#polenth blake

[transbookoftheday]

Agender Books To Read For Agender Pride Day

Happy Agender Pride Day! Here are some books with agender characters you should read:

Book Titles:

The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta

The Evolving Truth of Ever-Stronger Will by Maya MacGregor

In the Care of Magic by Robin Jo Margaret

Our Bloody Pearl by D.N. Bryn

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall

The Thread That Binds by Cedar McCloud

Werecockroach by Polenth Blake

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Werecockroach by Polenth Blake

goodreads

Rin moves into a new flat on the day the aliens arrive. Their new flatmates are laid-back Sanjay and conspiracy theorist Pete. It doesn't take long to notice some oddities about the pair, like hoarding cardboard and hissing at people when they're angry. Something strange is going on, but it's not all due to the aliens.

Mod opinion: I haven't heard of this book before, but I really enjoy the summary and I'm excited to check it out now!

[specialagentartemis]

"I wish more aro or ace books were good" REAL. I'm not a huge reader these days (a victim of the "read several books a day as a kid to easily distractable ADHD adult" pipeline :/, I'm working on it though) but I stick to mostly nonfiction when I do read, because most fiction is too amatonormative for my tastes and most aspec fiction is. Well. I already struggle with reading books, I need to be able to actually get into them to have a hope of finishing them.

The biggest mood there. Kinda all of it :') Reading books takes so much longer and more Effort than it used to when I inhaled books when I was 12... and SO many books that market themselves on the Aro or Ace Rep are just. They just aren't good books. Most aren't Morally Objectionable or anything, they're just not good books.

I feel like it's normal growing pains for a Queer Identity... god knows how many books I read of high schoolers going "It's okay... to be gay, actually!" when I was in middle/high school--but I kind of wish we could hurry up to the point where there are plenty of good ace and aro ones to choose from. (There are some good ones! The Murderbot Diaries, Ancillary Justice, Michelle Kan's novelettes, Polenth Blake's work, Darcie Little Badger's entire ouvre... I love those. And I haven't read The Bone People but it won a bunch of Real Literary Awards, and Firebreak I've been told is really up my alley... but I have. also read a bunch of aro and ace books that were just mediocre-to-bad.)

[desdasiwrites]

May 19th is Agender Pride Day!

Here's some facts about agender!

Agender typically means being genderless, without a gender identity, or gender-neutral. (But different agender individuals can have different descriptions for themselves.)

The agender identity falls under the nonbinary umbrella and (sometimes) the transgender umbrella.☂️

Agender people can have any preference for pronouns, but some prefer to avoid using gendered language when referring to themselves. Agender individuals can also present in any gender expression, masculine, feminine, both or something completely beyond the binary.

Agender people can (but don't have to) experience gender dysphoria.

Agender people can be of any sexuality and should not be confused with being asexual. (Although you can be agender and asexual/on the ace spectrum.)

Agender people can be of any romantic orientation too!

Aaand here's a few books with agender characters:

● A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

● The Heartbreak Bakery by A.R. Capetta

● The Left Hand of Dog by Si Clarke

● Werecockroach by Polenth Blake

[sugarycandle]

aro week 2024 reading challenge (with recommendations!)

i decided to only read books with arospec character during aro week, so i created a little challenge for it on storygraph! come join if you'd like <3

some recommendations (books that i have already read) under the cut! (this is by no means exhaustive, and there are a lot of books with characters that are both aro and ace bc i tend to read a lot of those. would love to hear your recommendations bc i do want to diversify what i read as well!)

