Twenty-Five Reasons Why a Girl Who Loves Jane Austen Can Also Love Fifty Shades of Grey: My Life, in Lists

 1. You go a lot faster and a lot longer on the stairmaster if you're reading it.

2. You have a whole new perspective--and appreciation--for elevators.

3. And silver ties.

4. Suddenly, women everywhere are considering "dirty" sex as a not-so-dirty-thing.

5. Every woman wants to spend some time with a hot guy who is completely enraptured by her, gets aroused just looking at her, and wants to give her the world.

6. It gives you great stuff to talk about with your girls (and, if you're lucky, your husband).

7. It might propel you to try something you've never done before.

8. Floggers and handcuffs and crops...oh my!

9. Toys no longer seem like a bad idea, a threat, or icky to women everywhere.

10. Women who would never have set foot in a sex shop are suddenly flocking to them for girls' night out (or at least secretly ordering online).

11. You get a crash course in classical music.

12. Book Two.

13. It makes women think about sex, and when women think about sex, their partners get more of it, and when their partners get more of it, the relationship gets better.

14. It brings you in touch with your inner goddess.

15. It will make you rethink using that extra room as a playroom for the kids.

16. After a whole day thinking about deadlines and/or lunchboxes and/or laundry and/or bills and/or groceries and/or sippy cups and/or running the world, it's nice to just stop and think about sex (and romance, of course).

17. It reminds women that it's totally okay to be sexual.

18. It serves as evidence that "kinky f*ckery" AND romantic, loving sex do not have to be mutually exclusive (and sometimes can even occur on the same day..maybe even in the same room!).

19. Women around the world are strengthening their pelvic floor muscles (courtesy of The Silver Balls).

20. It's making women speak honestly and openly (read: no shame) about sex.

21. You realize that the work day goes by much quicker when you are engaging in witty sexual banter via email (or at least text).

22. Because even though Anastasia Steele's lack of self esteem drove us crazy (a lot), we could all relate to it (at least a little), and we loved that when she needed to, she'd kick a guy in the crotch or jump on a jet ski.

23. It's a total escape from life.

24. So you can be in the know when everyone around you is saying stuff like "Laters, baby," and "We aim to please," and "My breath hitched."

25. It's fun!!!