Might I Recommend… Books for Asexual Awareness Week?

Asexual Awareness Week 2018 is October 21nd-27th! Asexual Awareness Week is an international campaign that seeks to educate about asexual, aromantic, demisexual, and grey-asexual experiences and to create materials that are accessible to our community and our allies around the world.

We out here! I’ve been planning this post for months yes I’m dramatic but of course this would be a bit important to me… Now I know I’m a day early, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Now, a disclaimer: though I do recommend these books, there is no one true interpretation. One book may be interpreted so many different ways. These are just the books that I feel are important.

Dread Nation – Justina Ireland {review}

Though the word isn’t explicitly used, it is discussed and the character in question isn’t shamed for it at all. It also doesn’t hurt that this book in general is very queer friendly and a hundred times badass 😉

 

 

 

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Let’s Talk About Love – Claire Kann {review}

“Love shouldn’t hinge solely on exposing your physical body to another person. Love was intangible. Universal. It was whatever someone wanted it to be and should be respected as such. For Alice, it was staying up late and talking about nothing and everything and anything because you didn’t want to sleep—you’d miss them too much. It was catching yourself smiling at them because wow, how does this person exist?? before they caught you. It was the intimacy of shared secrets. The comfort of unconditional acceptance. It was a confidence in knowing no matter what happened that person would always be there for you.” 

We know this is the ace book of my heart. But the fact that it isn’t about the struggle? And it explores interracial relationships, a biromantic ace main character and is so wonderfully diverse?

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Every Heart A Doorway – Seanan McGuire {review}

“Their love wanted to fix her, and refused to see that she wasn’t broken.”

This book definitely explores how people will try to fix what they don’t understand and how you can figure out who you are, no matter what stage in your life you’re at.

Again, another very queer book with a transsexual side character and possible romantic interest.

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Daughter of the Burning City – Amanda Foody {review}

It’s not a main focus, but the love interest is on the asexual spectrum– demiromantic/asexual and it has an important conversation on boundaries and want they do and don’t want explicitly in text.

This book is also just queer in general, with the main character being bisexual, and a general consensus and damn near everyone is bi.

 

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Sawkill Girls – Claire Legrand {review}

“Do you know how many nights I’ve laid awake wondering what’s wrong with me? Why I can’t enjoy sex like a normal person? […] that asexual people are fundamentally broken—”

“Of course you’re not broken, Zoey,” […] “No one worth a damn actually thinks that. I don’t think that.”

Another black bi-asexual main character, who was in a previous healthy relationship and conversations on what they want… it was just a very sweet relationship and she was my favorite character ❤ .

Now, trigger warning: there is some acephobia in here. Yes, it was very much challenged (quite nicely if I might add), but it still hurt. A lot.

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Summer Bird Blue – Akemi Dawn Bowman {review}

“Mom says I might be a late bloomer, but I’m not so sure. Late implies there’s something that’s still going to happen—  something I don’t fully understand yet.”

The focal theme in this book is very much grief, but Rumi is dealing with questioning her asexuality and how it’s okay not to know. How sexuality is fluid and she had a great support system. I also cried buckets, so be wary of that?

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These are all books I’ve read, but there are so many books coming out this year with the ace/aro rep. that I need… I am now dubbing this year twenty-ace-teen™.

Do you have any recommendations for me? I’m always on the lookout for good ace/aro rep!