Books to Read If You Love RuPaul's Drag Race | Penguin Random House (2025)

Legendary Children

by Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez

With signature wit and queer sensibility, Tom & Lorenzo provide the ultimate fan guide to everything RuPaul’s Drag Race. It’s worth reading about how RuPaul’s show has uniquely honored the queer culture of the past while also celebrating it in today’s context for a new generation of LGBTQ+ viewers.

Paperback

$18.00

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The Art of Drag

by Jake Hall

Yes, child. There was drag before RuPaul’s Drag Race. And before RuPaul herself. This illustrated guide unpacks centuries of rich tradition, expression, celebration and revolution. It’s FUN-damental text for anyone who wants to touch down on their drag roots.

Paperback

$21.99

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Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood

by Trixie Mattel and Katya

Who knows women better than two gay men? Don’t answer that. But, in all seriousness, Trixie and Katya bring their iconic mix of wit, wisdom, experience, excellence, goopery, and gaggery to this (actually) thoughtful reflection on topics that affect all humans walking this dumpster fire we call a planet. Beauty standards, balancing budgets, societal expectations, and a healthy dose of satire – what more could you ask for?

Hardcover

$26.00

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RuPaul’s Drag Race Mad Libs

by Karl Marks, Nico Medina and Mad Libs

If you’re willing to put in the WERK, this book is for you. Create and define your own drag adventure for yourself with this iconic adults-only MadLibs game.

Paperback

$5.99

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The T Guide

by Gigi Gorgeous, Gottmik (a.k.a Kade Gottlieb) and Swan Huntley

There is no right or wrong way to be trans – or to express your gender identity for that matter. No one understands that better than Gigi Gorgeous — the YouTube pioneer and advocate, and Gottmik (a.k.a. Kade Gottlieb) — whose makeup artistry and sense of fashion and self make him a drag icon and trailblazer in his own right. The pair bring their personal experiences as trans individuals in this guide that is much a meditation/conversation as it is chock-full of advice rooted in lived experience. They cover topics ranging from fashion to parenting, from coming out to affirming surgery, and everything in between. But what shines through most is their genuine passion for using their fame and experience to inspire and their genuine friendship.

Hardcover

$24.99

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Sissy

by Jacob Tobia

Jacob Tobia’s heartfelt memoir touches on universal themes of identity, belonging, and coming of age, and addresses the unique experience of navigating their gender identity and expression. Tobia’s story is an empowering manifesto that shies away from no hard truths, but is sure to get a well-earned laugh along the way.

Paperback

$18.00

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We Are Everywhere

by Matthew Riemer and Leighton Brown

This history of LGBTQ+ rights protest, shown through incredible archival footage and thoughtful commentary from the folks who brought us @LGBT_history, shines a timely and relevant light on the ongoing struggle and hope of the movement.

Hardcover

$40.00

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Beyond the Gender Binary

by Alok Vaid-Menon

You probably know Alok Vaid-Menon from their poetry, art, or prolific presence on the World Wide Web. What keeps folks coming back to Alok is their ability to bring an artist’s perspective to advocacy work that typically feels dry or dense. This book from the Pocket Change Collective provides a space for reflection, reimagination, and reconnection to the parts of ourselves society wants to box in through the lens of Alok’s always thoughtful vision. Whether you’re questioning your identity or simply want to learn more to be a better ally, In Beyond the Gender Binary offers a concise place to get started.

Paperback

$8.99

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Gender Outlaw

by Kate Bornstein

Kate’s take on her own boundary-defying life—and the politics surrounding it—was originally published in 1994. Perhaps because it was simply ahead of its time, just like its author, the book has been recently updated with a new introduction. If you only know Kate from I Am Cait, be sure to touch down on this text.

Paperback

$18.00

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Gender and Our Brains

by Gina Rippon

A nonfiction manifesto that explains what RuPaul has been teaching us for years: We’re all born naked, and the rest is drag. This groundbreaking work explores the neuroscience that debunks the myth of a gendered brain. Read on to become the smartest person at your viewing party!

Paperback

$20.00

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Working Girls

by Trixie Mattel and Katya

You might be thinking to yourself: “what do two drag queens have to offer your average office worker by way of advice?” Or, “How can YouTube stars with a show called UNHhhh help me find the career that’s right for me?” Well, Mary, you’re not thinking about this correctly because these two started from the bottom and have found a way to succeed on their own terms. They have — collectively — competed multiple times on the most challenging show in reality show history (one got robbed, one did the robbing), created a media empire discussing (literally) “whatever they want,” launched a motel, a cosmetics business, AND still had time to write multiple New York Times bestselling books? Have I sold you yet? Is the bus still running?

Hardcover

$28.00

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