84 books like The Lion in the Living Room

By Abigail Tucker,

Here are 84 books that The Lion in the Living Room fans have personally recommended if you like The Lion in the Living Room. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Cat Sense: The Feline Enigma Revealed

Jonathan B. Losos Author Of The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa

From my list on cats: past, present and future.

Why am I passionate about this?

Although I’m a cat lover, I’ve spent my career studying the evolution of lizards. As my career progressed, it never occurred to me to investigate cats. They’re too hard to study (ever tried following one?), plus, I thought there was no interesting cat research being done. Then I learned I was completely wrong—cat scientists are conducting great work using cutting-edge techniques. So I decided to teach a freshman class on the science of cats, hoping to lure in cat-loving students and then teach them how scientists study nature, using cats as the vehicle. The class was a success, but something unexpected happened: I became hooked on cat science myself!

Jonathan's book list on cats: past, present and future

Jonathan B. Losos Why did Jonathan love this book?

John Bradshaw, arguably the world’s foremost cat scientist, leans on his years of experience to provide an engaging presentation on all things cat. Bradshaw is, first and foremost, a behaviorist, and so much of the book focuses on why cats do what they do, with many useful tips on how to be a better cat servant/companion.

I particularly liked how Bradshaw weaved in stories from his own research projects and even those of his beloved pet, Splodge. In addition, I appreciated that he not only summarized other scientists’ findings but wasn’t shy about presenting his own views, critical or not. 

By John Bradshaw,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Cat Sense as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cats have been popular household pets for thousands of years, and their numbers only continue to rise. Today there are three cats for every dog on the planet, and yet cats remain more mysterious, even to their most adoring owners. Unlike dogs, cats evolved as solitary hunters, and, while many have learned to live alongside humans and even feel affection for us, they still don't quite get us" the way dogs do, and perhaps they never will. But cats have rich emotional lives that we need to respect and understand if they are to thrive in our company. In Cat…


Book cover of The Secret Language Of Cats: How to Understand Your Cat for a Better, Happier Relationship

Jonathan B. Losos Author Of The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa

From my list on cats: past, present and future.

Why am I passionate about this?

Although I’m a cat lover, I’ve spent my career studying the evolution of lizards. As my career progressed, it never occurred to me to investigate cats. They’re too hard to study (ever tried following one?), plus, I thought there was no interesting cat research being done. Then I learned I was completely wrong—cat scientists are conducting great work using cutting-edge techniques. So I decided to teach a freshman class on the science of cats, hoping to lure in cat-loving students and then teach them how scientists study nature, using cats as the vehicle. The class was a success, but something unexpected happened: I became hooked on cat science myself!

Jonathan's book list on cats: past, present and future

Jonathan B. Losos Why did Jonathan love this book?

Ever wondered what your cat is saying? I have. And this is the book to explain what Jasmine is trying to tell you.

I loved the charming way that Schötz detailed her elegant studies of feline phonetics and linguistics based partly on recordings of her own five cats. No wonder she received an Ig Nobel Prize, given to "honor achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think."

By Susanne Schoetz, Peter Kuras (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Secret Language Of Cats as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Do you speak to your cat? Do you feel your cat understands you and vice versa?

Cat lovers across the globe know cats can speak. In this compelling new book, Susanne Schotz - a professor at Sweden's Lund University - shares insights into her long-standing cat communication research. Proving that cats not only speak to one another, but also to their human caretakers.

This clever book teaches us how to better understand our cats by translating their sounds, recognising their meaning in different situations and giving practical tips to understand them better.

Unlocking the cat code, this crash course in…


Book cover of Cats: Ancient & Modern

Jonathan B. Losos Author Of The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa

From my list on cats: past, present and future.

Why am I passionate about this?

Although I’m a cat lover, I’ve spent my career studying the evolution of lizards. As my career progressed, it never occurred to me to investigate cats. They’re too hard to study (ever tried following one?), plus, I thought there was no interesting cat research being done. Then I learned I was completely wrong—cat scientists are conducting great work using cutting-edge techniques. So I decided to teach a freshman class on the science of cats, hoping to lure in cat-loving students and then teach them how scientists study nature, using cats as the vehicle. The class was a success, but something unexpected happened: I became hooked on cat science myself!