main characters:

the priory of the orange tree & a day of fallen night (samantha shannon) - LOVE these books so much. both have a main pov character that is aroace. not explicitly labeled in the story bc it's fantasy but especially in adofn, it's really clear

vespertine (margaret rogerson) - ya, aroace mc, not explicitly stated on page but it's obvious imho

loveless (alice oseman) - is anybody surprised

tarnished are the stars (rosiee thor - all books have arospec characters) - ya, aroace MC, not one of my favorites but the rep is nice

common bonds - a short story collection with arospec characters everywhere (my favorites were "discography" & "a full deck")

the thread that binds (cedar mccloud) - this just the definition of cozy fantasy for me. multiple arospec characters (sorry i don't remember the actual identities and can't find info), qpr, found family, and so much more (there's also a prequel out now but i haven't read that one yet)

werecockroach (blake polenth) - idk what to say about this, cockroaches kidnap everyone except the mc and friends, aroace + agender mc

hazel's theory of evolution (lisa jenn bigelow) - middle grade, aroace mc but it's not the focus, really heartwarming "wish i had this when i was a kid" vibes

two dark moons & three seeking stars (avi silver) - ya, i LOVE these books, aroallo mc & found family but with lizards

baker thief (claudie arseneault - all books have arospec characters) - aroallo genderfluid mc, wasn't a big fan of the story but i really liked the characters

by your side (margherita scialla) - a queerplatonic short story, i'm not the biggest fan of short stories but it's about two people deciding to be in a qpr

convenience store woman (sayaka murata) - i'm not really sure if the mc is supposed to be aroace but that's how i read it. it's supposed to be funny but i thought it was depressing as fuck lol

elatsoe (darcie little badger) - ya, aroace native mc (it only explicitly says she's ace tho), this one was a lot of fun, it's basically a murder mystery in a really interesting world

goddess of the hunt (eileen shelby) - poetry collection about aroace artemis (we stan)

side and background characters:

summer of salt (katrina leno) - ya, very minor aroace character

sorcery of thorns & the mysteries of thorn manor (margaret rogerson) - ya, minor aro (aroace?) character (i have a special weakness for margaret rogerson bc i was at her book signing and told her i appreciated her writing aro/ace characters, and she wrote "aro/ace pride" in with my dedication lol)

aces wild (amanda dewitt) - ya, aroace sc, i LOVE him you don't understand. this is about a group of ace teens but gabe is my favorite, i would die for him. also i need amanda dewitt to write a million other books about these characters

hell followed with us (andrew joseph white) - ya, very minor aro character but this book is BRILLIANT, everybody should read it (after reading the trigger warnings)

wren martin ruins it all (amanda dewitt) - ya, mc is ace so that's the focus, but there's a side character who doesn't use labels and isn't interested in dating at all

a grim and sunken vow (ashley shutterworth) - ya, this is the third book in the series, demiromantic sc, absolutely loved his storyline (he appears in the first books as well but i hated him lmao)

and books i haven't read yet but am hoping to read during aro week (i'm therefore not 100% sure this information is correct):

city of strife (claudie arseneualt) - is supposed to have multiple arospec characters

every bird a prince (jenn reese) - middle grade, aroace mc

archivist wasp (nicole kornher-stace) - aroace mc, no romance

the black veins (ashia monet) - apparently no love interests!!! sounds like a dream

fallen thorns (harvey oliver baxter) - aroace mc

let me know if you have any recommendations! <3

[haveyoureadthisqueerbook]

Hello! First of all: love this blog! Second: I read a lot of queer books and as it turns out a lot of them weren’t already on your spreadsheet so uh. Sorry in advance for what I’m about to do to your inbox/queue 😅

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

The Time Slip Girl by Elizabeth Andre

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

The Queen of Cups by Ren Basel

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron

Werecockroach by Polenth Blake

In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard

Wain: LGBT Reimaginings of Scottish Folktales by Helene Boppert and Rachel Plummer

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown

Tremontaine: The Complete Season One by Patty Bryant, Malinda Lo, Racheline Maltese, Joel Derfner, Ellen Kushner, Paul Witcover, and Alaya Dawn Johnson

This Other World by AC Buchanan

In Memoriam by Nathan Burgoine

The Dark Beneath the Ice by Amelinda Bérubé

Felix Ever After by Karen Callender

Last Bus to Everland by Sophie Cameron

Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron

Once & Future by AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy

The Brilliant Death by AR Capetta

XX by Angela Chadwick

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

The Vela by Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon, Yoon Ha Lee, and SL Huang

