the loaded barter system we navigate around social acceptance and our bodies. Nobody is better at helping readers (and in the case of her podcast, listeners) feel accepted and valued for exactly who they are than McLaughlin. If you’re looking for an unblushing and personable exploration of how you actually are as a sexual creature, even if that’s as an asexual one, Girl Boner is your book. (An excellent gift for men who want to understand more about their friends and partners are experiencing too.)
RePo –
Comprehensive sex ed for adults
For many of us growing up in the US, sex education was a joke or completely non-existent. At best, we only received information on how to prevent pregnancy or STIs, often couched in fear-mongering language that was meant to keep us abstinent. This book unravels all the myths, misinformation, shame, and fear tactics that I experienced as a Midwestern teen in the early 2000s. Even though I’m 32 and have been sexually active most of my life, I found myself learning so much thanks to August McLaughlin’s approachable, nonjudgmental writing style. There’s something for everyone in this book, from teens curious about sexual health to adults who want to know more about sexuality as a whole. This book covers a range of sexualities, abilities, experiences, and preferences for a fully inclusive overview of sex, health, and pleasure. I can’t recommend it highly enough!
All4u –
Learning to love, young or old
I spent the day reading GIRL BONER. What a page turner…a handbook that teaches you about your sexuality and expands your horizons of fulfillment. For men and women you are never too old to keep learning about your being. Enjoy this terrific adventure and live free!
Makenzie M. –
Empowering and Fun!
As someone who’s been labeled a “good girl” all my life this book was the guide to sexual awakening and empowerment I’d been looking for. While deeply enriching and educational, McLaughlin keeps the tone light and engaging. Highly recommended!
Jeannie –
For grandmother and granddaughter and every age in between
As a “good girl” who grew up in a very Catholic environment, went to Catholic school without any sex education, and where nobody ever even dared to speak the word sex, this book is something I wish had existed when I was a teenager … or in my twenties or even thirties. August McLaughlin manages wonderfully to take the shame out of sexuality and “tell it like it is”. She does not shy away from touching areas – yes I mean that in every sense of the words – that you usually don’t talk about. I especially loved the way she includes personal stories. They make you feel as if you are talking to a good friend. I can highly recommend “Girl Boner: The Good Girl’s Guide to Sexual Empowerment” to girls of all ages, from grandmother to granddaughter and every age in between.