Shantay you stay, and read some books while you’re here! The queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race give us never-ending drama, shade, and gags. We’ve matched some of our favorite reads with the best contestants Mama Ru’s runway has to offer. Whether they are serving looks, spilling tea, or having a kiki, these characters and stories are sure to slay. Here are 7 reads that are just as fierce, iconic, and sickening as your favorite queens:
7 Books to Read if You Like RuPaul’s Drag Race
RuPaul – Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens by Tanya Boteju
Judy Blume meets RuPaul’s Drag Race in this funny, feel-good and important debut novel about a queer teen who navigates questions of identity and self-acceptance while discovering the magical world of drag. Mama Ru is known for her catchphrase, “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love anybody else?” Can we get an amen up in here!?
Sharon Needles – The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett
Sharon Needles is the spookiest queen around, which made it easy for us to pair her on a journey with Theodora in LADY ROGUE. Theodora wants to follow in her legendary treasure-hunting father’s footsteps, but soon she realizes that she has to save him when he goes missing while hunting for a ring rumored to have once been owned by Vlad the Impaler, more widely known as Dracula. Now Theodora must journey through Romania’s captivating Gothic villages and dark castles to find the ring before anyone else. Sharon Needles would fight anyone for this ring, let us tell you!
Bianca Del Rio – To All the Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han
Bianca is arguably the sassiest queen to ever win RuPaul’s Drag Race. We know! That’s a brave statement on our parts! Her clear bookish counterpart is none other than Kitty, the youngest Song sister who throws shade and keeps it real with her sisters at all costs. Both of these queens provide amazingly high levels of entertainment and use their powers of sass for the good of their sisters (and widespread entertainment).
Silky Nutmeg Ganache – Hungry Hearts edited by Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond
Hungry Hearts is a series of interconnected short stories written by some of our favorite authors like Sandhya Menon, Anne-Marie McLemore, and Rin Chupeco. It explores the intersection of family, food, and culture in the lives of thirteen teens. Silky Nutmeg Ganache often celebrates food and the comfort it brings. Not only did she name herself after a delicious treat, but she’s pulling for her own cooking show! We’d follow you to the Food Network, Silky!
Kim Chi – American Panda by Gloria Chao
Seventeen-year-old Mei is a college freshman that can’t bring herself to tell her parents the truth after they sacrificed so much to make her cushy life a reality—(1) she hates germs, so she can’t become a doctor, (2) she falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) she has a crush on her classmate, Darren, who is definitely not Taiwanese. Kim Chi openly spoke about her struggles as a Drag Queen because her parents didn’t know about her life’s passion and she was seeking the confidence to tell them the truth. Both of these queens are hilarious and full of heart!
BenDeLaCreme – The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell
BenDeLa is our favorite Miss Congeniality. Not only is she amazingly kind and talented, but she can serve looks like nobody’s business. She has stated that she often finds inspiration for her silhouettes, style, and designs throughout history, which means she is one time-traveling queen! She’d fit right in with Esta, the time-traveling thief from The Last Magician, as they take a trip to 1902 New York. Instead of stealing a magical book though, BenDeLa will be all about those looks!
Blair St. Clair – Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian
Blair St. Clair is the sweetest queen to ever grace the stage of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Not here for the tea, not here for the shade, she just wants to do her and let her personality shine through with her sweet style. If we had to pick any of these queens to take a trip down to the Meade Creamery with, it would be her! Stay sweet, Blair!