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

The True Queen by Zen Cho

The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho

The Water that Falls on You From Nowhere by John Chu

The Shape of My Name by Nino Cipri

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark

Girlhood by Cat Clarke

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

Dreadnought by April Daniels

Sovereign by April Daniels

Thornfruit by Felicia Davin

Nightvine by Felicia Davin

Shadebloom by Felicia Davin

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

Stay Another Day by Juno Dawson

Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster

Bingo Love by Tee Franklin

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman

The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

We Go Around in the Night and Are Consumed by Fire by Jules Grant

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabel Greenberg

Keeper of the Dawn by Dianna Gunn

The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall

The Outside by Ada Hoffman

The Fallen by Ada Hoffman

The Infinite by Ada Hoffman

Mindtouch by MCA Hogarth

Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson

The City of Woven Streets by Emmi Itäranta

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

The Beast of Callaire by Saruuh Kelsey

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy

An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Crimson by Niviaq Korneliussen

Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

The Faerie Godmother’s Apprentice Wore Green by Nicky Kyle

Avi Cantor Has Six Months to Live by Sacha Lamb

When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb

Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie

Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie

Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee

Not Your Villain by CB Lee

Not Your Backup by CB Lee

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

The Fever King by Victoria Lee

The Fox’s Tower and Other Tales by Yoon Ha Lee

Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Adaptation by Malinda Lo

Inheritance by Malinda Lo

Natural Selection by Malinda Lo

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

The Hand, the Eye, and the Heart by Zoë Marriott

Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald

Luna: Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

Forbid the Sea by Seanan McGuire

In Sea-Salt Tears by Seanan McGuire

The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara

An Accident of Stars by Foz Meadows

A Tyranny of Queens by Foz Meadows

All Out: The No-Longer Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages ed. Saundra Mitchell

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

Princess Princess Ever After by K. O’Neill

The Tea Dragon Society by K. O’Neill

The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O’Neill

The Tea Dragon Tapestry by K. O’Neill

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

Loveless by Alice Oseman

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Stormsong by CL Polk

Soulstar by CL Polk

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Tiger’s Daughter by K Arsenault Rivera

The Phoenix Empress by K Arsenault Rivera

The Warrior Moon by K Arsenault Rivera

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

Birthday by Meredith Russo

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

Dying for a Living by Kory M. Shrum

Two Dark Moons by Avi Silver

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

The Edge of the Abyss by Emily Skrutskie

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding

The Traitor’s Tunnel by CM Spivey

Nimona by ND Stevenson

Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylver

Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time by KM Szpara

As I Descended by Robin Talley

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

Drowned Country by Emily Tesh

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

Crier’s War by Nina Varela

Iron Heart by Nina Varela

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain by Nghi Vo

Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

System Collapse by Martha Wells

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang

The Red Threads of Fortune by Neon Yang

The Descent of Monsters by Neon Yang

The Ascent to Godhood by Neon Yang

Waiting on a Bright Moon by Neon Yang

Taproot by Keezy Young

Phew! Finally got all of these queued! Thank you so much for the list, and for arranging them so neatly, which definitely made it easier to transfer over to a spreadsheet!

[necromantia]

Werecockroach — A Review

Author: Polenth Blake

★★★★★ (5/5 stars)

Summary

Aliens have arrived on Earth, and no one knows what they want yet. But Rin has their own things to worry about, like moving into a new flat, and figuring out what's going on with their two roommates.

Genres: science fantasy

Overall

This is a fun, wholeheartedly enjoyable novella. All the characters are distinct, memorable, and likeable, and I enjoyed their interactions. The emergent found family warmed my heart. The plot itself is quirky and strange, but mostly lighthearted. It is not the most fast-paced story, but nothing dragged. There isn't a huge amount of tension, and the climax isn't the most dramatic, but it still felt surprisingly satisfying. It's a very cozy story, and I love it for that.

Overall, it was an excellent short read, I definitely recommend this.

More detailed thoughts, with spoilers, below:

Content warnings

cockroaches?

Representation

aromantic, asexual, agender MC of color; Indian MLM secondary, aromantic asexual secondary with SPD

Pete seems autistic to me, but it's not explicitly stated.

