The online bookstore Allstora, founded by RuPaul as ShopQueer in 2022 before a 2024 rebrand, has partnered with actress and trans activist Dylan Mulvaney and Gus Kenworthy, an Olympic medalist in freestyle skiing, to launch two new book clubs. As part of their launch, the clubs will distribute 2,500 banned books to LGBTQ+ organizations across the country via the Rainbow Book Bus, an affiliated charity
Both book clubs are currently accepting subscriptions through Allstora's website, with members set to receive monthly book selections and access to discussions with the hosts. The clubs join three others at Allstora: RuPaul's Book Club, The PANTS Book Club, and Rob Anderson's Book Club.
"Having a book club was on my vision board for 2024, and I'm so excited to be able to fulfill this dream with a company like Allstora, which champions all voices," Mulvaney said. Her club will read a book a month and focus on titles about pop culture, empowerment, and creativity, both in fiction and nonfiction. Mulvaney's own debut book, Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer, is scheduled for release from Abrams Image in March.
Kenworthy's Coffee Table Book Club will concentrate on art, fashion, and design titles. "I love what The Rainbow Book Bus is doing, and would have loved to have these books when I was going up," Kenworthy said. "Everyone should have access to books that make them feel seen, loved, and supported."
The Rainbow Book Bus launched its first cross-country bookmobile tour from Los Angeles to Atlanta this past March, and is on track to have donated 10,000 banned books to communities impacted by anti-inclusive legislation by the end of the year. The organization is accepting applications for book donations from 501(c)(3) organizations serving LGBTQ+ communities.
"We're not just connecting readers to books," Allstora CEO Eric Cervini said. "We're fighting for the right to read them."
