Author:Katie Collins
'He planted his big arms on the bed on either side of me, and I wanted him to take control – I wanted him to be the boss…'
Katie Collins went from being a shy, excluded teenager to the youngest, naughtiest and most popular woman on the Dublin sex scene. Her journey began before she was even 16, stripping on a webcam for an audience of strangers. By her late teens she was exploring the thrill of being a submissive, finding herself centre stage in 50-strong orgies, having sex with ten men in one night; being chained, whipped and spanked; and living a day to day life unimaginable to most women.
But as her uncontrollable sexual desires begin to consume her, Katie has to question whether her extreme behaviour is really an expression of sexual liberation, or something more troubling.
Brutally honest, Can You Keep a Secret? is a page-turning true story of one woman’s journey from innocence to experience.
I love James Bailey's book. Right from the first page, I was riveted by his compelling, honest account of that intense part of his life. The book is fraught with wonderfully unique encounters. I recommend it to anyone and everyone
—— Mel Brooks, film director and screenwriterIf you have a functioning heart and like to laugh, take this book home. You are sure to connect
—— Brian Reilly, film producerA vivid memoir
—— Daily TelegraphA very funny, profound, soul-searching account of James' emotional journey . . . the story sits somewhere between The Catcher in the Rye and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
—— BizarreAmazing! As hilarious as it is gripping. Our generation's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
—— Mary Janice Davidson, bestselling authorI love James's book! It completely captivated with wonderful and funny moments about the life and times of an OCD sufferer. Everyone should read it
—— Michael Lionello Cowan, film producerI found it funny with many interesting moments
—— Barry Levinson, film producer and directorIt is no wonder that Mel Brooks is a long-time friend and admirer of Bailey's writing. Maybe there's even a film character in the making
—— Bath ChronicleThe particular strength of Bailey's book is that he is not afraid to show himself as deeply unpleasant
—— Mail on SundayBailey's vivid sense of humour means he relates his story with a knowing sense of the absurd . . . illuminating
—— Daily MailA wonderful memoir
—— Daily TelegraphIn a book that is partly a popular science treatise and partly a self-help manual... he interweaves life stories and clinical evidence in an engaging and informative manner... He is grappling with one of the most important questions for our times
—— Joanna Bourke , Times Higher EducationIn his 2007 book Musicophilia, psychiatrist Oliver Sacks warned that although neuroscience offers exciting insights, 'there is always a certain danger that the simple art of observation may be lost, that clinical description may become perfunctory, and the richness of the human context ignored'. Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, UK, rises to the challenge in his latest book by combining basic science and clinical observation in an attempt to explain human cruelty... We should take Baron-Cohen's accessible book as an invitation to leave the comforts of smaller, more tractable problems in a genuine attempt to address larger social issues
—— Stephanie Preston , Nature