(I've had it at Flora, which has an enormous print of the novel's cover on the wall.)

It's also in Barney's apartment!

I went through my Goodreads, and I think this is the best book I've read since The Shadow of the Wind, September 2010. I've read a lot of great books since then, but nothing of this caliber. And I think the two books do share a few similarities that illuminate my tastes. I like sprawling narratives with evocative details of time and place, filled with Dickensian coincidences and narrative ironies, with different characters' plotlines intersecting.

Hmm. I will have to check it out. I suppose I should get a Goodreads account.

(And yes, the Shadow of the Wind was also awesome, and I really like that.)

I sometimes get choked up reading Where the Wild Things Are, so that's my measuring stick.

Right there with you Amy.

So a friend of mine is looking for recommendations for things sort of like 50 Shades of Gray but better-written and without the fic element.

Basically, mom-friendly porn erotica porn. Het, BDSM-ish.

Any ideas?

I'll post some tomorrow -- I have to look up a few names.

Emma Holly had some good stuff (her older stuff--some erotica, and including the historical romances, but I haven't read her paranormals), but I didn't enjoy some of the more recent erotica as much (some of the sex scenes were still good, but the "plots" got more than a little ridiculous, and I like my erotica to be character-or-plot driven, and not just "hey, there's hot people! And they have sex! A lot! In different combos and different positions! Hello new person! Let's have SEXXORING!")

BDSM-ish.

Huh. I'm not so good on the "ish." (Everything I think of is less "ish" and more...intense.) Maybe Anais Nin? Although she's not BDSM-y.

Basically my friend heard a professional colleague going on about 50 Shades and, as a long-time ficreader (and occasional writer), made the mistake of saying, "Oh, there's much better-written stuff than that out there!"

--and the colleague said, "Titles and authors, please!"

So, as my friend cannot reveal herself as a ficreader, she needs to come up with something to tell the woman.

I'd second the Emma Holly recommendation - some of her earlier stuff. um ... Menage, Cooking Up a Storm, Velvet Fist (? not sure of that last title).

I'm not familiar with any good novels on the theme, but if we're talking about improving on Stephenie Meyer-based fanfic with the serial numbers file off, maybe John Norman novels would suffice?