Jonathan's book list on cats: past, present and future

Jonathan B. Losos Why did Jonathan love this book?

In this concise, easy-to-read, and lavishly illustrated book, the late Juliet Clutton-Brock recounts the history of cats from their humble origins in the African bush to our beloved and diverse companions today.

I particularly like how Clutton-Brock, one of the leading zooarchaeologists of her time, blends historical accounts with her own observations on both ancient and modern-day moggies.

By Juliet Clutton-Brock,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cats as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

They can be found in pyramids, laid to rest alongside pharaohs, or mummified within the walls of superstitious British homeowners. Going to sea in a pea-green boat or fading to a Cheshire smile, they grace the pages of literature from Aesop to Eliot. They curl up on the hearth, they prowl the bar, they haunt the alleyway. With us since the dawn of culture, cats nonetheless have the shortest history of all domestic animals, a history that circumstances of breeding and temperament have made all the more elusive. What can be known about these creatures, so common yet so enigmatic,…


Book cover of The Cats of Lamu

Jonathan B. Losos Author Of The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa

From my list on cats: past, present and future.

Why am I passionate about this?

Although I’m a cat lover, I’ve spent my career studying the evolution of lizards. As my career progressed, it never occurred to me to investigate cats. They’re too hard to study (ever tried following one?), plus, I thought there was no interesting cat research being done. Then I learned I was completely wrong—cat scientists are conducting great work using cutting-edge techniques. So I decided to teach a freshman class on the science of cats, hoping to lure in cat-loving students and then teach them how scientists study nature, using cats as the vehicle. The class was a success, but something unexpected happened: I became hooked on cat science myself!

Jonathan's book list on cats: past, present and future

Jonathan B. Losos Why did Jonathan love this book?

This charming book is a bit different from my other selections. Couffer, an Academy Award-nominated cinematographer and director, provides delightful details of the lives of the cats living on the remote island of Lamu off the coast of Kenya.

With a sharp naturalist’s eye and a delightful voice, Couffer engagingly describes the escapades of several rival colonies of cats as they seek to eke out a living among the fisherpeople and town inhabitants. As well as enjoying the book so much that I could barely put it down, I found it thought-provoking as an example of how the earliest cats may have started associating with humans and began their journey to domestication…or at least as domesticated as cats have become.

By Jack Couffer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cats of Lamu as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Situated off the east coast of Africa, the L amu archipelago is home to a species of feral cat, possibly descended from the domestic cats of Egypt. Jack Couffer''s il lustrated study documents the lives and relationships of the se special cats. '


Book cover of I Hate My Cats (A Love Story)

Tanya Preminger Author Of Luna is Missing

From my list on picture books about pets.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always loved animals and felt a deep empathy for every living creature. But it wasn’t until the COVID lockdown that I truly connected with them. Locked up with a partner, a boy, two dogs, and three cats in a small house with a yard, I realized that it's not just us taking care of them—they're doing their best to take care of us, too. Trained in art since childhood by my mom, it was during the COVID lockdown that I began to draw our furry companions in earnest. I spent every waking hour capturing their funny and endearing moments, ultimately putting it all together in a picture book.

Tanya's book list on picture books about pets

Tanya Preminger Why did Tanya love this book?

I loved this book because it perfectly depicts the hilarious and creative things cats do in their owner's house, as any cat owner (and I have three) will know.

The humorous take on life with cats had me chuckling, and each illustration is filled with a palpable love for these furry creatures. The way it captures their expressions is just perfect.

As an art lover, I was mesmerized by the soft, glowing illustrations that bring the cats' world to life. Whether it's a children's book or an adult book, it works for both.

By Davide Cali, Anna Pirolli (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked I Hate My Cats (A Love Story) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

Ginger is the weird one. She plays with peas, purrs at artichokes, and has a strange fondness for chicken (but only the neighbor's chicken). Then there's Fred. His greatest talent? Sleeping. Oh, and hiding. And when he's not hiding, he's conspiring with Ginger to destroy the house! Such is life with cats. . . can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em-if you love them, that is. And yet the question remains: Why are these captivating creatures so marvelously maddening?! From internationally bestselling author Davide Cali, this humorous picture book about a cat owner and his beguiling felines celebrates quirky…


Book cover of Catalyst

Carol Van Natta Author Of Pets in Space 6: A Science Fiction Romance Anthology

From my list on science fiction stories with pets.

