5 Books to Learn About Asexuality

Ace, grey-ace, sex-neutral, sex-averse, demisexual–there is a lot to learn if you want to learn about asexuality. I'm of the mind that there are few better ways to learn than reading a good book. Luckily, there are some excellent ace books out there for you to learn from. In the last couple of years there have been a particular surge of both fiction and nonfiction feature ace voices. I've chosen to focus on nonfiction in this article, with another to come about asexual representation in fiction.

This article would be excellent for those questioning their identities, parents who want to understand more about their ace child, and anyone looking to learn more about the roughly 1% of the population that identifies on the ace spectrum.

1. Ace Voices: What It Means to Be Asexual, Aromantic, Demi or Grey-Ace

by Eris Young

The asexual spectrum is broad and full of so many types of people with different levels of ace-ness. Ace Voices is the perfect encapsulation of that, giving you a brief look at different asexual people and their life experiences so you can start to learn about the spectrum. This is an easy read that's an excellent starting point if you want to learn about asexuality.

Get a copy here

2. Ace: What Asexuality Reveals about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex

by Angela Chen

This book is particularly close to my heart, both because I found it to be a quality read and because it was published through the Unitarian Universalist church (which is the church I grew up in). Chen uses her journey with her asexuality to explore larger societal issues and observations. It's short, engaging, and has an excellent audiobook. When asked for an informative ace recommendation, I always point here first.

Get a copy here

3. Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture

by Sherronda J. Brown

Examining the connections between asexuality and race is incredibly important. The way white aces experience their sexuality doesn't speak for everyone, and you should always broaden your horizons and seek knowledge from a variety of people. Not to mention, this book is an easy read, incredibly well-written, and offers excellent insight into asexuality. This could easily be your first ace read or your tenth–just make sure it's on your list.

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4. The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality

by Julie Sondra Decker

It's a (relatively) old nonfiction but a classic. It does exactly what the title says–it introduces asexuality. As a researcher, I'm a big fan of relying on recent research, but The Invisible Orientation has held up. Making it one of your first ace reads is an excellent idea, and be sure to supplement this information with more recent releases.

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5. I Am Ace: Advice on Living Your Best Asexual Life

by Cody Daigle-Orians

While I Am Ace is an informative read for anyone, I would particularly recommend this one for people who think they might be asexual. It's catered towards ace individuals and not a general audience, so while you'll definitely learn something about the asexual people in your life, the real value comes from learning how to live your best asexual life (which can sometimes be the hardest part–I would know!).

Get a copy here

I encourage you to use this post as a starting point before exploring the a-spec resources online and seeking out more nonfiction books. "Asexuality" encompasses so many different types of people, so it's always better to learn as much as you can instead of relying on one source of information.

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