I was so excited to read this book. I didn't know of Crystal until I came across a tweet about the book but I am all in for any books by drag queens! Especially UK ones. We only really hear of American drag queens so it was a nice change to see that one of ours was being given a platform.

It took me a long time to get through this though. I found that there is a lot of pages containing detailed sex that Crystal has had or seen. Very detailed, so if youre delicate...this might not be the book for you. I expected to read more about how Crystal got into drag, about life as a drag queen but instead it read like a real raw version of 50 shades. I also found there was a lot of emphasis on "privilege" and a lot of talk about white people which didn't actually bring much to the overall story.

I feel that the target audience is probably gay men and maybe thats why I didn't get it? I have to admit, im giving 3 stars because of the piece by Crystals grandmother. Such a beautiful, touching tribute to have in the middle of the book.

The way the book is written, diary style, is actually enjoyable. Ill keep my eyes out for a second book that ill hopefully enjoy more.

Absolutely brilliant book, though it will not be everyone’s cup of tea. So I am a cis het, who knew? I was curious to learn what it means to be non-binary, I’m not sure I’m any closer to that, but an amazing book with a rollercoaster of experiences. The book is full of amazing people, great friendships, a lot of glitter, and also some absolutely gross episodes (which were generally funny), but also some crushingly horrible episodes. We are all the same, we want to fit in, but also stand out, we want to be loved and successful, and this book describes a life very different to mine, but still very recognisable.

I think you should just find loads of adjectives in the dictionary and write them out to describe this book. Funny, sad, outrageous, scatological, sexy, crude, endearing, annoying... well you get the idea. Crystal is from the north of England and the humour of the area comes through even when they are in America and it's gay scene and drag scene. Crystal is an excellent writer and you certainly get the flavour of the life but it does seem repetitive sometimes and also sometimes I wanted to slap them. But then loads of other times I wanted to give them a hug and say that love is out there.

Not for the faint hearted as very frank about gay sex and the scene but also very honest about the search for love, understanding and belonging. Well worth the read if you want to understand more about a life on the edge.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I loved this book- such an important book for our times, yet delivered in such a funny, poignant, witty way. It’s all about being true to yourself, family and friendship. A brilliant read that truly delivers.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this for review consideration. I will not be publishing a review for this book.

If you are looking for a glamorous Drag Race style sequins and dreams, this is not it.

This is the no holds barred, brutally honest, account of a person dealing with all the rough that comes with the sort after smooth of life.
Between self depreciating humour and hysterical anecdotes are the jarring realities of being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the discrimination and prejudices, public abuse, love, and of course sex.

The diary of Crystal follows a year of chasing dreams and finding their way, even when it doesn't work out.
I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love with them. It was like have a TMI chat over tea, or cocktails, and talking about all the things you only do with your friends.

A simply fabulous book. It elicits a wide range of emotions from the reading and manages to be challenging to the reader, without being challenging to read. I flew through the pages and was devastated when there was no more. Brilliance.

Going into this I was expecting a filtered look at the glamorous side of being a drag queen, but what I read was so much more than that. It’s a frank, social examination on the right to identify as you please, the prejudices that still arise from all sides of the LGBTQ+ community, personal pride, toxic masculinity and of course, sex. There’s a lot of sex. This is not for the prudish.

It’s set out in a very standard diary format, following Crystal through a year in their life. Is it selective in its representation of Crystal and their story? Yes. We see only what they want us to see, which is a number of highly amusing, touching and powerful stories that in some instances I took with a huge grain of salt. It’s intimate enough to feel like you are personally being told these stories by Crystal. As if you’ve just popped round for a cup of tea to hear another over the top tale of sexual exploits involving a gimp suit and golden showers like an old friend. I liked that. It made Crystal so much more endearing, and allowed me to warm to them almost instantly.

I did feel at times that some of the stories were used more for shock value over social commentary, and this took a little of the shine away from some of the important issues Crystal was trying to say at times. After a while all the sex stuff started to blend into one too, and I was crying out for some more ‘down time’, everyday boring stuff to counterbalance this.

However, I enjoyed this. It was witty, self deprecating and entertaining while plying me with some thought provoking comments. Ideal read for allies, and those looking for an insight into what it is to live in the LGBTQ+ community.

I have always wanted to be a drag queen. I know it sounds strange and inherently being a drag queen is mainly a male role but dammit drag queens get to have so much fun. They are so glamorous and it just seems like an amazing element of performance.

This is why I was drawn to the memoir Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen. Rasmussen is so very candid when explaining the life of a drag queen, about his life as a gay man – whether this be the difficult relationship with love, random hook-ups and how gay men are still victims of hatred.

It is hard not to like Diary of a Drag Queen. It is dry, funny, warm and endearing. My favourite thing was the little asides littered within the text – they were often hilarious.

Diary of a Drag Queen is a wonderful read and I fully recommend it.

Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen is available now.

For more information regarding Crystal Rasmussen (@TomGlitter) please visit clippings.me/tomrasmussen.