Why am I passionate about this?

Hi, I'm Carol Van Natta, USA Today bestselling science fiction and paranormal romance author. I write the award-winning Central Galactic Concordance space opera series and the Ice Age Shifters® paranormal romance series. In addition, I edit the bestselling Pets In Space science fiction romance anthology. I share my home with several eccentric cats. If I ever get to explore the stars or visit a magical sanctuary town, I'm taking them with me. My reader candy is science fiction stories that include pets, so I have some recommendations for you. When I read them aloud to my cats (doesn't everyone do this?), these stories are the most appreciated.

Carol's book list on science fiction stories with pets

Carol Van Natta Why did Carol love this book?

Catalyst (and the sequel, Catacombs) are for anyone who cherishes cats. It’s obvious that McCaffrey and her frequent collaborator Scarborough know cats very well indeed. In this universe, a ship's cat has proven to be as essential a crew member as captain, navigator, or engineer. (I find this totally believable, as one of my cats has decided his job is to notify me when someone has left a package on my porch.) The cats in the story are evolving to be even more valuable to humans, especially when it comes to alien relations and saving a colony's livestock from destruction. Do yourself a favor and read Catacombs, too, to find out what happens when the Barque Cats meet a cat god.

By Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Catalyst as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Pilot, navigator, engineer, doctor, scientist—ship's cat? All are essential to the well-staffed space vessel. Since the early days of interstellar travel, when Tuxedo Thomas, a Maine coon cat, showed what a cat could do for a ship and its crew, the so-called Barque Cats have become highly prized crew members. Thomas's carefully bred progeny, ably assisted by humans—Cat Persons—with whom they share a deep and loving bond, now travel the galaxy, responsible for keeping spacecraft free of vermin, for alerting human crews to potential environmental hazards, and for acting as morale officers.

Even among Barque Cats, Chessie is something special.…


Book cover of Little Beauty

Dee Leone Author Of Dough Knights and Dragons

From my list on picture books with unlikely friendships.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've had 20 reproducible books published in the educational market, and more than 200 of my articles, word puzzles, poems, plays, and stories have appeared in magazines such as Highlights and on websites like the Disney-themed PassPorter.com. I enjoy creating book trailers and free activity kits which can be found on my website. One of my picture books is Dough Knights and Dragons. Curious about the origin of doughnuts, I created an imaginary tale about them with the goal of encouraging friendships of all kinds, setting children’s imaginations on fire, and motivating youngsters to always be hungry for books.

Dee's book list on picture books with unlikely friendships

Dee Leone Why did Dee love this book?

A sad gorilla who can use sign language asks the keepers for a friend. He’s given a kitten, and a wonderful cross-species friendship is born. I especially enjoyed the line “they did everything together,” which is accompanied by a humorous illustration showing the gorilla on a toilet and Beauty, the cat, in a litter box.

The artwork expressively captures the gorilla’s sadness, joy, worry, and anger. When a movie makes the gorilla so upset that he smashes the television, the keepers think they should take the cat away for her safety. However, Beauty hilariously changes their minds by signing that she broke the TV. This is a great story of loyalty and unlikely friendships.

By Anthony Browne,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Little Beauty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

"No one renders primates with more faithful detail or surreal humanity than Browne." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

A USBBY Outstanding International Book
An Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner
Three starred reviews (Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal)

Once there was a very special gorilla who had almost everything he needed. There was only one thing he didn’t have: a friend. With no other gorillas at the zoo, the keepers try something new. Will the gigantic ape strike a bond with another sort of creature, one as tiny and innocent as a kitten? Sparked by the story of a…


Book cover of Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits

Will Hartzell-Baird Author Of The Taste of Cashews

From my list on science fiction for people who enjoy comedy.

Why am I passionate about this?

In my teenage years, it was sci-fi (and later fantasy) comedies that made me fall in love with reading. There was just something about exploring worlds where anything could happen mixed with the joy of laughter that kept drawing me back in. Naturally, in the many...many...years that followed, I've read countless novels from a wide variety of genres, but sci-fi comedy will always hold a special place in my heart.

