I know, it's almost August.  What have I been reading?  For one, I have read J.D. Robb's "In Death" series. I am on number 10, Witness in Death.  Eve and Roark have a lot of very passionate sex, described in some detail. I really don't see how this is different than the sex in 50 Shades of Grey, a book which has over 500 holds in my library system. As a matter of fact, Christian Grey looks and acts (in the book) a lot like Roark.  I think there are two things that make 50 Shades stand out:

1. The book made the rounds among the New York set, and gained the attention of the national media, and
2. Robb's "In Death" series is on it's 35th book.  The first book, Naked in Death, was first published in 1995.  Although set in the future, there's a reference to the twin towers in book 9, Loyalty in Death.

The "in death" series has been very popular over the years.  I just started reading it lately because I was looking for some light reading, and could get the first one for $7.99 on my Nook.  Most of the earlier ones are available on Nook for this price.

What makes the "In Death" series better than 50 Shades is the future setting and the plots.  Robb's (Nora Roberts) plotting is intricate, but not confusing.  Her characters are "real" - as real as they get in fictional police procedurals.  Peabody and her sexual conquests are priceless.  She is the foil to Eve Dallas - Peabody likes to eat, have sex, and get some sleep.  Eve denies herself these human needs when she is working on a case.  She refuses to stop long enough to eat or sleep in her drive to find the killer.  Roark is her savior - without him, she would probably collapse.  His ability to utilize his super-advanced technology and questionably legal methods contrast with the police's slow moving and outdated computing ability. 

I would recommend these for leisure reading for anyone.