Drag Queens are a unique and powerful form of entertainment, and have been for centuries. They are a great way to promote individuality and creativity, and there’s no denying the fact that the art of drag is a wonderful form of self-expression.
There are some excellent books on this list if you’re looking for works about drag queens. The drag queens of contemporary literature are another line of royalty that we would like to honor. Regardless of your reading preferences, the list below has something for you!
Top 22 Best Drag Queen Books List:
There are a ton of great books out there about drag queens, but which ones are the best? Here are our top 22 picks.
1. Drags by Gregory Kramer
Drags contains five stories that were authored by significant scene figures. This is a photo series by director cum photographer Gregory Kramer. It features photographs of the city’s drag kings and queens. The series, which is presented in the manner of traditional fashion portraiture, includes both established and upcoming luminaries in glitzy full-length studio pictures in black and white.
Note: This is My Book by the way
Reader Reviews
“Recommended for any Drag enthusiast. A fine collection of stunning monochrome images, like magic, showcasing a range of impressive and talented performers.”
2. The Art of Drag by Jake Hall
Drag’s history is the result of numerous crossings coming together to produce jaw-dropping entertainment. like politics, sexuality, theater, fashion, etc. Jake Hall’s semi-graphic novel “The Art of Drag” is a chic topic of conversation. It sheds light on the development of drag from its early origins in mime and conventional theater to the present. Jake Hall digs deeply into the history of drag from its early inception to the modern day and beyond in this lengthy essay. The rich history is enhanced by colorful pictures. In this invaluable document of all things drag, nothing will go unrecorded.
Reader Reviews
“The Art of Drag is unquestionably an accolade. This author takes you on a progressive, approachable, and genuinely friendly trip.”
3. Guru: Rupaul
Readers can get a glimpse into the worlds of drag performers and gender deceivers from all over the nation in Drag: The Book. Their venues include the popular Logo series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, starring on the Vegas Strip, and clubs all over the world. They come from a variety of backgrounds. This book is a must-have since it features gripping photos by award-winning Queer photographer Matthew Burgett alongside the entertainers’ memoirs.
Reader Reviews
“Although it only provides a basic level of insight into the individuals depicted, it is highly enlightening and encourages you to think about Drag Queens who existed before the television giant of the same name.”
4. Drag: Combing Through the Big Wigs of Show Business by Frank Decaro
Discover countless Queens and Kings who, through the use of cosmetics, wigs, and attire, revolutionized gender identification in everything from ancient theater to Broadway, Hollywood, and television! The history of drag, along with queer activism is highlighted with sparkling honesty and emotion through concise interviews with celebs and Queens alike. This sparkling guide to the vibrant world of drag is accompanied by hundreds of pictures and motivational stories.
Reader Reviews
“Probably, this is the most astounding and enlightening book about drag I’ve ever come across. This book provides a thorough and fascinating history of drag from its inception!”
5. 50 Drag Queens Who Changed the World:
Find out about Mama Ru’s and the most adored Drag Race stars’ crazy and spectacular lives. The book 50 Drag Queens Who Changed the World pays homage to both the legendary pioneers who helped create the amazing world of drag as well as the beloved and well-known queens of today. This book is a glittering celebration of the high-heeled, hairspray-smeared, edgy art form that has influenced pop culture for as long as it has existed.
Reader Reviews
“Always enjoy finding out more about current monarchs as well as monarchs from other nations and those I already adore.”
6. Drag: The Complete Story (A Look at the History and Culture of Drag) by Simon Doonan
Drag is a dramatization, transformation, and, most importantly, communication, and sexual non-conformity is the current fashion. This is the very first colorful and moving examination of drag culture, with funny language, gorgeous photographs, and chapters organized according to themes. This brave book explores drag’s voyage from the twentieth century and through the present day, from the unexpected to the sophisticated to the truly weird. By doing so, it observes this more complex world. Drag is for anyone engaged in gender flexibility and the society surrounding it, not only glamorous queens and drags lovers.
Reader Review
“A fascinating book on the origins of drag. It talks about how it has evolved into a significant aspect of modern pop culture, with wonderful photographs. Continually expanding my art collection and photography books.”
7. Legendary Children: The First Decade of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Last Century of Queer Life by Tom Fitzgerald
A presentation that acts as a real museum of gay social and cultural history was created by RuPaul and crew. Drag Race offers a glimpse into the daily struggles, social interactions, and professional endeavors of LGBTQ people. They always have a direct connection to Drag Race, which is the issue. Each chapter examines a particular facet of the play that relates to a certain period in LGBT cultural history or the works of certain illustrious persons. The central tenet of Legendary Children would be that Drag Race has been the queerest television program ever.
