This audiobook was with me throughout Pride Month and I couldn't have had a better soundtrack for it.

Hearing a variety of queer folks talk about our history in a way that was so personal to their own lives and journeys was incredibly inspiring and heartening.

I've ordered several physical copies of this for my store and it featured in our Pride display all month. I have recommended it to several younger queer readers because I found it a perfect way to learn more about our roots and feel more optimistic about the future.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this audiobook!

I’m quite lucky that I managed to get approved, listened and finish this audiobook before the end of June 2021 (aka Pride Month). I am going to admit that non-fiction isn’t my normal reading/audiobook area. I don’t mind dipping my toe into non-fiction every now and again, it’s a genre that always intimidates me. So, when I saw the audiobook of The Queer Bible on NetGalley UK, I requested it so fast that even I was surprised over my reaction. As someone who identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I feel that it’s important for me to know our history. Or herstory, and this was going to be a good place to start, right? I mean, it’s a collection of essays, written from people all over the community (Elton John, Courtney Act, Graham Norton, Tan France, etc) about trailblazers who inspired them (David Bowie, George Michael, Tim Curry, Paris is Burning, Divine, Sylvester, etc), and edited by Jack Guinness, the founder of popular website The Queer Bible (as well as being a model and activist) and with each story illustrated by queer or ally artists (sadly, I didn’t get to see these as I audiobooked it, though I do think that if you buy this via Audible or other audiobook outlets, you might get them as a PDF).

So, where do I fit with this as, like I said, non-fiction and collections of essays aren’t my normal reads (and throughout a good chunk of Pride 2021, I’ve been reading MM romances so I might not have audiobooked this at the right time)? It was interesting listening and I do think collections of essays like this are important to shine light on areas of life we don’t normally look at or think about.

But, like most collections (of short stories, essays, poems, etc), some essays are going to click with readers more than others. I found the essays on George Michael, David Bowie, Harvey Fierstein, Edward Enninful, and a few others (I am not going to list them all!) gripping while others didn’t hold my attention in the same way, but I found what the authors were trying to say interesting.

I do have one or two niggles with the audiobook. Of course I do, this is me we’re talking about here.

The first is narration. Stay with me here. Now, I fully understand that not everyone who wrote an essay for the collection either could find time to record their essay or want to record themselves reading their essay. That’s fine, I get that. But to have only Paul Guinness reading them is a problem because there are occasions where he is reading several essays and author bios back to back and, for me, they began to merge together and made me feel tired and drained, while thinking to “Is this essay ever going to end?!”

Another niggle is something I spotted in a few reviews and, once I saw it, I couldn’t unsee it. But this collection, while vital, did at times feel very cis gay male heavy in its contributors and subject matter. Now, I know there were authors who are lesbian, bi, trans, drag, intersex and authors of colour, but it’s a feeling I had and couldn’t really escape from.

But I do think this is an important collection and, like Juno Dawson’s This Book is Gay and What's the T?, is vital for teens and adults who want to educate and empower themselves around LGBTQIA+ and its history.

I was given a free pre-release copy in exchange for an honest review

The perfect Pride Month book. Edited by one Jack Guinness, this holy tome contains the thoughts of so many icons - Tan France, Elton John, Lady Phyll, Mae Martin, etc. there are so many mentioned and discussed as well from Armistead Maupin, Sylvester, Queen Freddie of Mercury, and going through every infamous historical piece we know - AIDS, Priscilla Queen of The Desert, Stonewall, not to mention Elton John's loving tribute to Divine!

read it and learn more than you ever will about queer history or check out the podcast of the same name

Add it to the want to read list on your Goodreads for sure

I have read a lot of Queer literature this year, I love LGBTQIA fiction but I have to say that it has been the non-fiction that has stuck with me. I decided to listen to the audiobook of The Queer Bible and I con honestly say that I think it was the best decision for me. I got something from the audiobook that I don't think would have had the same impact had I read it on a page. I heard the passion behind each of these essays. Whilst not all of them were read by their author you still got the feeling of importance. It was joyful.

The audiobook opened on an essay about George Michael and straight away I was sold. The rest of the book highlights queer icons. What is fantastic is that you are hearing/reading queer icons talk about their own queer icons and the impact that they had. It is both educational and entertaining and by far one of the most positive books I have listened to in a long time.

The Queer Bible by Jack Guinness is available now.

For more information regarding Jack Guinness (@JackGuinness) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding Harper Collins (@HarperCollinsUK) please visit their Twitter page.

For more information regarding HQ (@HQ Stories) please visit www.hqstories.co.uk.

This is an essay collection from contemporary queer celebrities talking about the other queer people who influenced them. It manages to strike a balance between sad and hopeful. The essays that were narrated by the writers themselves were the best- I particularly enjoyed the essay by Russell Tovey even though I had never heard of the artist he was talking about. I think the collection would need to be quite a bit longer to get the full breadth and depth of the LGBTQIA community. I hope there's a part two at some point.

This was an enjoyable listen for Pride month and I'd recommend it.

