Queer Icons and Their Cats
ARC uncorrected proof, Netgalley Review

I did a double take when I saw this cover (internal monologue :"wait a minute, is that Jujubee?! It is!! I have to read this"), and read it I did.

Queer Icons and Their Cats opens with a passage about the importance of pets, but specifically cats, in the lives of LGBTQ individuals. What follows are short bios and photos of, you guessed it, queer icons and their cats.
There's a wide range of people featured: chef, drag queens, actors, comedians, and activists to name a few. It was easy to read and informative.
It's the type of book that I definitely think does better in a physical copy vs ebook (which is how I read it). There are a few people in my life who I know would also enjoy this book. -- it would make a great gift.

This book is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: it features of variety of queer icons photographed with their feline friends.

This would make a great coffee table book as it features beautifully-captured photos alongside short bios of the queer icons featured. It made for an interesting read.

I really enjoyed the book even though I am not a cat fan but it was really good. I was cool seeing all these queer icons and their cats. I would love if the was a version that included queer icons and their dogs. I can see purchasing this book for friends who are cat lovers.

Queer Icons and Their Cats does what it says on the tin, mostly: a page or two about a famous queer person and the beloved animals in their lives, with a photo filling the opposite page depicting them with a cat. Frequently it's their own companion; sometimes it's a cat who lives with someone else. But with one appalling exception, it's always adorable.

Unfortunately, the copy I saw also included a certain self-proclaimed “man with a pussy” along with a glowing description of him. That guy isn’t a queer icon, he’s a jackass who was assigned jenny at birth. He said non-binary people like me don’t deserve access to hormones, and he said that when a trans woman is murdered by her date, it's her fault if she didn't disclose beforehand that she has a penis. I’ve explained to the publisher that he’s no angel, and my opinion of the book will be heavily influenced by his inclusion or removal.

I am grateful to the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free advance review copy.

I loved reading about all the icons and the subsequent cats. There were so many people included that I hadn’t heard of and now am glad I know a little sliver of their life and work. The prospect of cat photos is what drew me to the book and it didn’t disappoint. This would make a beautiful coffee table book to dip in and out of! The only thing that is a bit misleading is that not all the cats are owned by the people highlighted, that doesn’t bother me, but it may for some others.
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the early digital copy of this in exchange for a review.

Queer Icons and Their Cats show us how influential cats have been in the lives of different queer people. I think this book was great and would love to have is a ta coffee table book for all my friends to read. I of course loved every single cat in this book but I also got to know all the different people a bit more.

what a lovely view of LGBTQ icons and the cats they loved <3. The short little vignettes are delightful and informative, and made me want to look up, follow on social media, read further, about all these inspiring people. and KITTIES!!!
thanks to Netgalley for an early review copy.

This book is a celebration of queer icons past and present. Each person is photographed with a cat of some kind. It starts with the history of how people have treated cats. It isn't a ton of information, but it definitely peaks your interest. There were a lot of really interesting facts about cats. Each icon has two pages, one full of information about them and a picture. I love the pictures. I wasn't familiar with everyone in the book, but I enjoyed it and learned a lot.

This book is certainly full of queer icons --as if the cover didn't give that away with our Queen Jujubee. There are some you'll expect like Freddie Mercury, well known for his love of cats; but there are also some that will be a surprise. A pleasant surprise for me was the inclusion of Josephine Baker as her sexuality was not as publicized when she was alive --oh yeah, and her "cat' was a CHEETAH! There are a few other big cats and I really appreciate them because they are so cute and really make the book so much more exciting.

The snippets of biographical information about the people and their pets is nice. Some of the photographs feel like little intrusions into the lives of our favorite celebrities. Some of the photographs feel more like awkward candids that also happen to feature cats. Those certainly feel like stretches and that they were used simply to include notable queer icons like James Baldwin.

I really like the inclusion of women in STEM in this series like Lynn Conway and Rachel Carson. I am a little hesitant to be too excited about Carson and some other not out in their lifetimes queer icons listed as I have mixed feelings on whether or not they would have self-identified in the way the book presents.