Reader Reviews
“The book is informative, fascinating, melodramatic in its compulsiveness, and penned with equal degrees of intelligence and wit. It kind of acts as a historical record of drag in American culture.”
8. Legends of Drag: Queens of a Certain Age by Harry James Hanson
Queens now have greater visibility than ever, which was fought for over many years via tenacity, creativity, and intergenerational solidarity. The writers spoke with 80 different queens while visiting 16 towns across the nation! The final outcome is a book that is full of historical information, a gallery of images, and conversations with former female impersonators and drag queens. These princesses are depicted in beautiful images with distinctive flower styling. The book pays tribute to the drag queens who helped to establish the genre and are still active today.
Reader Reviews
“Amazing photographs have been taken. I enjoyed seeing the queens’ clothes, which ranged from conventionally elegant to outrageous.”
9. Trixie And Katya Cookbook:
The cookbook is a must-have if you enjoy cooking and are a foodie who yearns for original and inventive ideas. It features 20 well-designed, quick, and simple dishes that were influenced by Trixie and Katya. It includes mouthwatering images of the food. It will give you the necessary cooking methods to advance your culinary abilities. You can prepare a variety of tasty, colorful recipes from this cookbook and consume them while having a wonderful time. This cookbook encourages you to indulge your desire to cook while also assisting you in decompressing after trying days.
Reader Reviews
“Trixie and Katya are a winning combination! The recipes aren’t very complicated, but it’s adorable and enjoyable.”
10. Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen and Tom Rasmussen
This is a drag queen’s diary—one brilliant, hilarious, authentic performance of a genuine, imperfect, extraordinary life. You’ll discover glitz on and off the screen, illuminating tidbits of queer theory, horrifyingly self-centered employers, the kind of transparency that drives out shame, glimmers of optimism, desire, and a classic rom-com love tale in these pages. The unfathomable gets praised at this point.
Reader Reviews
“My life was changed by this book. The openness, susceptibility, and fearlessness of Tom Rasmussen leap off every word and every page. The queer bible I’ve always needed is there.”
11. Release The Beast: A Drag Queen’s Guide to Life
This humorous and enlightening book by Bimini Bon Balash explores how drag may help you change your life. Through the life-altering power of dragging up, Bimini demonstrates how to live the lives we want we might live in this book with all of her humor, charm, and generosity. describing how drag brought Bimini back from the verge of self-destruction and into the front stage.
Reader Reviews
“This realistic high femme narrative took me on a tremendously tender and sincere journey. Bimini’s brutally genuine personal account reminds me to stay true to myself. The biggest present you can give the world is who you are, so use this as a gentle reminder to love yourself.”
12. My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen By David Clawson
A modern-day retelling of Cinderella is called My Fairy Godmother is a Drag Queen. The book deftly strikes a balance between serious themes like sexuality, family problems, and self-discovery and lighter ones like how one misplaced shoe may start a brief but passionate affair and how a chance encounter with a drag queen can bring magic and light to a previously grim reality.
Reader Reviews:
“It’s a book to read while daydreaming. My Fairy Godmother Is a Drag Queen is indeed the book you want if you are in need of some vintage glitz in your life. What could you ask for, really, with such a drag queen disguised as Diana Ross there?”
13. All Hail the Queen Paperback by Stephanie Dargon Luce
Stephanie Luce deserves to be applauded for her hilarious, heartfelt, engrossing, and suspenseful mystery. I enjoyed seeing William and his humorous crew work together to find out who killed a fellow comedian. A little romance is tossed in to bolster our support for William. Am I revealing the plot? Nope. Read it for yourself to find out.
Reader Reviews
“I adored this book. Ru Paul and Agatha Christie collide. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Autumn and Cookie’s adventure. I assumed I know the murderer, but I was mistaken. Great reading!”
14. Why Drag? By Magnus Hastings
The most fundamental question concerning drag queens in Canada, the United States, Australia, Europe, and Australia is asked in photographer Magnus Hastings’ new book “Why Drag?” which features 135 pictures. There have been several photography books of drag queens, but none have given it the gloss and sparkle that Hastings does. As a result, they created this captivating book in which they flaunt their talents and discuss their shared interest through a combination of quips and musings.
Reader Reviews:
“Magnus captures stunning images. If you keep this book on your coffee table for gatherings, it also makes a terrific conversation starter.”
