The best books to give this holiday season

Santa will be very relieved.

You relieved him of most of the burden by making a list and checking it twice for him. The purchase of gifts in your home is almost complete. Except for a few people who find it very difficult to buy. So what do you give to someone who has (almost) everything? You give them a good book, perhaps something like:

memoir and biography

Those who like digging into multi-level memoirs will be happy to open it. ”Blessings and Calamities: The Alabama StoryWritten by Alexis Okeowo (Henry Holt). This is a memoir about growing up as a black man in what was once virtually ground zero for the Confederacy. It’s about inequality and breaks stereotypes, but it still exudes a love of place. You can’t go wrong if you end it with “.”The Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audrey MooreWritten by Ashley D. Farmer (Pantheon). It’s a thick book with meaning and a memoir with lots of thoughts.

For the givers on your list who love to laugh, here’s a final note:in my remaining years” Written by Jean Gray (Flatiron Books). It’s part memoir, part comedy, part look back at the second half of the last century, and part how I came to middle age. And it’s all fun. End with “”Here We Go: Lessons for Living Without Fear from Two Traveling NanasWritten by Eleanor Hamby and Dr. Sandra Hazelip Co-stars with Elisa Petrini (Vikings). It’s a story about the adventures of two best friends in their 80s who grab life by the horns, something gift recipients should do too.

If you have someone on your holiday table who is finally coming back this year, wrap it up.How I found myself in the MidwestWritten by Steve Grove (Simon & Schuster). This is the story of a Silicon Valley worker who quits his job and moves with his family to his former home state of Minnesota. It was around the time the pandemic hit, George Floyd was murdered, and life in general was thrown into chaos. How do people reconcile the past with the present? Please combine with “”Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Battle for America’s SoulWritten by Will Badenwerper (Doubleday). The story is set in New York, but isn’t this small town atmosphere universal no matter where you come from?

Wouldn’t the adventurers on your list be happy when they opened the envelope?i live underwater” by Max Jean Knoll (University of Wisconsin Press)? They will when they learn that this book is by a former deep-sea diver, treasure hunter, and all-around daredevil who changed the way we look for things underwater. Knoll has been dead for more than 60 years, but his memoirs, never before published, are fresh, relevant, and, for the right person, an enjoyable read.

If Celebrity Bios are interested in your gift, please look for “”.the luckiestWritten by Kelly Cervantes (Benbella Books). This is the story of an actress, her life, her marriage, and her actions when tragedy strikes, from the Midwest to New York City. Full of elegance, it’s a winner.

you”Only God Can Judge Me: The Life of Tupac Shakur” Written by Jeff Perlman (Mariner Books). This is the story of this iconic performer’s life, death, and everything in between, including the mythology he left behind. Has it been 30 years since Tupac passed away? It has, but music lovers will never forget. End with “”Point Blank (Quick Study)” Written by Bob Dylan, Written by Eddie Gorodetsky, Lucy Santé, Jackie Hamilton (Simon & Schuster), a book of Dylan’s drawings and artwork. This is a very nice coffee table sized book, absolutely perfect for fans of the great singer and people who love art.

For Gifty, who cares about his friends,Missing and Found: True Stories of Homelessness, Found Families, and Second ChancesWritten by Kevin Fagan (One Signal / Atria) may be a book to gift. This is the story of two “houseless” people and their struggles living in San Francisco, one of the wealthiest cities in the country. This book has some hope, but also some problems. The recipient will definitely love it.

For those on your list who have suffered losses this year:pine melodyWritten by Stacey Meadows (Independently published), a memoir of loss, grief, and healing, remembering those who have passed away.

LGBTQ fiction

For mystery lovers looking for something different, try “”.Crime Ink: Iconic”, edited by John Copenhaver and Salem West. (Bywater Books) is a collection of short stories inspired by queer legends and friends you know. Psychological thrillers, creepy crimes, and cozy spaces, it’s all here.

This winter, if you love novels,middle spoonWritten by Alejandro Barrera (Vikings) is a book about a man who seems to have it all until his heart is broken and the solution is something neither he nor his loved ones can understand at all.

LGBTQ Studies – Nonfiction

For young men who are struggling with gender issues.before they become menWritten by Jacob Tobia “Harmony Books” might be a good gift this year. These essays on masculinity in today’s world help expand our conversations about the role politics and feminism play in understanding masculinity, and how it’s time for us to open up.

If there’s someone on your gift list who’s had a tough upbringing (and we all have, right?), end with this:I‘m jump as fast as possibleWritten by John Kinnally (Permuted Press / Simon & Schuster). Kinnaly was once an awkward child who grew up to become a TV writer. You can never go wrong with gifting a story like this. Better idea: End with “.”So Gay For You: Friendship, Found Family, and the Show That Started It All” Written by Leisha Haley & Kate Moennig (St. Martin’s Press), a book about the little TV show that launched the BFF ship.

Who doesn’t have the gift of loving music? That’s true, so I’ll end this.”The Secret Public: How music moved queer culture from the margins to the mainstreamWritten by John Savage (Rivalite). You don’t need to tell your recipient that queer people have left their mark on music, but they’ll definitely enjoy reading the stories in this book and learning things they didn’t know.

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