A book all about asexuality yes please! I love to see type of representation becoming more accessible to readers. It’s something I hope we continue to see more of in the future.

a useful book for those looking to find out about asexuality and asexuals looking for a book with which they may find they can relate to. it should be criminal to have barely any useful books about asexuality.

I'm very happy that Jessica Kingsley publishing is committed to uplifting ace voices and publishing more literature in this scope.

There are some fantastic aspects to this book that bring new material to the table, such as the ace community, symbols, history. The book steps aside from simply being a beginner's guide to asexuality (aka here's the split attraction model and what it means in all its variations).

Instead, Ace Notes makes a conscious effort to explore all and as many aspects of asexuality as possible. Written in an accessible, chatty tone, it is certainly a great, lighthearted contribution to ace literature. For me, the structure of the book felt very loose and as if it were trying to cover too many topics at once. This meant that depth was sacrificed for breadth and scope at times.

I'd recommend it to anyone who already has an understanding of asexuality and wants to read a more chatty perspective on what it is to live as ace. Thanks to Jessica Kingsley and Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is a very good book for the aspec people that need it. It's great how there's more ace books coming out these past years because when I came out as ace, there was a serious lack of information (I literally got my information from Tumblr). So grateful for this book and I hope that future aspec people will find comfort in reading a book like this!

Great starting point for folks looking to begin their journey learning about the aspec community. However if looking for a deeper dive, look elsewhere. Worth a read for aspec folk but would want more for educating outside of the community.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a very casual book, like you are having a natural conversation with someone, which was one of its strengths.

This is a good book if you just want to learn more about what it means to be ace or if you need tips, or if you just want to read a book that has ace rep.

I related to so much of this book but also learned some things. My favorite part was the interview with Maia Kobabe.

I liked the quotes throughout the book to explain things in further details, like the metaphors that were used. I also really enjoyed all the quotes from different people at the back of the book. Also the addition to different symbols ace people may use so people can be educated on that.

I liked that art was included in the book and how the interviews were formatted!

It was nice to see that the author interviewed people of different races as well so it wasn’t just one point of view that we were getting a narrative on. I thought the author asked very good questions, prompting the people she was interviewing to expand on things they spoke about.

There was lots of reassurance in this book that you aren’t broken if you are ace, and how to deal with people who are acephobic. For people who struggle with that or have struggled with that in the past, it is a good thing to have written so hopefully people can find comfort in it. That people are not alone.

The author talked about religion and how it connected to her being ace, which I thought was a really nice touch. She also interviewed someone as well who talked about their perspective of balancing their religion and being ace, which I thought was a great addition to the book.

One thing to note, it messed up the quote from “The Incredibles.” Dash did say something along those lines but so did Syndrome, and what was written wasn’t a direct quote from either of them. They both said it differently than the quote was written in the book. Maybe that was fixed in the final copy, but that was something I wanted to point out!

I think anyone should give this book a read, even if they are not ace themselves. It is very informative, you get different perspectives from all walks of life, and it is an easy read!

Another in the slate of ace-focused books released recently by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, who through NetGalley provided me with an eARC that I am finally getting around to reviewing! Ace Notes: Tips and Tricks on Existing in an Allo World by Michele Kirichanskaya is a kind of how-to guide for being asexual in a world that privileges sexual attraction and desire. It’s not prescriptive (as Kirichanskaya notes, there is no one right way to be ace!) but it is very thoughtful. There are two stand-out features of this book: in-depth interviews with other ace-spec people and a very holistic consideration of how asexuality extends beyond the world of sex.

All of the ace books I have read recently have, in one way or another, dispensed advice to their audience. This book takes it one step further in that it is meant to be an advice book. The chapter titles, such as “How to Identify an Asexual” or “Explaining the Different Types of Attraction,” reflect this. And whereas the other titles could, in theory, be useful for an allosexual reader, this book’s audience is definitely ace-spec people. This is a book for us, and it’s great.

A great deal of what Kirichanskaya covers doesn’t apply to me personally, mostly because I have been out basically since I knew to use the words ace and asexual. That isn’t to discount the value in this book for baby aces but instead meant to highlight what I want to say next, which is that I still found, as an older person who is comfortable talking about her asexuality, a great deal of new perspectives on these pages.