15. Faux Queen: A Life in Drag by Monique Jenkinson
The book A Life in Drag is the story of a ballet-dancer girl who relocates from the suburbs to San Francisco and meets her friends at the drag club. Monique Jenkinson has a talent for vividly capturing drag culture, dance culture, adolescence in the 1980s, San Francisco in the 1990s, ongoing discussions about patriarchy and feminism, and privilege with sharp, humorous, and tender exactitude.
Reader Reviews:
“I finished reading the book in one day because I found it so compelling. Since I’ve long admired Monique/Fauxnique’s output, I’ve wondered how she came to hold the position of Faux Queen in San Francisco Drag Community.”
16. Queer Nuns by Melissa M. Wilcox(Coming soon)
An interesting look at the lesbian social justice advocates the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The Sisters support their concerns with love and pleasure rather than fury. In her novel, Wilcox takes into account the Sisters’ social and historical background. The organization, which was established in San Francisco around 1979, uses drag, stylized religious garb, and outdoor performances to educate and amuse audiences. Naturally, Vancouver has a separate chapter.
Reader Reviews
“Wilcox expertly shows how a queer religious camp could result in important political and social engagement. This work, which combines an excellent historical and social narrative with an innovative theoretical engagement, is a must-read.”
17. Dragula By Ma’am Stoker
A funny parody of the Dracula novel by Bram Stoker. In the movie Dragula, a man discovers a drag queen in his neighborhood, which is suspicious. When I learned this, especially given the author’s name, I laughed aloud. Dragula is unquestionably a wise pick if you need to laugh right now. Sassy yet silly, with some ingenious references along the way, it is what it is.
Reader Reviews
“Genuinely hilarious from beginning to end! What’s not to love about Drag + Dracula?”
18. Hosanna by Michel Tremblay
Hosanna, a drag queen, and her relationships are the subject of Tremblay’s groundbreaking play, which has been dubbed anything from a political allegory and reactionary. Hosanna, an elderly man who challenges his demons of socioeconomic class, linguistic autonomy, and masculinity, defies the stereotype of the “drag queen.” Hosanna conceals her weaknesses in her physical appearance and linguistic identity by donning a mask of strength.
Reader Reviews
“I applaud Tremblay’s writing. You will adore Hosanna regardless of your profession or social standing because you can relate to her very human existential struggle.”
19. The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara
The House of Impossible Beauties, one of the major cultural forces of the 1980s and 1990s, was born out of New York’s underground ball culture. In order to construct a story, Joseph Cassara draws inspiration from that era and its competing houses. The four main characters in this book manage to make very best of their circumstances, offer support to one another, ultimately fall in love at moments of breathtaking beauty and joy.
Reader Reviews
“Joseph’s book is a lovely memorial to those who came before us. I feel in love with Angel, Venus, Dorian, Juanito, and Daniel even though it’s a fiction. I wish I could have been there for them at every stage.”
20. The Black Flamingo Paperback by Dean Atta
A gay man who discovers his passion as a drag performer in college is the subject of this coming-of-age tale. This one is about Michael, a man of mixed race. Boys both pique his interest and repulse him. He is unsure about his love fore his best friend. While leaving for college, Michael keeps negotiating his shifting identities. Until he discovers the Drag Society, he never feels “enough” to fit into any social circle. The Black Flamingo is a lighthearted book although it talks about some serious subjects.
Reader Reviews
“A brief, pleasant read that is written like a poem using the first person. I finished it in one evening because I had a hard time putting it down.”
21. Boy Queen By George Lester
Boy Queen is a coming-of-age tale that emphasizes rejection, friendship, poisonous relationships, and the artistry of drag, in addition to being a story about a boy who becomes a queen. In this novel, Robin’s life was going according to plan; his interview for the dream school went smoothly, that is, until he became involved in the drag community. Is this new interest taking over his life, or is it a stepping stone to something more?
Reader Reviews
“This is a beautiful story of a young man finding his real queen, and I couldn’t put this book down.”
22. I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell
I Am Not Myself These Days will take you on a sparkling tour through the frightening and strange underbelly of Manhattan. An honest and open autobiography written by Aqua, a drag performer from New York City. The delight in relating the story excuses the gory specifics. Craig Russell’s portrayal of Carol Channing is less bubbly than the author’s personality.
Reader Reviews
“There aren’t many books that can bring me to tears. This one did, and even while I could guess the conclusion— it still astonished me.”
Final Words
Of course, there are quite a number of drag queen books out there. So if you’re at a fix about where to start from, one of these fantastic drag queen books is a great way to celebrate queerness this year.