Will's book list on science fiction for people who enjoy comedy

Will Hartzell-Baird Why did Will love this book?

If all my picks so far have been a bit highbrow for you, let’s go in a new direction. Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits is the work of Jason Pargin (a.k.a. David Wong), former executive editor of Cracked.com, and that should tell you most of what you need to know about his writing. Sometimes clever and insightful, sometimes crass, dumb, and offensive, this book will please anyone who enjoyed Cracked during its heyday, but prefers science fiction to listicles.

By Jason Pargin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin takes readers to a whole new level with his darkly comic sci-fi thriller, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits.

An Alex Award Winner

Nightmarish villains with superhuman enhancements.

An all-seeing social network that tracks your every move.

Mysterious, smooth-talking power players who lurk behind the scenes.

A young woman from the trailer park.

And her very smelly cat.

Together, they will decide the future of mankind.

Get ready for a world in which anyone can have the powers of a god or the fame of a pop star, in which human achievement soars to…


Book cover of Nat the Cat Takes a Nap: Ready-To-Read Pre-Level 1

Jamie Michalak Author Of Frank and Bean

From my list on early readers that are funny.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve never forgotten how thrilling it felt to read a book on my own for the first time. Mouse Soup, Frog and Toad, and Amelia Bedelia are still among my most-loved books to this day. I particularly adore early readers created by authors and illustrators who aren’t afraid to get silly (James Marshall forever!). Stories for beginning readers are my favorite kinds of stories to write, and I always aim to write books that make kids laugh. What better way for them to discover that reading can be fun?

Jamie's book list on early readers that are funny

Jamie Michalak Why did Jamie love this book?

Poor Nat the Cat just wants to take a nap, but the intrusive narrator won’t let him. The incongruity of the narrator’s words and Nat’s actions pack a comedic punch on every page, just as the brilliant See the Cat and See the Dog books do.

Lerner managed to create this gem with few words and sparse illustrations, which is incredibly difficult. And good news—the Nat the Cat books are now a series. 

By Jarrett Lerner,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nat the Cat Takes a Nap as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, and 5.

What is this book about?

From Jarrett Lerner, the powerhouse creator behind the EngiNerds, Geeger the Robot, and Hunger Heroes series, comes a hilarious new Pre-Level 1 Ready-to-Read series about a grumpy cat and a long-suffering narrator!

Nat the Cat is taking a nap. Or he would be…if only the narrator would stop interrupting his sleep! This witty story, where Nat’s words keep getting turned upside down and inside out, is sure to make readers laugh out loud.


Book cover of It's Me

Chrissie Krebs Author Of Bizard the Bear Wizard

From my list on graphic reads for young reluctant readers.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I was obsessed with comics, whether it was Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes, or the Far Side, I would devour every one I could get my hands on. I discovered the joy of observing two storylines – the one the writing was telling me and one that the pictures were telling me. As I became a teacher, I realized the importance of pictures and stories working together to keep students engaged. The resurgence of graphic novels has now been a focus for me in my pedagogy practices as well as my pathway as an author-illustrator. 

Chrissie's book list on graphic reads for young reluctant readers

Chrissie Krebs Why did Chrissie love this book?

Catwad is a book by the hilarious Jim Benton, the comic style of Catwad is silly and at times, outrageous which is just what you need to keep kids interested.

The comic is broken down into short and sweet chapters that are only a few pages long which is great for those that have trouble focusing for long periods of time. Benton’s character expressions are so animated and funny, kids can pick up what is going on even before they read the words.

By Jim Benton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked It's Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

From New York Times best-selling author Jim Benton, meet Catwad! He's blue, he's a bit of a grouch, and his best friend is a dim-witted cat named Blurmp who can see the bright side of anything. From pizza and computers, to love and happiness, this crabby tabby has a funny take on just about everything, and he's not afraid to share it. This collection of short comic stories will make even the grumpiest of grouches crack up, and is not to be missed!


Book cover of Cat Sense: The Feline Enigma Revealed
Book cover of The Secret Language Of Cats: How to Understand Your Cat for a Better, Happier Relationship
Book cover of Cats: Ancient & Modern

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