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Ace Your Bookshelf

Editorial Staff April 4, 2021

We live in a world where we are surrounded by media. It has the power to anchor our sense of how we fit into society when we see characters that look and act like us. It also has the power to shape how society see us, as others often base their ideas of marginalized groups off of what they see in the media.

Representation makes us feel visible. We feel relieved knowing that there are other people who are like us, somewhere out there and that we are not the only one who experiences life the way we do. More diverse media representation for queer identities helps to de-stigmatize and normalize all intersections of identities to create a more inclusive world for all. Many of us who are aro/ace, especially young people, often won’t realise it for so long because asexuality tends to get left out of 2SLGBTQIA+ representation and when it is included, many representations often perpetuate the narrative that non-sexual activity is taboo. There are entire movies that revolve around characters being pressured to engage in dating or sexual activity in order to adhere to societal norms or in the case of House that something is medically wrong. Often all the representation is only white, further erasing asexual people of colour.

Every asexual person feels relieved when they finally get a word to describe how they feel. It can take years of struggle,  search, denial, and, finally, acceptance to realise that a person is asexual. Representation in media, when it is  written in positive terms that challenge us to reconceive our definitions of sexual normalcy is incredibly important.

Here's a list of books to help make your bookshelf a little more inclusive and educate you further if you are an ally, and if you are questioning/ asexual, I hope that you can have that moment of seeing yourself and feeling a little less alone in these books.

Non-Fiction

Ace

What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through life not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about gender roles, about romance and consent, and the pressures of society?

Genre: Non-Fiction
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The Invisible Orientation

Julie Sondra Decker’s book functions as a starting point for people interested in asexuality. It covers the basics of what asexuality is and isn’t, explores the most common issues asexual people may be dealing with, presents some pointers for newly asexual-identified people and the people who love them, and includes some resources to find out more. It’s for the layperson, written in everyday language.
Genre: Non-Fiction
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How to Be Ace

"When I was in school, everyone got to a certain age where they became interested in talking about only one thing: boys, girls and sex. Me though? I was only interested in comics."

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Fiction

Every Heart a Doorway

NO SOLICITATION
NO VISITORS
NO QUESTS

When is a door not a door? When it's a gateway to adventure: when it's the portal that leads you from a world where you never quite fit in to the place where you've always belonged, where you've always wanted to be. When it is the conduit to everything you need to be happy.

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City of Strife

A hundred and thirty years have passed since Arathiel last set foot in his home city. Isandor hasn’t changed—bickering merchant families still vie for power through eccentric shows of wealth—but he has. His family is long dead, a magical trap has dulled his senses, and he returns seeking a sense of belonging now long lost.

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The Sound of Stars

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world's population. Humanity's fate now rests in the hands of an alien Ellie should fear, but M0Rr1S has a potential solution-thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous journey with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.
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The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy

A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school.

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Two Snakes

Kristin Li

An experimental animation and documentary about diasporic desires for foundational myths. Seeking a home in reclaimed ancestry and seeking a self in reappropriated narratives and finding fragments instead.

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Let's Talk About Love

Claire Kann

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting--working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan?

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Loveless

It was all sinking in. I’d never had a crush on anyone. No boys, no girls, not a single person I had ever met. What did that mean?

Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.

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The Cybernetic Tea Shop

Clara Gutierrez is a highly-skilled technician specializing in the popular 'Raise' AI companions. Her childhood in a migrant worker family has left her uncomfortable with lingering in any one place, so she sticks around just long enough to replenish her funds before she moves on, her only constant companion Joanie, a fierce, energetic Raise hummingbird.
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Asexual Fairy Tales

Almost everyone knows the familiar fairy tale ending: the prince marries the princess and they live happily ever after. Or do they?

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Food for Queers Community Program

Food for Queers
Stay Safe. Not Hungry

Providing support for 2SLGBTQ+ folks experiencing food insecurities within the city of London

No questions. No contact. Just Support!

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