In particular, Kirichanskaya has a whole part of the book devoted to “Religion and Identity”—including chapters discussing asexuality and Judaism. As someone who is not Jewish, this is honestly not something that I had ever thought about! So much of the conversation around religion and asexuality in the West revolves around Christianity, and specifically the ideas of purity culture that have come out of Christianity. A lot of ace talk is about how to distinguish asexuality from celibacy, how to push back against purity culture, how to push back against the idea that we should want or have sex to be fruitful and multiply, etc. Reading chapters about asexuality and another one of the world’s major religious and ethnic identities was so cool and refreshing. It makes me think about how I need to seek out some perspectives from Muslim aces as well.

Speaking of perspective, Kirichanskaya also interviews many prominent ace personalities. I hadn’t heard all of these names before but suspect many will be recognizable to people who pick up this book. The interviews are dispersed throughout the book based on where they best fit within the book’s larger organization. This is a really nice strategy that breaks up the flow of Kirichanskaya’s writing. Each interview allows Kirichanskaya to elucidate understandings of asexuality that she might not have been able to discuss as eloquently or authentically herself.

One of the interviews was with Maia Kobabe, whose book Gender Queer sounds so good I might actually read it one day despite my deep aversion to graphic novels at the moment. Eir interview resonated with me because e and Kiranskaya talk about how transitioning can sometimes affect the labels one uses for one’s sexuality. People have asked me if coming out as trans means I’m not ace any more, something I addressed in a blog post a few years ago. I really like how Kobabe and Kirichanskaya discuss this idea (spoiler: the answer is not one-size-fits-all!).

This book is well worth picking up if you are ace or thinking you might fall somewhere on the ace spectrum and want a volume that, rather than explaining asexuality to you, helps you think about what that will look like in your life. It asks you to consider what you want out of this label, what it means for how you relate to yourself and others, and what you want to do going forward. This focus on action rather than introspection is not for everyone, but it is a great complement to the other books this publisher has put out recently. I recommend.

I received an ARC and I’m leaving an honest review.

It’s a book for everyone looking to learn about the basics of asexuality, but don't get me wrong— when I say "basics", I don't mean superficial information about just the main usual points. This book does an amazing job in including many topics and many different voices, highlighting the importance and influence that intersectionality has on a person's identity.
It’s mostly a collection of quotes, metaphors and posts made by other people, with an addition of comments and in-depth analysis by the author.
I really appreciated the interviews and the triggers warnings for the specific chapters.

There were quite a few typos and grammatical mistakes in the book, that I hope they fixed in the final version, and the choice of order of sections sometimes felt a little odd (for example: the choice of having the interviews scattered around the book instead of all together in a specific chapter).

Ace non-fiction by, and for, ace people, is a gift. Filled with advice and insight for aspec folks - from lists and tips, to interviews and art, to help one navigate this allocentric world -, it was refreshing to have an ace book that felt this validating and welcoming. It touches on many topics, and explains everything to a t so that nobody misses out.

I really liked this one!

Tldr: easy to read ace 101 book with some different topics from other non-fiction ace books with a Jewish perspective (own voice)

Cw: Aphobia scattered throughout with warnings at the appropriate chapters, minor mentions of SA & partner violence.


I'm really bad at getting through non-fiction books. I enjoy them, but they don't grab me like fiction. I really like how this one was organized. There were chunks of information, some illustrations, and some interviews. The switch between these kept my brain focused, and I could read it in bugger chunks than other non-fiction books. Also, the author is a giant nerd, and there are many different Fandoms thrown in here, which made my nerd heart happy.

The topics highlighted in this book are:
Ace Basics: what it is, looking through an ace lens, how to come out, ace symbols, etc

Sexual and Romantic Attracrion: different attraction types, marriage, aromanticiam, etc

Sexual intimacy: feelings about sex, consent, sex Ed, fanfiction, etc

Delving deeper: Queer, Gold Star Aces, Aphobia, repression, medical practices

Religion and identity: aceness in relation to judisim and other religions

Conclusion: Labels, quotes, symbols, reading recommendations

My favorite sections of this book were the conversations about sex Ed, religion, and the conclusion. I have read several other non-fiction ace books this year, and these are topics not highlighted in other books. I also enjoyed the interviews with other aspecs. 

The author also had lovely examples of trying to explain what asexuality is like to people who don't get it. There was even a science one, which is a nice change from the usual food comparisons. You'll have to read it if you want to know what I'm talking about!

Overall, this was a really good read. It can be a good first aspec introduction book or for someone who is firm in their identity and just wants to dig a bit deeper.

Ace Notes is a well-rounded introduction to aceness. It touches on definitions, the split attraction model, and just generally how to exist in an aggressively allosexual world. Written in a casual style, this title is very accessible. Bonus points for including an interview with ace icon Maia Kobabe!

