OPEN’s Bookshop

Looking for your next great read on a cozy winter night, or a gift for a partner or metamour? I've got a few recommendations for you.

But first: did you know OPEN has a bookstore?

When you buy through our Bookshop.org page, your order gets fulfilled by a local independent bookstore, and OPEN receives a portion of each sale. So far, your purchases have raised almost $200 to support our mission! It's a win-win way to get some of that holiday shopping done early.

Non-monogamy Nonfiction

We've put together a reading list of 36 essential titles on non-monogamy, from foundational texts like The Ethical Slut to community essentials like Love's Not Colorblind and new releases like Radical Relating. I'll be honest: I haven't read every book on the list, and I'm not going to play favorites. But whether you're new to non-monogamy or have been at this for decades, there's something on the list for you.

And for your monogamous friends and family? Supporting Someone Polyamorous: FAQs about Non-Monogamy and Allyship for Family, Friends and Loved Ones makes a great gift 😉

Brett's Picks

Outside of the non-monogamy canon, we also keep a list of "More Books We Love" that have shaped how we think about relationships, organizing, and building a better world. Here are three that have meant a lot to me in recent years:

Matter and Desire: An Erotic Ecology by Andreas Weber

Before founding OPEN, I spent almost a decade working in the environmental nonprofit sector. No book better bridges those chapters of my life than this one. In this poetic, philosophical text, Weber "rewrites ecology as a tender practice of forging relationships." It's a tender, potent exploration of love as a fundamental force shaping the natural world.

Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown

This book changed how I think about organizing. Brown argues that pleasure isn't a distraction from the work of liberation – it's central to it. For those of us building a movement rooted in love, connection, and joy, that framing feels essential. It's part manifesto, part anthology, and makes a compelling case for pleasure as a human right (plus a few ideas for getting there!).

Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities by Rebecca Solnit

I've given this book as a gift to at least half a dozen people in the last few years. Why? *gestures broadly at the world.*

 "Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky," Solnit writes. "It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency." Consider this book an ax assembly and maintenance manual!

Browse our full Non-monogamy Non-fiction and More Books We Lovereading lists here!

Happy reading (and thanks for supporting OPEN while you're at it).

P.S. A generous donor is matching every gift through December 31 – but only if we hit our $20,000 goal. We've still got over $18,000 in matching funds to unlock. Chip in to help us get there!