Insatiable MP3 CD – Unabridged, August 9, 2016

This is actually my second go-round with this book. I received a copy of it when it first came out as an ARC and felt like rereading it, so I bought a copy not too long ago when it went on sale and decided to revisit INSATIABLE. When I first read this book I was in my mid-twenties and easily shocked. Now I'm, well, not. In my twenties or easily shocked. In fact, I was able to read through all of the grittier portions of this book while eating, gory details and all.I've read a couple other memoirs by adult film stars, most recently Linda Lovelace and Jenna Jameson, and I feel like their stories were a lot sadder and it seemed like they had more regrets about getting into the business. Asa Akira, on the other hand, enthusiastically loves her job and unequivocally embraces her sexuality, which makes this memoir fun to read and, I guess, makes her very popular with her fans. She writes about her wild but happy upbringing, and about her parents, who seem bewildered with her career choice but still try to be supportive. But the bulk of the memoir is about sex work and being an actress in adult film.Since I'm hoping to cross post this to Amazon, I can't go too into detail in this review, but let's just say that too much detail doesn't seem to be a phrase that exists in Ms. Akira's vocabulary. She is remarkably open about everything, whether it's about catching an STD on set, her stress about developing cystic acne, or what it was like dating and being married to another adult film star. She's not PC at all but it adds to, rather than detracts from, her charm, and I found her candor refreshing. Especially since she talks so much about an industry that is largely hush hush. I found it fascinating to learn about the hierarchy of different adult film actors/roles, what clean-up looks like on set, and what it takes to become successful in the types of role(s) she had.Sex work is something that is still largely stigmatized in the U.S. so it's great to see a memoir that tackles the subject without (m)any regrets. It's a job, ultimately, and like most jobs, you won't get very far if you aren't a consummate (pun intended) professional. I think it's also important to note that people working in adult film seem to have fans with major boundary issues. She talks about an upsetting incident in an airport where a fan touched her inappropriately; I was watching an interview on Cracked with adult film stars and a lot of them talked about how people (mistakenly) assume that since porn actors make movies where their bodies are on display, that means they're basically fair game. I am sure that there are a lot of similar #MeToo stories about women (and men) working in adult film, and people need to understand that this really is NOT okay. That these men and women are doing a job and whether they're on or off the clock, consent matters, and being unclothed is not a substitute for consent.Overall, this was just a really, really good memoir. I think I actually enjoyed reading it more this second time around than I did the first time. Asa Akira is a really interesting woman with a really interesting job and I feel like she'd be super fun to sit down and have drinks with because I bet she has the BEST stories. I can't wait to pick up her other memoir.4 out of 5 stars

Asa is crass and bold and explicit, and often very funny. I'm not sure how true this memoir was, and I cringed a few times, but I also found her relatable at some points, and admired how unapologetic she portrayed herself as. I'm docking one star because the memoir felt a bit slapdash, though-- it felt like random bits all jumbled together on the fly. Chapter 14 was just a year+ of Asa's diary!

Fun read!! Interesting for many reasons. Her delivery is spot on. Love to hear what happens inside pornography and the AVN show