Thoughts

The aliens are adorable. I love their hats, their internet phrase-laced words, their obsession with cute animals. They are absolutely precious.

I was somehow surprised that there were literal were-cockroaches in this story. Somehow I expected it to have symbolic meaning. Definitely adds to the quirkiness of this story, but in a good way. The author's bio mentions pet cockroaches, and I can see it in the story.

A couple moments in this story were surprisingly Real. Before 2020, I would have read about aliens arriving on Earth and life just proceeding as normal and thought that wouldn't happen. But now, when it sort of feels like the apocalypse is happening, I get it. Sure big events may be happening, but when can you actually do about it? Cry in the shower or have a panic attack? So people just go about their normal life the best they can.

I also related to Rin's feelings surrounding coming at as aromantic and asexual. It's awkward and most people don't even know those words, so it's just easier to be vague.

[aro-who-reads]

Aro books recs for ASAW 2022

I put a list of aro books together for ASAW last year, so I thought I'd make another one for this year with what I've read and enjoyed in the last year! (it's still ASAW for most of you right?)

City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault

First book in fantasy series, multiple members of the large main cast are arospec.

Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace

Scifi novel, MC is aroace

Immoral Code by Lillian Clark

YA heist novel, one of the five POV characters is aroace

The Liar's Guide to the Night Sky by Brianna R. Shrum

YA survival novel, second main character is pan aro.

This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria

YA fantasy stand alone, MC is aroace

Two Dark Moons by Avi Silver

Fantasy novel, MC is alloaro, and in a QPR. First in series.

Werecockroach by Polenth Blake

Spec fic short story, MC is aroace, as is another character.

[arojenniferwalters]

Canon AroAces 182/?: Crysanthemum “Zanty” from Busy Little Bees by Polenth Blake in Common Bonds: A Speculative Aromantic Anthology (2020)

[techniktagebuch]

Februar 2022

Wieso kriegt nur Amazon es hin, Bücher aus mehr als 1 Land in mehr als 1 Land zu verkaufen?

Im Dezember wollte Amazon Kindle mein Geld nicht mehr, und ich habe angefangen, E-Books stattdessen bei Google Play Books zu kaufen. Aber schon im Februar merke ich, dass es dort vieles nicht gibt, zum Beispiel fehlt “Käsebier erobert den Kurfürstendamm” von Gabriele Tergit, das ich gerade dringend lesen will. Ich beschwere mich im Redaktionschat:

“Es war schon irgendwie besser, als ich E-Books bei Amazon und nur dort gekauft habe. Jetzt ist es bei jedem Buch so ein Gerate und Herumgesuche, dass ich noch vor dem Kauf die Lust wieder verliere. Ich will mich nicht bei jedem Verlag anmelden. Und eigentlich noch nicht mal bei mehreren Buchhandelsdingern. Ich will eine Quelle und ein One-Click-Verfahren! Vielleicht muss ich doch meine Zahlungsverfahren in Ordung bringen, welche auch immer, und reumütig zu Amazon zurückgekrochen kommen. Oder halt doch nur LibGen. Schön ist beides nicht.”

Thomas Wiegold empfiehlt ebooks.de, aber da sieht es wieder mit fremdsprachigen Titeln nicht so gut aus. Mein Testbuch dafür ist “Werecockroach” von Polenth Blake.

Bei Kobo gibt es “Käsebier”, aber dort leitet man mich erst mal zu Tolino um, und da gibt es auch wieder wenig Englisches. “Eventuell ist Kobo mit Regionenlüge die Lösung”, überlege ich, aber:

“Please note: if your billing information doesn't match your selected country, you may not be able to complete your purchase.“

“Fickt euch doch alle, ich such mir ein neues Hobby!”, zetere ich im Chat. “Wieso kriegt nur Amazon es hin, Bücher aus mehr als 1 Land in mehr als 1 Land zu verkaufen?”

Dann finde ich raus, dass man Kobo doch irgendwie auch ohne Tolino benutzen kann. “Aber wenn es damit auch wieder doof ist, geb ich das Bücherlesen auf. TikTok ist bestimmt auch ganz schön.”

