Murder in the Dressing Room

Murder in the Dressing Room by Holly Stars, 368 pages

When drag queen Misty Divine discovers her drag mother, Lady Lady, poisoned in her dressing room, Misty is determined to see Lady's murderer caught and punished. Unfortunately, the detective assigned to the homicide is more concerned with the stolen vintage dress Lady Lady was wearing, and he's not making things easier by referring to drag performers by their non-stage names and dismissing drag as an oddity instead of a celebrated lifestyle. So Misty takes it upon herself to investigate, and ends up learning way more than she anticipated about her fellow performers.

This was an excellent murder mystery, one that manages to combine a solid mystery with a compelling amateur sleuth who has a legitimate reason for not trusting the police (that's always a pet peeve of mine), as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the world of drag. Drag plays an integral role in the character development and the story as a whole, and manages to not overwhelm the story. I absolutely loved this one, and so far, it's one of my favorite mysteries of the year. I will definitely be reading more Misty Divine books, as soon as Holly Stars writes them!

GuRu

 

GuRu by RuPaul 191pp.

RuPaul enters the world of self-help books with this collection of ways to eliminate your self-imposed limitations alternating with photos of RuPaul in fabulous drag glory. The advice is as simple as waking up and praying, meditation, and ways to stop self-sabotage in your career, monetarily, and in your daily life. There's nothing new or earth-shaking here but the photos of RuPaul are wonderful. 

The House of Hidden Meanings

 The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir by RuPaul  256 pp.

As RuPaul says, "We are all born naked, the rest is drag." Beginning with life as a queer kid with the unusual name of RuPaul Andre Charles, growing up with problematic parents in San Diego, through his evolution into a celebrity icon RuPaul doesn't hide the reality of the wild years, the relationships gone bad, homelessness and couch surfing, and extreme substance abuse. RuPaul is his own creation that evolved over many years, surviving the AIDS crisis of the '80s while others fell around him. And then there is the drugs, so many drugs. I find it hard to believe he was able to function as a rising international star while continually using multiple substances. And yet, he did it and became a phenomenon, recognizable in and out of drag around the world. Then there is the moment of realization as his husband, George, enters rehab, that he also needed to rehabilitate himself from what, until then, he thought was just recreational drug use. Unfortunately the book ends before the creation of "RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars" which hopefully will be in a second volume. The audiobook was read by the author. 

The House of Impossible Beauties

 

The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara  400 pp.

In the 1970s Drag Ballrooms were created when Crystal and Lottie LaBeija created the first "House" of black and Latinx queer, gay, and trans people to hold their first ball in reaction to the drag beauty contests where non-white contestants were ignored. The phenomenon spread in Manhattan and more "houses" were created run by the house "Mother" and sometimes "Father" and the queens who came to live with them. This novel is a historical fiction version of those days and many of the more famous queens of the time are featured as characters. Focusing mainly on House Extravaganza and it's members, especially it's founder, Angel Extravaganza, and Venus Extravaganza. Their lives were gritty and dangerous as many worked as gay prostitutes on the streets of Manhattan. Others were purveyors of drugs and often used what they sold becoming addicts. Then, with the appearance of the HIV virus, death became even more prevalent than before. Many succumbed to violence, drugs or AIDS during that time and this book doesn't shy away from the horrors of the period even as many tried to keep putting their best face (and costumes) out there for the world to see. The real Venus Extravaganza was murdered, probably by a john, both in the story and real life. It is heart wrenching how the Houses came together out of the need for places to stay and became found families for so many that were estranged from their blood families. The film "Paris is Burning" is about this era and the balls and Queens who populated them.

Freak Show

Freak Show by James St. James 297 pgs.

Billy is starting his senior year at a new school.  Changing schools is tough for anyone but even more so for a gay drag queen.  The kids at the new school are...let' say, unimpressed.  Then they get mean.  They harass and bully him then things get out of control and Billy is beaten pretty badly. This wake up call gains him a friend...and not just any friend.  Flip is the star of the football team.  Life is better for Billy under Flip's protection but then he decides he needs to teach his fellow students a lesson.  I won't add any spoilers but will say this is a very enjoyable book.

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I am not myself these days

I am not myself these days/Josh Kilmer-Purcell  308 pgs.

Many of us has some wilder days in our past but probably not too many of us can top this story.  Josh moved to NYC to follow his dreams and ended up being an alcoholic drag queen/ad man who lived for several month with a boyfriend who he thought was "the one".  I can certainly say he found himself in situations that I could not relate with personally but the bad choices and sheer luck of staying alive might ring a bell with some.  Kilmer-Purcell has a gift with description and his writing made this a wonderful read.