First off, let me start by saying that I have always been a fan of Asa Akira's work. She brings a genuine enthusiasm to each of her performances that helps lift whatever she is doing to levels way about what her colleagues in the industry produce. With this book I was hoping to discover who the "real" Asa is, not the porn industry pin-up we have all come to know. In that regard I'm not so sure this book succeeds. Instead, it reads more like a long-form faux porn star interview like the ones that used to take up space between photo spreads in the porn mags of my youth. You know, how the porn star in question can't get get enough of sex, on or off screen, loves being controlled by dominant men, loves all kinds of sex (anal, oral, one-on-one, group, same sex, different sex, dominatrix, submissive), has no issues, no demons in her background, is in no way being exploited, nothing that would derail our fantasies of a sexy vixen.Yes, I think her on screen enthusiasm is something not easily faked and I'm sure she is enjoying her chosen career path (good for her, no apologies - I like that), but I can't believe that life in the porn industry doesn't come with some kind of baggage, emotional or otherwise. But don't expect to find any of that here (again, why derail the fantasy?) Asa seems to scratch only the surface of her life and career with this autobiography. She talks about how she is not like other women in the industry (50% by her count) who are addicted to drugs or controlled by boyfriends cum pimps (pun intended). Still, she admits that she spent the majority of her life hooked on various pharmaceuticals (she is clean now, she insists). She recounts how she was one of the most promiscuous girls in her school and frequently engaged in shoplifting when not hanging out with friends getting high, but no underlying issues there, thanks. She says she is not controlled by any man, but one of the last chapters describes a session of rather rough sex she had with her husband hours before the Adult AVN awards in Las Vegas (but, she insists, she liked it and deserved it because she was acting crazy). So, you know, your average girl-gets-everything-she-wants story.I'm sure there is a real good tale (tail?) here somewhere, but it is either too painful or too bothersome for Asa to address honestly. Her traditional Japanese parents are clearly distraught with her career choice, but Asa never delves into how she feels about this beyond saying "we don't talk about it". There is one scene in the book where her mother finds Asa's high school diary which recounts her sexual escapades, already numerous by that age. Crying, Asa's mother confronts her and asks where she went wrong as a parent. Asa basically changes the subject. She had two abortions (one of them very painful), but gives each of them short schrift; her battle with cystic acne got more ink and seemingly had a bigger impact on her. She literally says at one point in the book that her biggest regret in life is not convincing her parents to produce a sibling for her. That's her biggest regret?!?!?! Really?!?!Again, despite what may seem like a negative review, I really enjoyed the book, but was starving for more. I read right through it in a few sittings and had a big smile on my face the whole time. But, I couldn't help thinking there is a whole other side to Asa that she is unwilling, or at this point in her life (she is still young at 28) unable to comes to terms with, let alone talk about. Maybe in 10 years or so we will see another book from her that is a bit more honest.

as a child she attended private schools and had a lot of time unsupervised by parents. from her tween years, she was sexually active, a shoplifter, and a user of drugs, activities, with the exception of shoplifting, that became adult habits. she chose to become a sex worker, sexual activity always pleasurable for her. as a porn actor, she specialized in anal sex, built a successful fan base, won awards, and directed.this is her memoir written shortly after her marriage to a porn actor and as a new mother. at the writing, she’s still in the business, with no regrets, not on the brink of a religious conversion.entertaining, funny anecdotes about the business and members of the industry, a closed knitted family. a quick read. there are graphic scenes, written more for a fan base reading for titillation. as a sexpert, an insider, she fails to reach readers seriously interested in porn and sexual behavior. no tips on sexual hygiene, how to better perform various sexual activities, or writing of more physically detailed sexual activities instead of glosses.

Interesting book.Compared to 'Girlvert', I would say that Asa Akira's book is much more pro-porn and unapologetic about it.However, she sounds like a strong, goal minded individual, who takes her career seriously (and professionally), and you cannot help but admire her for that.Part love story (she met her husband in the industry) and part factual (about the porn industry) - the story she tells about her assault in LA Airport (by a fan of all people), illustrates that porn stars (like everyone else) should be treated with the same respect that you would expect your self to be treated with

Apart from Girlvert I would say this is one of the best books about porn that there is. Its funny , dirty and maybe not a book to read whilst having you lunch especially if its beetroot. Whether you would want to do all that Asa has done to be body doesn't matter , its a very honest and pro sex book.I liked her.

I enjoyed this book as it wasn't the usual apologetic story of how the person became involved in porn due to abuse, drugs etc. rather it was someone who made a career choice and set about making the most of that career. There is one passage that depicts the sex she had with her then boyfriend prior the AVN awards that I found unbelievable, but I suspect that this was being used as a 'metaphor' for her porn career as a whole.

very enlightening insight into the life of a porn star,who obviously enjoys the life she chose.Having seen several of her films Asa is a very versatile and sexy lady,and a hell of a turn on and this book reflects her enthusiasm for the better run porn studios.

Such a well written relateable and impressive book that takes on difficult subject matter with ease and a humble yet charismatic flair. Masterful writing from an unlikely yet amazing source. A brilliant read by one the most well liked and often overloooked women in the world.