This is fun as a coffee table book, and I do appreciate the wide variety of the people included in the book. It included people I knew and didn't, as well as people I knew and didn't know were queer, which was a fun surprise for those. I was very pleasantly surprised with the inclusion of Frenchie Davis, who has always famously deserved better! Overall this was cute if not life-changing, but I don't think it was supposed to be, and that's just fine!

I received an uncorrected proof of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The nature of this book lends itself to a short review, but I really enjoyed reading this book, and can definitely see it as being a great coffee table book. I'm excited to pick up a physical copy when it is published. It's an adorable set of short artist biographies paired with photos of the artists and their feline friends.

Beautiful queer lives with beautiful feline lives. What more could you want? I really enjoyed seeing all the gorgeous photos. Would definitely recommend for anyone LGBT, especially if they are a cat lover.

What a gorgeous book! I was fascinated reading about these icons, especially Dusty Springfield and Elton John! This is the perfect coffee table book! And a terrific conversation starter! Thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle books for the ePub!

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence my review in any way.

This is an absolutely beautiful book and it combined many of my favorite things: photography, queer history, and cats. The photos are gorgeous and the profiles are interesting. I learned about some people I had not heard of, and some I had but had not known were queer - and many I'd known were queer but didn't know were cat lovers! Many of the profiles have made me want to learn more about their subjects, and I definitely want to purchase a physical copy of this book for myself when it comes out, as well as a couple for some friends. It is the perfect coffee table book, and a great jumping off point for learning about influential queer figures. Plus kitties!

I really enjoyed this little book! Packed with information on queer icons, I learned so much. I especially loved the extra pages for James Baldwin. It was very readable and I obviously loved all the pictures of the cats mentioned. I read it with my own cats snuggled near by 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛

Queer folx. Cats. What more do I need in a cool picture/mini bio book? Uhm, nothing, I think you’ll find. When attracting me to media, if you can sell me on the fact that is has queer characters and or cats, I’m pretty much sold forever and ever.

This book is chocked full of famous names, past and present alongside their (mostly) furry, feline friends. It’s a cool look at some of our icons, and would make the perfect addition to any cool coffee table.

It’s out in May of next year, so keep an eye out for it, and peep that gorgeous pic of Jujubee on the cover! ❤

Nice collection of photographs with short, informative and entertaining narratives for each artist that is featured. The title is a little misleading. Though many of the Icons are posed with their feline family members, some just happen to have a cat in the picture. Some posed, some candid.

My favorites are the cover and the expressive shot of Chaz Bono. A few fascinated me and several I found out of place. Overall, an interesting collection.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aaamaazing!!!!!!! With icons like Freddie Mercury, Elton John, George Michael, Josephine Baker and Janis Joplin, just to name a few, how could you resist? This is a work of art full of breathtaking images of celebrated and infamous
notable individuals of our time, with their beloved felines. I was captivated by the memorable photographs depicting these notorious cat lovers. Being a cat lover myself, I could not get enough. I loved learning about the lives of these influencers and their furry companions. I was fortunate to receive an ARC, but still anxiously anticipating a physical copy so I can savor all of the beautiful and stunning pictures. Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this treasure. 5 purrfect 😻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

Beautiful, intimate portraits of queer notables with their feline friends. I really enjoyed the tidbits of information that are given in each short bio, along with the heartwarming imagery. A great read, and a great book to have for all cat lovers.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a great coffee table book. Let's break it down :
- Great introduction to so many important Queer icons with enough informations to situate yourself if you don't know them.
- Funny bits and anecdote that make you see some icons with a new light
- Stunning pictures (I particularly loved the more candid ones)

Con :
Although I understand many factors can limit the choices, I was surprised to see Sharon Needles (no tea no shade, I love Sharon) but not RuPaul himself ! I also wish there had been a more broader representation of LGBTQ+ icons (more trans, non-binary, gender fluid, ace people, pansexual, etc.)