My review will include some comparisons to Sounds Fake But Okay and Ace and Aro Journeys, which may be unfair. However, comparisons seem inevitable with all three books coming from the same publisher in the same year. This book is even better than Sounds Fake But Okay and fills in some gaps I found in that text. They are similar in that both texts examine multiple topics of interest to aspec individuals and how to navigate them. However, Ace Notes brings in more depth in its discussions and clear, relevant citations. It references some key texts related to asexuality and includes interviews with several prominent ace individuals, which allows readers to gain more resources to explore. The history and literature review related to aspec individuals is not as detailed or clearly referenced as in Ace and Aro Journeys, but they are more personalized with the interviews. I think all three texts are good, though useful for different information and purposes. Sounds Fake But Okay seems the most introductory text and perhaps the most approachable with its focus on personal stories and overviews. Ace Notes adds more depth with its multiple interviews from key aspec individuals and referenced texts and is a good resource for someone needing more than the basics.

"Why do we need ace stories? Because we’ve tried ace silence, and we’re over it."

A wonderful book filled with advice and interviews about being Ace in a world where being ace isn't seen as 'the norm'

I found this book really insightful as an ace person myself and reading the different interviews opened my eyes a bit more. I found myself agreeing and seeing myself in some of these pages and it was a truly great feeling.

Would definitely recommend!

A useful primer if you think you might be asexual and have never read anything about it before. However, "Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex" by Angela Chen is much more nuanced and "I am Ace" by Cody Daigle-Orians is much more affirming. Many of the interviews are rather clunky. STILL, asexuality suffers from a lack of representation and most people are wholly unaware of the information in this book. It serves it's purpose.

This book is a fairly comprehensive guide to asexuality. It covers everything from definitions to the intersections of asexuality and other identities to what symbols represent the asexual community. It gives a range of perspectives and experiences and has a fun exploration on experiences with and feelings about asexuality. But it also contains a lot of resources for ace people, including books, podcasts, and a very thorough citation section. I loved the section on consent and relationship navigation for those on the ace spectrum, because it was so thoughtfully done and inclusive.

This book is awesome for anyone who is exploring asexuality, has an ace loved one, allies, or just wants to support or learn about the asexual community. As a person who is established in the asexuality community and label, this book was less helpful for me, but is an amazing resource for those first exploring asexuality.

Parent’s guide:
Sex & Nudity: mild-moderate (discussion about sex, consent, sexual assault, masturbation, sexual expression)
Violence & Gore: mild
Profanity: mild
Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: mild
Frightening & Intense Scenes: mild (acephobia is discussed)

Read from February 15th, 2023 to March 21st, 2023. Written on March 21st, 2023.

Ace Notes is a new LGBTQIA+ Non Fiction (Adult) book about the Ace community and all its amazing people and characteristics. The author uses personal experiences, interviews, talks about religion, discrimination, how to fit in and how to "stand out" and above all, she helps all aces in how to navigate life and having fun doing so.

This book really taught me new things, made me laugh and made me emotional and overall it was a brilliant read that I truly believe all ace (or not!) folks would enjoy!

Amazingly divided, educational, interesting and captivating, Ace Notes came out today so make sure to go check it out! Thank you to the author and the publisher for allowing me this ARC!

Signing off,
B.

(Free ARC from NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers that I chose to review after reading)

Ace Notes' major accomplishment is the inclusion of interviews from folkx in the ace world; it's worth reading alone for those and the book/media resources of aspec authors and characters.

On the whole, this book is conversational and can be of value to people coming to terms with awareness of their ace identity, and for those who love them.

Throughout the seven individual parts of the book, author Michele Kirichanskaya covers everything from offering definitions of common terms to resources and organizations to find more information to interviews with key players in the movement to understand what it means to be asexual. It truly does, as the subtitle suggests, offer tips to asexuals on how to exist in a society that normally caters to a more sexual being - from ways to identify other aces in public or in LGBTQ+ spaces to how to deal with instances of aphobia from strangers and/or family members to recommendations for asexual representations in different types of media. I think Michele does a great job of finding the balance between offering an informative lens about asexuality as a topic to be discussed and delving into the more personal aspects of this sexuality, and what it means for her to be an ace individual, that other readers can relate to. There were a few highlights in particular that I wanted to cover in my review. The first was the discussion surrounding fanfiction. I loved the conversation around fanfiction being an outlet for people to explore their fantasies, sexual or otherwise, in a relatively safe space. For aces in particular, it gives some the ability to find their comfort level of exposure to sexual media, because not all aces are sex-repulsed (and even those who are aren't necessarily turned-off by sex in media, just the act itself in reality). Fanfiction is often looked down-upon in many aspects of society, but honestly it can be such an incredible space to explore. Second, and this may be minor, but I loved the inclusion at the beginning of small ways to show ace pride. A lot of people still struggle with embracing their sexuality, myself included, so seeing small ways of highlighting an important part of myself, sometimes for just me to see, was really cool. Lastly, I loved Michele's discussion around how her asexuality intersects with her religion, Judaism. As someone who's grown up Catholic their entire life, and still questions where my feelings towards religion land to this day, it was incredibly powerful and informative to read Michele discuss where being a practicing Jew can sometimes be at odd with her sexuality, but in other instances give her the ability to see the more queer-affirming aspects of the religion and offer a further sense of belonging.