The Queer Bible is a powerful, poignant and enlightening celebration of trailblazing queer icons who inspired and continue to inspire contemporary queer icons. The essays are emotional, sad, happy, funny and deeply personal. They are also educational, with many of the authors and subjects new to me, and it was a pleasure to read this book and to learn more about important figures within the LGBTQIA+ community

During the essays, the authors explore their own experiences which have been influenced by the icon they are writing about. Through art, literature, music, film and activism these icons have impacted the authors, which creates a collection of unique essays, all of which are important to read and learn from. The authors explore their own education within the queer community whilst encouraging the reader to do the same

I listened to the audio of this book which was read by the contributors or by Jack Guinness. I found the essays read by their author particularly powerful and emotional. Their love and passion for their chosen focus shone through. The essay by Monroe Bergdorf on Paris is Burning and the history and experience of Black Trans Women was particularly moving and emotional. Other subjects included are George Michael, Queer Eye, Divine, Susan Sontag, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Pidgeon Pagonis, Moud Goba and more

A book for LGBTQIA+ community members and allies alike, thank you to NetGalley and HQ Stories and HarperCollins Audio for the audio copy of this wonderful collection.

The Queer Bible is a beautiful, heartfelt and fun look at the queer icons which inspired and influenced other queer icons. A collection of essays edited by Jack Guinness, The Queer Bible looks at the queer community, it's artistry, it's struggles and the beauty and hardship that lies within.

Some essays are read by the authors themselves, such as Graham Norton, Russell Tovey and Tan France. These are the ones that really jump out and capture you. Jack Guinness of course does a fantastic job at reading the others but some of the authors passion does get lost in the retelling.

There are sad stories, funny stories and deeply moving ones. There really is a little bit of everything to give a look at the constantly changing and blossoming LGBTQIA+ community.

I came away from this audiobook with a huge list of other books and films that I want to read and watch. This is an important, informative and entertaining book for those within the community, it's allies and especially those who are neither.

'The Queer Bible' features essays from a variety of queer activists, performers, artists and more about a queer individual, group or piece of work that inspired, influenced and has guided them through their lives as they discovered more about themselves. Edited by Jack Guinness, a model and founder of the Queer Bible website, the book features essays from Elton John, Munroe Bergdorf, Graham Norton, Mae Martin, Tan France and many more.

I found this essays hugely interesting. Some of them are full of excitement and fandom about how the revolutionary power of a movie or seeing a person onstage or on TV changed someone's life, others are more academic or focused on social issues and movements. Some of them were a bit too long for my liking - they probably could have done with a bit further editing where some rambled on a bit - but otherwise, it's a good collection of essays about representation and celebrating LGBTQIA+ culture in its variety of forms.

3.5 (4 for a print version).
I read Elton John’s essay on Divine as an extract in the Sunday Times and so jumped on this as soon as I saw it offered as an audiobook ARC. I was really looking forward to listening to people explain their own influences and here lies one of the biggest problems for me, for the most part, they don’t, they are read by Jack Guiness.

I don’t have an issue with JG per se but if you listen to Graham Norton or Russell Tovey reading their essays, you hear their genuine passion for their subject, whereas JG just reads through it. In fairness, reading other people’s essays is much harder than reading someone else’s fiction. Sometimes it doesn’t matter, as with Courtney Act’s Priscilla, Queen of the Desert segment but at others it’s just a bit flat.

My other irritation is the sparse number of lesbian sections, something which seems so strange when there are women like Sue Perkins, Sandy Toksvig and Claire Balding on tv here, not to mention younger women whose identity is more fluid, like Cara Delevingne.

Finally, please can audiobook chapters be properly labelled so that you know what’s inside them and reordered so that the biography of the author comes before the essay.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Queer Bible is a gorgeous, powerful, and poignant celebration of the queer icons who inspired our own queer icons — those whose names deserve to be remembered and celebrated. Here are contemporary queer celebrities and writers sharing their stories of the people who encouraged them — through written word, through film, through song — to be wholly and unapologetically themselves.

I had an e-ARC audiobook and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Some of the contributors read their own essays — such as Graham Norton, who takes us on a whirlwind journey to San Francisco as he pays tribute to Armistead Maupin. Other essays are narrated by the editor of this collection, Jack Guinness, who brings his own flair to each piece.

I was particularly moved by Paul Flynn’s remembrance of George Michael, and Munroe Bergdorf’s essay about the 1990 documentary “Paris is Burning”. Listening to the latter, my hands stilled in their task as I heard her say, “All countries are transphobic”. This is something that, intellectually, I knew — but hearing it aloud, spoken by someone who is directly affected by this very statement… That hit me hard in the heart.

Not all the essays here are sad — some are joyful, excited, inspiring, and bold. Others are challenging, when hearing the intolerance, hatred, and misunderstanding that are faced by LGBTQIA+ people. The book is separated into four distinct sections — Words to Dance To, Words of Joy, Words to Inspire Change, and Words of Wisdom. All have their brilliance and importance. Not one essay is worth skipping, in my opinion. All these voices — remembering voices of icons gone by — are worthy of being heard and witnessed.

This is an important book in the ongoing education and empowerment around LGBTQIA+. If you are part of the rainbow community, then you will find nourishment and companionship here. If you are not, then here is a perfect place to start learning more — and a perfect book to inspire you to act, to become a better ally. I thoroughly enjoyed my listen to this book, and I will be picking up my hardcopy soon. Brilliant.

I received an e-ARC audiobook from the publisher, HQ, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As well as being entertaining this book was also informative and inspiring not just for those in the LGBTQI+ community.

I also came away from this book with a bunch of other books to read, art to look into and films to watch.

I listened to the audiobook and it was great to hear some of the writers read their own essays however it mean I missed out on the illustrations

Wow wow wow, where do I start!
This was a fantastic book filled with emotion, real stories and wonderful people.
I will be recommending this to everyone I know as I found it utterly gripping.