For more information regarding Penguin Random House (@PenguinRHUK) please visit www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

I had seen a few promo pieces for Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen (Ebury), £14.99, but I had thought, nah, it’ll be just cheesy and all style over substance. And then it was published last month, and I saw a piece by the writer in The Guardian about what they were exploring in the book. It was fascinating – as much about the struggle as the success – and I thought, hmmm, maybe I was wrong. And, you know what, I WAS WRONG!!!

This book is superb. Bloody superb. Bloody funny, yes, but brutally honest about what sacrifices are made and the hostility that comes from men threatened by the challenge to toxic masculinity. As a result, this book is a terrific mix of cerebral examinations of gender and identity set against the ups and downs of ‘a year in the life’ as Crystal navigates a life of glamour, casual sex, and an empty bank account in London.

A unique portrayal of the queer experience.

I'd seen a lot of advance buzz about this book, so i requested it from Netgalley and was lucky enough to get approved. This is a no holds barred look at a year in Crystal Rasmussen's life - and I found it fascinating but quite uncomfortable reading. The realities of day to day life as a non-binary femme drag queen are here - from abuse in the street and homophobic violence to sex clubs and grindr hook-ups. if you're squeamish, this is not for you. This might be the most unflinching book of self-reflection I've read since Viv Albertine's first memoir - Rasmussen has decided how they want to live their life and is setting it out for you as a manifesto and it's going to make you think and think a lot. At times I wanted to put the book down and step away, but I stayed, because Rasmussen talks a lot about how people perceive them as being too much and having to tone their life down and I didn't want to be that person!

I thought this book would be quite humours to read but I found it anything but. I found myself skim read large chunks of it as it sounded more like a work of fiction than a diary.

What a fantastic book! This book is an insight into the life of Crystal and it gave me thought-provoking conversations as well as making me laugh out loud! I really enjoy her energy and honesty through the pages and I feel like I learnt so much about her from this book 😁. A really enjoyable read and one I got through extremely quickly too!

Unfortunately I have had to give up halfway through. I didn't think I was a prude but this is just a bit too much for my sensitive soul!

It has some very sad moments regarding the way people are treat and some funny moments but the snot, poo and stories about making out with a dog are just too much for me. There are some informative moments regarding the drag scene though.

There was a lot in Diary of a Drag Queen to love. It was irreverent, funny, self-deprecating, and completely, utterly filthy. Rasmussen has a lot of interesting things to say on the queer experience, and it was these parts that really shone. What turned me off the book a bit was that it simply got repetitive after a while. After the 20th random Grindr hookup, and the 100th dirty sex story I just found myself getting bored with it. There just had to be more to Rasmussen than intellectual ramblings and dirty sex. None of that made it into the narrative.

I really enjoyed the first half and got invested in Rasmussen's experiences. But by the second half, I got readers fatigue due to the repetitive content. I'm going to seek out more of Rasmussen's essays though, as I'm fascinated by what they have to say.

This book is definitely not for the faint-hearted (unless they're ready to have their eyes opened!) but I really enjoyed it. An insightful account of a year in the life of a drag queen. Featuring the north of England and contrasting with New York, it moves along at a fast pace and in places is both humorous and endearing.

Great read, I didn't know Crystal before the book and I loved the experience. Sometimes it's raw but always true, and I laughed a lot of times, amazing and what I expected.

Diary of a Drag Queen is about as far away from my usual reading as you could get, but when I heard about it I knew it was exactly what I needed to have a fantastic laugh; if you're easily offended or prudish then let me say very clearly that this is most definitely not for you. Described as "a unique portrayal of the queer experience," we follow Crystal Rasmussen through a fun-filled year in their (preferred term) life. It's all here; the good, the bad and the ugly, and there were numerous times I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face. I think it's the complete and utter frankness, brutal honesty and no holds barred nature of the book which makes it very easy to admire the way Crystal lives.

Well written with a great flow to it, this is a cracking good read. Lighthearted and perfect to pass the time before bed. I didn't want it to end. The writing is raw and powerful and represents a person who is living life exactly as they want. Crystal is a warm personality, and you truly feel as if you've known them all your life by the end of the book. The spectrum of emotions you feel through the duration of this biography is astounding; it'll make you laugh, cry, cringe and squirm. It's thought-provoking and moving in equal measure - the phrase "warts and all" has never been so apt.

Many thanks to Ebury Press for an ARC.

I absolutely adored this book. Crystal's writing is so raw and personal it feels like the words are just for you. I had such a book hangover after reading this that I would read any and everything they write. I laughed out loud, cringed, flinched and cried more times than I can count this and I don't think I've ever felt such an array of emotions whilst reading.

I've recommended it to most of my friends and family now (including my mum!!) and can't wait for it to be published.

Wow, where to start. Firstly it's as over the top as a queen can be and for that reason there were parts that made me laugh out loud. But equally there are other parts that made me feel like I did at a long neck village in Thailand, humans shouldn't have to make a buck by being entertainment to others. I felt like i was looking into the very soul of the author, their thoughts on society, pride, gay marriage, RuPaul. At times i was uncomfortable, grossed out (if your uncomfortable reading about farting cum into someone's else's mouth this probably isn't the right book for you) sad, hopeful, fabbity fab. And for that this is a solid 4 star book as it brought out so many emotions.