A cheeky exploration of sex and feminism… – Kirkus Reviews
Buy it on Amazon and Bookshop.org
Widowspeak Publishing is pleased to announce the Kirkus Reviews summary review of Billie Best’s third book, Clitapalooza: Her flower blooms power.
In this sex-positive thriller romance, a 60-ish woman blows up her comfortable life feeling the years ahead are her last chance to break the rules of adulting, be adventurous and explore herself. What she discovers is her capacity for pleasure, her need for intimacy, and her affection for her own anatomy.
From Kirkus Reviews:
All in all, Meryl has it pretty good: She’s a well-liked math professor at a university, she has a gaggle of friends, and her sex life with her husband, Bob, hasn’t yet cooled in their 40 years together. But at 60, she suddenly feels restless, fretting that she has settled for a stable life rather than an adventurous one. So, she makes a quick run of rash decisions, including abruptly retiring, tending butterflies, adopting a pig, and splurging on a $10,000 toothbrush from tech company NanoSmile, largely for its customizable AI companion, which she names Hamish. During a session of self-gratification, using both the toothbrush and her trusty vibrator, a piece of the toothbrush—a nanobot named Quanta—breaks off and enters Meryl’s bloodstream, setting up camp in her clitoris. Meryl investigates the incident with some of her former students and a close friend, Uma, uncovering a broader experiment by NanoSmile’s parent company, BioMantrix—an experiment Meryl may not be able to get herself out of. Through Meryl and her circle of female friends, Best explores multiple feminist and sociological themes that cross generational lines, such as female pleasure stigma, tech surveillance, and what defines true intimacy between two people. The presence of a mega-corporation masquerading as a stable of wellness companies that harvests personal data rather than truly addressing individual needs feels all too relevant, though the author tempers her dark subject with humor; upon discovering the robot in Meryl’s intimate anatomy, the morally bankrupt scientist Dr. Skimmerhorn debates whether to call the new device “iClitoris” or “ClitBit.” … Still, the message of the book, particularly for women who have never had affirming sexual education, is clear: “your body was made to orgasm…You have the right to an orgasm.” — Kirkus Reviews
Billie Best is the author of 3 books and 200+ blog posts at her website billiebest.com where she explores midlife reinvention, relationships, wellness and tech from a feminist perspective. She is available for interviews, podcasts and public appearances. Her memoir How I Made a Huge Mess of My Life (or Couples Therapy with a Dead Man) released in 2020 has received stellar reviews. Currently she lives in Oregon with her boyfriend and her dog. Articulate, entertaining and relatable, she is an engaging interview guest.
CONTACT
books@widowspeakpublishing.com (413-717-2983) for review copies, interviews, and other media inquiries.
BOOK DETAILS
Title: Clitapalooza: Her flower blooms power
Author: Billie Best
Genre: Thriller, Romance, General Fiction
Release Date: February 1, 2024
Available at: Amazon, Bookshop.org, and wherever books are sold.
Paperback $12.99: ISBN 978-1-7345964-4-1
Ebook $9.99: ISBN 978-1-7345964-5-8
LINKS
https://www.amazon.com/author/billiebest