Want Better Sex in 2026? Start With These 5 Books

"January is when many of us quietly renegotiate our self-expectations. We promise ourselves we'll eat better, start visiting the gym, and that we'll go to bed earlier. But there's one area of life that often gets left out of these resets, even though it shapes our mood, our relationships, our physical health, and our sense of vitality more than we like realize: And it involves our sexual wellbeing."

"That gap isn't accidental. In the U.S., there's no federally mandated sex education. In states that do legislate it, the material tends to solely focus on reproduction and the dangers of STIs and unplanned pregnancy. We do a remarkably poor job of teaching people how sex actually works, especially when it comes to pleasure, desire, and communication. What fills that vacuum are myths, shame, and unrealistic expectations. The result is sex that feels confusing, inconsistent, or quietly disappointing, even in loving relationships."

"Most people don't want sex that's necessarily wild or performative. They want it to feel easier. More connected. More reliably pleasurable. And yet many adults walk around with a vague sense that sex is supposed to be better than it is, that everyone is having more sex than them but that they lack the language or tools to change it."

Many adults want sex that feels easier, more connected, and more reliably pleasurable rather than wild or performative. Many people lack the language, tools, and education to change their sexual lives. In the United States, sex education often omits pleasure, desire, and communication, focusing on reproduction and risk, which leaves myths, shame, and unrealistic expectations to fill the vacuum. Those gaps produce confusing, inconsistent, or quietly disappointing sexual experiences, even within loving relationships. Better sex depends on understanding how desire works, learning practical skills, and discarding false stories. Focused reading can accelerate that learning and provide a practical roadmap for improvement.

Read at Psychology Today