YourTango had some great sex this year. That is, we published some great sex stories. (We had some excellent between-the-sheets time as well, but we'll save that discussion for another time...)

In 2008 we learned about the female happy ending massage (they exist, but you have to know where to look); how to keep your sex life strong when you've got wee ones running around (domesticity it seems, can kill your sex drive); sex parties—from the perspective of club owners and a first-time party-goer, (they're both more and less scandalous than you think); the male orgasm (they sometimes fake it!); anal sex (don't like it? you might be doing it wrong); and masturbation (because what's a year in sex without an exploration of, to paraphrase Woody Allen, sex with someone you love?). Below, in alphabetical order, YourTango's best sex of 2008.

A Girl's Guide to Anal Sex
Get the goods on joining the backdoor betty club.

Dr. Hilda Hutcherson loves sex toys, believes the world is much too pornophobic, and thinks more women should give anal sex a try. In other words, she's the gynecologist every guy wants his girlfriend to meet.

Women who don't enjoy anal sex, she says, are probably doing it wrong. Intrigued, I scheduled an 8 am consultation with the doctor to get the goods on joining the backdoor betty club. Read the interview here.

Are Sex Parties The New Vibrator?
What happens when a virgin partygoer spends a Saturday night swinging?

I walk down the street, passing clumps of smokers spilling from nearby nightclubs, looking for the private address I'd been given earlier. It takes two passes to find the right place, and then a friendly face at the door asks my name. I feel a sudden desire to whisper a pass phrase, like "melba toast" or "caffeine jitters," but instead I step inside and climb the long wooden stairway so typical of San Francisco's Victorian flats. Read the rest here.

Esther Perel Key To A Sexy Marriage
The secret to a happy marriage, as described by a wise sex therapist.

In this video, couples therapist and author Esther Perel discusses her book, Mating in Captivity, which helps couples reconcile the domestic and the erotic. Watch the video here.

Female Happy Ending Massage
Satisfaction guaranteed? One writer finds out, firsthand.

Chances are you’ve heard the story: an unmarked door leads to a dimly-lit massage parlor where women with strong hands and tolerant smiles await a train of libidinous male patrons. The "happy ending" tale is all too common, a mixture of truth and urban legend that captivates male imaginations even in an age of casual sex and unlimited Internet porn. Read the rest here.

How To Have Sex In Public
A guide to quickies outdoors or in a bar can be quite fun.

Seventy percent of both women and men fantasize  about it. Some are turned on by the risk of getting caught; others simply want the novelty of taking the bedroom show on the road. You may want a springtime romp in a field of flowers or a quickie in a bar bathroom, but in the end, sex in public—like real estate—is all about one thing: location location location. Read the rest here.

Inside An NYC Sex Club
The founders of NYC sex party Chemistry reveal what goes on behind closed doors.

Meet KennyBlunt and SheilaMonster—a sexually adventurous married couple with a shared appreciation for Burning Man and burlesque. Frustrated with the limitations of the traditional "swinging" scene they experienced at sex parties, the duo formed an exclusive N.Y.C. sex party called Chemistry. The couple place ambiance at a premium—Chemistry books burlesque acts and "awesome" DJs for the event—and its locale in rented Brooklyn loft spaces is both elegant and welcoming. "People can walk in jeans and sneakers or tuxedos and be equally comfortable," says Sheila. YourTango sat down with Kenny and Sheila to discuss the party, the meaning of "lifestyle," and the ways sex clubs can rev up your sex life. Read the interview here.

My Computer Made Me Gay
A computer game introduces one woman to bisexual experimentation—and a girlfriend.

"I see an exciting adventure in your future, a new sexual experience that forever changes you," she said, tracing the sole of my foot with one soft fingertip. Her husband grinned at me from the bed. I sat half-naked in the overstuffed armchair and trembled with nerves. Read the rest here.

The Myth of the Male Orgasm
Believe it or not, men sometimes fake it too.

My friend Alex's "first time" story is rather typical: equal parts awkwardness and pleasure finishing with a big, faked orgasm.

"At some point I realized that as pleasant as the sensation was, this particular stroking motion from intercourse wasn't going to lead me to an orgasm," Alex explains. "So when it seemed like the right time, I grimaced, made some appropriate noises, and no one was the wiser." Read the rest here.

Self Pleasure For Beginners
Tips and advice to make sex with your favorite person even better: a how-to masturbation guide.

It doesn't matter that masturbation is the safest and possibly most satisfying sex you can have, when it comes to a ménage a moi, lots of ladies (and men) are still in the closet.  For starters, let's applaud the fact that we're not living in the Victorian era, when women were restricted from riding bicycles and horses, and some from sewing and squatting, lest they get too excited. Read the rest here.

Sex & The Curvy Girl
How overweight women manage sex, love—and stereotypes.

Last month during an intimate girls' night in, I publicly posed the question that many overweight women wonder but never say aloud: "Is someone only going to marry me to get US citizenship?"

I don't mean to knock cross-cultural love, but the fear I'd always had confronted me a few days before. A woman I knew—a good-looking gal with a great job and also about a hundred excess pounds—just got engaged to a weird-looking guy who I don't think speaks English. Read the rest here.