While I did have an overall positive experience with this read, I just want to mention some things that felt a bit off so others can go into reading with the right expectations. First, I felt that the structure of the book seemed to be a bit all over the place. Sure section one starts with the basics, but sometimes there were sections much later that were still defining simple terms that could have been done earlier so as to not lead to any confusion. And this leads into the fact that while I loved the interviews included - I sometimes find that simple quotes can exclude context, and the full interviews really gave the chance to understand the individual and their answers - they felt misplaced in certain sections. Personally, it maybe would have made more sense to include an interview at the end of every section, and to also include the paragraph description of who was being interviewed at the beginning instead of after it had concluded. I didn't take this negatively, as the writing style mirrors a lot of my own in these reviews, but the author uses a lot of parentheses throughout the book (to add context to the sentence or make an aside), which could become tedious after a while for some readers. And lastly, at times it felt like some sections were solidly built, and you could tell the author was incredibly passionate about the topic(s) being discussed, others felt lacking and referential. Though I do think that Michele did a good job at referring to other resources in places where she would not have been able to offer enough information or personal anecdotes to explore the topic at hand.

In conclusion, I found this to be a very insightful book perfect for individuals beginning their journey to understand asexuality and what it means to them. I am very interested to see the thoughts of ace readers and non-aces alike when the book is finally out in the world. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

'ACE Notes' by Michele Kirichanskaya is an informative book about asexuality and finding your place in the LGBTQ+ world. As a allosexual person, I didn't really know much about the topic before starting the book. I've been trying to educate myself on LGBTQ+ topics and reading this helped me a lot.
It was a bit trying at first, because Kirichanskaya brings up many terms and facts related to the topic of sexuality. For this reason, I don't know if I would recommend this book to people who don't know anything about the topic yet. In the end though, I am glad she did at those things it, because page by page I felt a bit more knowledgeable. I didn't even know words like "allosexual" before reading this book and now I'm comfortable using them frequently. There is so much stuff to learn from this. Even if you are 100% cis-gender allosexual alloromantic, I can assure you you will find out some things about yourself you didn't know before. Here are some of the things I liked:
- there's a list of recommended reads on different ACE topics on one of the first pages
- there are quotes from and interviews with different ace people who each bring to light different aspects of their sexuality
- the author explains things that not-ace people could learn from too, such as different types of attraction or attitudes towards sex
- there are many studies and historical as well as personal stories mentioned

Thanks very much to NetGalley, Michele Kirichanskaya and Michele's team for providing me with an ARC for this book. The fact that I got a copy doesn't affect my review, all I'm stating here are my honest thoughts.

While I was reading this I realized that I’ve been thrilled to see so much ace-related non-fiction in the last couple of years, though a lot of it is related to the basics of asexuality, what it is and isn’t… good books for the early stages of learning about asexuality, perhaps learning about yourself or people close to you, finding a label that fits, etc., but a lot of the same kind of thing. (I love this—it means more opportunity to reach people like me who felt ‘different’ but didn’t know what asexuality meant before coming across these books—but it can also start to feel repetitive.)

This book still did have that (“Ace Basics” on the ace lens, coming out, identifying as ace, labels, etc.), but it also had some interesting chapters on sex, consent, dealing with the medical system, how it can relate to religion (specifically Judaism), and probably my favourite, interviews with different people who identify on the ace-spectrum. I really liked hearing from different people in a more in-depth interview format on what their asexuality means for them and how they navigate the world. How they have still found lives that fulfill them without meeting those standards we’re told to aspire to. With that and the reading recommendations at the end I found some new books to read and people to follow.

Even though I still get excited when I see any new book about asexuality or with ace representation, I feel I’m gravitating towards books like this that show all the ways that people can be a-spec in the world.