(Kathrin Passig)

[charlyritter]

Personal bookish faves 2020 💓💓

[Amerika by Franz Kafka, Das Haus in der Karpfengasse by Moscheh Ya’akov Ben-Gavriêl, Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis, Ich habe auch gelebt -- Briefe einer Freundschaft by Astrid Lindgren and Louise Hartung, Maurice by E.M. Forster, Human Acts by Han Kang, Perla by Carolina de Robertis, Briefe an Milena by Franz Kafka, Ringel Rangel Rosen by Kirsten Boie]

shoutout to:

- Olympia by Volker Kutscher - The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey - Royal Rescue by A. Alex Logan - Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor - Nacht der Weißwurstvampire by Thomas Brezina - Draußen vor der Tür by Wolfgang Borchert - Wild by Ella Blix - Hyde by Antje Wagner - Werecockroach by Polenth Blake - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

[transbookoftheday]

Werecockroach by Polenth Blake

Rin moves into a new flat on the day the aliens arrive. Their new flatmates are laid-back Sanjay and conspiracy theorist Pete. It doesn't take long to notice some oddities about the pair, like hoarding cardboard and hissing at people when they're angry. Something strange is going on, but it's not all due to the aliens.

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Werecockroach by polenth blake (the mc is agender iirc!)

Thank you for the submission, I added it to the list :)

[diversereadingchallenge]

Prompt 49 Rec List

Here are some recs for prompt 49 of the Diverse Reading Challenge 2020. Full prompt list is here. 

49. A book with a non-binary, gender-queer, or gender-fluid protagonist

Note: I have not read the following books personally, but they are all on my to-read list. 

Euphoria Kids - Alison Evans

A YA fantasy, it follows three queer friends, one of whom is nonbinary, in their experiments with witchcraft as they come into their magical powers. 

First Spring Grass Fire - Rae Spoon

A memoir, it talks about the author’s experience growing up queer in a conservative Pentecostal family.  

Werecockroach - Polenth Blake

A sci-fi novella, it follows an agender person, who moves into a new flat the same day aliens arrive on earth, but who realizes there is something strange about their new roommates. 

Uncovering Ray - Edie Danford

A romance novel, it follows a gender-queer college dropout, who after getting kicked out of their housing, meets a fraternity member who offers them a room at the frat house,  and sparks start to fly between them. 

Brooklyn, Burning - Steve Brezenoff

A YA novel, it follows a teen living on the streets of Brooklyn for two summers. 

If you would like to join the Diverse Reading Challenge 2020, please follow the tumblr! Spread the word! Submit recs of diverse books you love!

[madison-acespace]

Celebrate National Coming Out Day and Asexual Awareness Week during the October 2018 Madison Acespace meetups:

Saturday, October 6, 7-9pm: Ace the Corn Maze at Treinen Farms

Thursday, October 11: National Coming Out Day

Saturday, October 13, 1-5pm: Games with MadisonGaymers at the OutReachLGBT Center

Saturday, October 20, 1-3pm: Support Group at the OutReachLGBT Center

Thursday, October 21-27: Asexual Awareness Week 2018

Tuesday, October 23, 4pm: MATC GSA Speaker Series - Madison Acespace at Madison Area Technical College

Friday, October 26, 6pm: Movie Night - Coraline

Saturday, October 27, 1-3pm: 1st hour Book Club - Werecockroach by Polenth Blake, 2nd hour Ace Social at Madison Chocolate Company on Glenway

Established in 2015, Madison Acespace is a self-funded, safe space community for 18+ asexual spectrum, aromantic, and questioning identities and allies, providing social support safe spaces and promoting awareness of ace and romantic identities.

Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/Wisconsin-Aces/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/madison.acespace/

[parttimeirish]

Challenge #4

Read a book with two or more a-spec characters.

I chose Werecockroaches by Polenth Blake.

What I know about the book before reading it:

Science fiction novella with two aroace Main Characters

… Rin moves into a new flat on the day the aliens arrive. Their new flatmates are laid-back Sanjay and conspiracy theorist Pete. It doesn’t take long to notice some oddities about the pair, like hoarding…