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Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens
Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens | Tanya Boteju
18 posts | 18 read | 29 to read
Judy Blume meets RuPauls Drag Race in this funny, feel-good debut novel about a queer teen who navigates questions of identity and self-acceptance while discovering the magical world of drag. Perpetually awkward Nima Kumara-Clark is bored with her insular community of Bridgeton, in love with her straight girlfriend, and trying to move past her mothers unexpected departure. After a bewildering encounter at a local festival, Nima finds herself suddenly immersed in the drag scene on the other side of town. Macho drag kings, magical queens, new love interests, and surprising allies propel Nima both painfully and hilariously closer to a self she never knew she could beone that can confidently express and accept love. But shell have to learn to accept lost love to get there. From debut author Tanya Boteju comes a poignant, laugh-out-loud tale of acceptance, self-expression, and the colorful worlds that await when were brave enough to look.
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WriterAtHeart
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Pickpick

I loved this coming of age story about Nima, a lesbian teenager who starts to learn about life outside of her small town through the local drag scene.

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Soubhiville
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Finished up my #LMPBC book today. It had some issues but I also really liked parts of it. I‘m always down for some drag, so that earned 🤩👍. I hope to drop it in the mail tomorrow for you @bibliobard .

64 likes2 stack adds
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Soubhiville
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@WanderingBookaneer I‘m reading your book tonight for #LMPBC and Igor is putting his kitty prints on it for your kitty crew to sniff out when it returns to you 😸😹.

DinoMom What a cutie. 3y
Prairiegirl_reading Awwwww too cute!!! 🥰🥰 3y
WanderingBookaneer 😻 😻 😻 Igor! 😻 😻 😻
They will probably freak out thinking that there is gonna be yet another kitty in the house. 😹
3y
64 likes3 comments
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phantomx
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Mehso-so

3/5 🌟s. I loved Nima at the beginning of story and her confession to Ginny really reeled me in. However, after the Summer Lovin' Festival, the story was no longer appealing, and the characters were falling flat with the plot. Deidre, the drag queen, became more of a tool to solve everyone's problem rather than a person. The flow of the story didn't work for me, it was broken up. I was more exhausted than happy with the ending. 😧

3 likes1 stack add1 comment
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phantomx
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Finished Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens; I enjoyed reading it, RuPaul's Drag Race really pumped me up for it. I will be sending out this lmpbc pick tomorrow through the mail. I'll keep ya posted @Soubhiville @bibliobard @WanderingBookaneer #LMPBC #GroupP

phantomx @Soubhiville Sent out the lmpbc through the mail, should arrive by Saturday 3y
Soubhiville I‘ll keep a lookout for it. Thank you! 3y
Soubhiville It arrived today @phantomx 🤗Thank you! 3y
phantomx @Soubhiville you're welcome, enjoy the book 3y
9 likes1 stack add4 comments
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phantomx
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Squeezing in the last 160 pages of the book for #lmpbc (I'm cutting it down to the wire sending these picks out 😥) I'm really enjoying it though #GroupP @WanderingBookaneer @Soubhiville @bibliobard

Soubhiville I‘m a pretty quick reader, so don‘t worry if you‘re a little late sending it! 3y
phantomx @Soubhiville Thank you, I'll send out the book by Friday. 3y
12 likes2 comments
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phantomx
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Watching him go, my head shook as though acting independently of me--judging me for being even less adventurous than Charles. Charles. #FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

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Lovesbooks87
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Pickpick

Another BINGO. Didn‘t think I would blackout my board this month but with some unexpected reading time this week due to my classroom being shut down because we thought one of my littles may have COVID due to some of their illness symptoms. Thank goodness it was just a bug and not COVID!!!

#bookspinbingo space 14

EH2018 You almost finished it all!! So amazing!! 4y
Bookwormjillk Glad it wasn‘t COVID! 4y
57 likes2 comments
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alisonrose
Pickpick

This was a sweet and fun read, definitely the kind of thing I needed. I love that drag culture is getting a moment in the sun here, and I would love to be friends with Deirdre, so long as she knew my ass is never getting on a stage. It‘s definitely a debut and is a little rough in parts, and some of the dialogue was a bit much, but I enjoyed it and will certainly check out whatever the author writes next. 3/5 ⭐️

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alisonrose

She did, however, give me a once-over and a wink. I thought it best to reciprocate with what I hoped was a flirtatious smile, but which I‘m sure looked more like a blend of pre-sneeze and constipation.

🤣🤣🤣

LoverOfLearning Omg. 😂💀😂 4y
26 likes2 comments
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alisonrose

[Okay, the author just used the “I released a breath I didn‘t realize I was holding” line BUT it was right after the character left a Porta Potty which is the only acceptable time to use it, so I forgive them.]

Karisa 🤣🤭 4y
rubyslippersreads 🤢😂 4y
alisonrose @Karisa @rubyslippersreads 😬🚽🙅🏻‍♀️ 4y
28 likes3 comments
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alisonrose

The tents dotted the far corner of the Weeds, and the rides occupied the rest of the space. Surprisingly, Charles loved rides. Unsurprisingly, I hated them. I couldn‘t see the point of scaring the crap out of myself. Life is terrifying enough as it is.

👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

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alisonrose
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I wanted something fun and this definitely looks fun. This whole cover makes me smile. Hopefully the story inside will, too. #nowreading

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Lindy
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Pickpick

My praise:
1) A young lesbian of mixed South Asian heritage is the central character.
2) An interesting cast of other queer characters.
3) Engaging storylines.
4) Well-drawn drag performance milieu.
My reservations:
1) Supporting character Deirdra is a Black drag queen (but seems more of a trans woman) who‘s cast in the role of manic pixie dream girl.
2) A little too much teen angst.
Verdict: a pick in #audiobook.
#LGBT #ownvoices #Canadian #YA

Lindy A note about the audiobook narrator, Soneela Nankani: she‘s everywhere! (And she‘s great.) In the past year, I‘ve listened to at least 7 books that she‘s performed. 5y
Cinfhen Good to know!! Excellent review💜 5y
Lindy @Cinfhen 😘 5y
33 likes3 comments
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bookishkai
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I‘ve been looking forward to reading this, and now it‘s here!

31 likes3 stack adds
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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Pickpick

I loved the depiction of drag & the first blush of queer community. This #YA about awkward baby dyke Nima brought me back to that period in my life. I loved the supportive adults: her hippie dad, lesbian family friend Jill, and drag mentor Deirdre. But: the plot about her mom who's left was underdeveloped and the characterization of Deirdre was off: she's constantly referred to as a drag queen not a trans woman but she always presents as a woman?

34 likes1 comment
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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This book is giving me serious nostalgia about the time when I was first coming out and went to my first Pride parade and drag show. 🏳️‍🌈 😍 #QueerBooks #YA #LGBTQBooks #GayYA

35 likes2 stack adds
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rachelsbrittain
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Pickpick

This was a cute book about identity, love, friendship, and learning to be unabashedly who you are. The drag scene setting was a really fun one, and I absolutely adored Deidre (Nima's drag fairy godmother, basically). It didn't blow me away, but I think it's a fun story and potentially an important one to a lot of teens in situations like Nima's.

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