The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir | 
so-soI know very little about RuPaul's personal life so this was a nice intro to the person from their early start as a good portion of the book is about their childhood, family home, early start in show business, drag, as well as a general gloss-over of their current.
The book started out strong but it does feel, maybe part of the gloss-over for me, that it loses steam a bit halfway into the book but then again, they have a 20+ years to try to cover.
“From international drag superstar and pop culture icon RuPaul, comes his most revealing and personal work to date--a deeply intimate memoir of discovery, found family, and self-acceptance. The House of Hidden Meanings is a self-portrait of the legendary icon on the road to global fame and changing the way the world thinks about drag.”
pickI am a big fan of RuPaul so I really enjoyed this one. He had an interesting life and I learned a lot about his upbringing. I was disappointed that he did not touch on his relationship with Michelle Visage, or with his Drag Race show. Hopefully that will be covered in another book.
“If a man hits you once, leave. It‘s never going to get any better.”
so-soRuPaul Charles is a drag icon, actor, podcaster and the host and producer of an international drag show competition franchise. Although this memoir intends to reveal the real RuPaul and he talks a lot about a traumatic childhood through to the beginnings of his drag career and how he met his husband Georges LeBar, there‘s a therapy filter at play here, which creates a sense of distance so I came away feeling like I hadn‘t seen the real RuPaul.
pickLoved this memoir. Ru‘s life outlook is inspirational. It was great to get some insight behind the celebrity.
After more than 7 years of using Leio to track my reading, I had to look to an alternative as the app broke sometime this spring and stats aren‘t accurate. So giving Bookly another go.
Does anyone know if there‘s a way to mark a book Finished without rating it? I‘m terrible with rating and I had to start RuPaul this morning before I could close the figurative book on this one.
Fresh audiobook…Love RuPaul!
pick#ReadAway2024 #Wardens2024 #BookSpinBingo
I‘ve always been curious about Ru, both his persona & the man behind it. I absolutely loved this audiobook😉📖. It is honest and raw, offering us both the story & insight behind who he is today.
pickRuPaul has an outlook on life that is truly inspirational. Coming out of hardships, suffering and struggles, with a strength beyond words, it was a pleasure to listen to their story. This isn‘t a celebrity tell-all but a tale of knowing you were made to shine, and going about achieving your goals.
The audiobook is also read by RuPaul which adds to the feeling of sitting down with them to listen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My 15 hour allowance for Spotify audiobooks (dumb) is back so let‘s finished the last LGBTQ audiobook with the absolute Queen!!
pickThis is the first of Rupaul‘s books I‘ve read. I remember being entranced by him when I was a child; I loved seeing him on tv. Today, my husband and I frequently watch his Drag Race, and love going to drag shows. This memoir taught me things about Rupaul I didn‘t know, and I loved how real and direct it was. His early days were wild and filled with partying. He found his peoplx, created his own kind of drag, and took the first steps that⬇️
The story in my family went like this: When my mother was pregnant with me, she went to see a psychic, who told her that the baby she was carrying was a boy and that he was bound to be famous. With that in mind, she gave me the name Rupaul because, as she put it, “Ain‘t no motherfucker alive with a name like that.” Fame, for me, was less a dream than a predestination.
The big lie of our lives is that we are powerless—that we need something else, like a job, or a partner, or fame, or the dopamine hijack of a hit of cocaine, or the chilly metallic weight of a gun—to grant us power. We mistake easy pleasure, or a rush of adrenaline—for power. But real power isn‘t a high: It‘s something else, grounded and secure. Much as we seek power in every corner of our lives, it‘s always already in us; it‘s impossible to be⬇️
I won! 🙌 🏆 🎀 🎖️ 📚❗️
Thank you so much @wanderinglynn ❤️ Email has been sent. I just might have a drawing to give it ON after I read it; twould be a Litsy-Giveathon-Trail! Yes, be watching this space (BkClubCare 🌎) for info as it all unfurls…😆
🎉 Congrats @BkClubCare 🎉
Send your mailing to: lynn@wanderinglynn.com
and I‘ll get this in the mail to you!
Thank you to everyone who entered my #RuGiveaway
bailedI appreciate his honesty about his history. I just got tired of his constant references to drug culture. I know that is an important part of his past but not something I‘m interested in reading about.
There‘s still time to enter my #RuGiveaway! Enter by 8 pm EDT Thursday!
#RuGiveaway @wanderinglynn is hosting a giveaway! Would love to read this! See original post to comment to enter! 🎉🤞🩷
#RuGiveaway 🎉
I have 2 copies! I got one for going to his book tour & the second from his book club. So I‘m giving away the second brand new hardback!
To enter, simply comment below.
For a second entry, share this post & tag me!
Open internationally.
Giveaway closes at 8pm EDT on Thursday, April 11.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ An intimate portrait of RuPaul‘s life, but I wanted a higher page count! It‘s not his first book, so maybe I‘ll check the backlist. Regardless, Ru shares his story how he pleases, and I respect that. It‘s thoughtful, raw, honest, and undeniably entertaining. Perfect cover; fabulous narration.
pickIf you‘d love a RuPaul tell-all story about wild nights with drugs at the best clubs, this book might disappoint you. RuPaul is not in the business of trashing people. This is his origin story, how he stepped into his identity, the freedom he found through drag, his realization that he too had a long-time addiction and how he addressed it, his need for kindness, a his love for his family and Georges. 👇
pickSN: my sister said his cover picture looks like Montel Williams and now I can‘t unsee it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
#ShananigansReads24
pickI really loved RuPaul‘s story. It‘s one about belonging, finding your tribe and your place in life. Growing, maturing and becoming who you are. I hear you RuPaul, today‘s technologies and lifestyles are a far cry from the Limelight days. ❤️
If RuPaul‘s book tour comes near you, I highly recommend going. What an amazing, fabulous, & inspiring evening.
pickI keep going back to the significance of the cover. This is not RuPaul the Drag Queen or RuPaul the Pop Star or RuPaul the Model. This is RuPaul in his own skin, his own story, his own soul. I was not expecting the amount of introspection this memoir contained, but I loved how it was mixed with the humor and wit that RuPaul is known for. The book is a message of how self-acceptance and love can bring you everything you ever dreamed of.
