GIFT GUIDE 2025
Santa will be very relieved.
You’ve taken most of the burden off him by making a list and checking it twice on his behalf. The gift-buying in your house is almost done — except for those few people who are just so darn hard to buy for. So what do you give to the person who has (almost) everything? You give them a good book, like maybe one of these….
LGBTQ FICTION
For the mystery lover who wants something different, try Crime Ink: Iconic, edited by John Copenhaver and Salem West (Bywater Books), a collection of short stories inspired by “queer legends” and allies you know. Psychological thrillers, creepy crime, cozies, they’re here.
Novel lovers will want to curl up this winter with Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela (Viking), a book about a man who appears to have it all, until his heart is broken and the fix for it is one he doesn’t quite understand and neither does anyone he loves.
LGBTQ STUDIES – NONFICTION
For the young man who’s struggling with issues of gender, Before They Were Men by Jacob Tobia (Harmony Books) might be a good gift this year. These essays on manhood in today’s world works to widen our conversations on the role politics and feminism play in understanding masculinity and how it’s time we open our minds.
If there’s someone on your gift list who had a tough growing-up (didn’t we all?), then wrap up I’m Prancing as Fast as I Can by Jon Kinnally (Permuted Press / Simon & Schuster). Kinally was once an awkward kid but he grew up to be a writer for TV shows you’ll recognize. You can’t go wrong gifting a story like that. Better idea: wrap it up with So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, & the Show That Started It All by Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig (St. Martin’s Press), a book about a little TV show that launched a BFF-ship.
Who doesn’t have a giftee who loves music? You sure do, so wrap up The Secret Public: How Music Moved Queer Culture from the Margins to the Mainstream by Jon Savage (Liveright). Nobody has to tell your giftee that queer folk left their mark on music, but they’ll love reading the stories in this book and knowing what they didn’t know.
GENERAL FICTION
To the giftee who loves multigenerational plots, Kaplan’s Pilot by Jason Diamond (Flatiron Books) might be their favorite gift this year. It’s the story of a man who returns home to care for his dying mother, but mother and son have kept secrets for far too long. When the man learns a few surprising truths about his ancestry, it could change the relationship he has with his mother forever.
For the person on your list who loves a charming little novel, wrap up The Peculiar Gift of July by Ashley Ream (Dutton). It’s the story of an orphan who goes to live with a cousin who barely knows the girl and doesn’t really want her. But July, the child, has a little magic up her sleeve, and what happens will dazzle your giftee. Wrap it up with The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill (Henry Holt & Company), the story of three sisters, a long holiday weekend, and secrets that need tending.
Here’s something for the historical novel lover you know: This Here Is Love by Princess Joy L. Perry (W.W. Norton) is set in 1690 in Virginia. One of the characters is a slave. One is the child of a freeman. One is an indentured slave, and all somehow find love despite their bondage. How can anyone resist a tale like that?
MYSTERIES
Someone on your gift list loves mysteries with a good scare in them, and The Whistler by Nick Medina (Berkley) could make the perfect gift. It’s the story of Henry Hotard, who was the recent victim of a tragedy and now finds himself back on the rez in his grandparents’ care. It’s not optimal — and neither is the thing that’s stalking him.
What would your mystery-loving giftee like better than a good whodunit? How about What About the Bodies by Ken Jaworowski (Atlantic Crime), the twisty story of a town in Pennsylvania where a single mother, an autistic man, and an up-and-coming musician collide in a dangerous situation that’ll have everyone on the edge of their Christmas seat.
GENERAL NONFICTION
For the politics-watcher, The Improbable Victoria Woodhull by Eden Colllinsworth (Doubleday) will be a nice surprise gift. It’s about the first woman to run for President, but that’s not the only historical thing Woodhull did with her life. Wrap it up with a bookmark and let your giftee be astounded.
If there’s an activist on your list, someone who’s concerned with the justice system, The Volunteer by Gianna Toboni (Atria) will be an absorbing gift. It’s the story of Scott Dozier, who was sent to death row in Nevada in 2007. He didn’t fight to get off death row; in fact, what he fought for was that his sentence be hastened. Don’t bother to wrap this up with a bookmark; your giftee won’t need one.
How’s this for fun? Super Visible: The Story of the Women of Marvel Comics by Margaret Stohl with Jeanine Schaefer and Judith Stephens (Gallery Books). It’s a good, long look (with pictures!) at the women who helped shape Marvel Comics into the powerhouse you know.
The person who grouses about growing older will want The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life” by Mark Nepo (St. Martin’s Press) because it’s calming and inspirational. Also, it’s got tips for embracing this time. Also, activities. Also, questions a giftee can ask themselves, and a quieting influence, too.
HISTORY
For the person on your list who wants to know more about slavery, Freedom Ship by Marcus Rediker (Viking) is a book for you to wrap up. It’s about a little-known part of the Underground Railroad, the part of the passageway that went over water, over the sea. If your giftee is a scholar of black history, in particular, this will be a very welcome present.
The person who loves legends and the real story behind them will eat up Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta by John Boessenecker (Hanover Square Press). So your giftee thinks Robin Hood was just some guy in a movie? Not so — and neither was Zorro, as they’ll see in this action-packed, wild true story.
For the giftee who enjoys a touch of feminism with their history reading, wrap up With Her Own Hands: Women Weaving Their Stories by Nicole Nehrig (W.W. Norton). It’s the story of textiles from ancient times to today and how it fits in herstory.
If there are parents on your list who’re tired of defending themselves, purchase Man Made: Searching for Dads, Daddies, Father Figures, and Fatherhood by Steve Majors (University of Wisconsin Press), a book about the journey to become a man, be a gay man, and become a father.
MEMOIR and BIOGRAPHY
You can’t go wrong if you wrap up Queen Mother: Black Nationalism, Reparations, and the Untold Story of Audley Moore by Ashley D. Farmer (Pantheon). It’s a chunky book with a memoir with meaning and plenty of thought.
If celeb bios are your giftee’s thing, then look for The Luckiest by Kelly Cervantes (BenBella Books). It’s the Midwest-to-New-York-City story of an actress and her life, her marriage, and what she did when tragedy hit. Filled with grace, it’s a winner.
Your music lover won’t want to open any other gifts if you give them Point Blank (Quick Studies) by Bob Dylan, text by Eddie Gorodetsky, Lucy Sante, and Jackie Hamilton (Simon & Schuster), a book of Dylan’s drawings and artwork. This is a very nice coffee-table size book that will be absolutely perfect for fans of the great singer and for folks who love art.
SCIENCE
Is there a person on your gift list who likes to argue? Or hold a grudge — and admits it? Then The Science of Revenge by James Kimmel, Jr., JD (Harmony Books) might be a great gift. Did you know that anger and the need for vengeance are addictions? Yep, that’s what this author says, and he tells your giftee how to stop it.
The bird lover on your list will devour The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne by Chris Sweeney (Avid Reader Press). It’s the story of the world’s first forensic ornithologist, a woman who broke barriers in order to help solve whodunits in aviation, aeronautics, and space. Hint: it wasn’t the butler, it was birds, and your giftee will thank you for this awesome book.
SELF-HELP
For the person on your list who’s looking for love, The Trouble with Fairy Tales: A Memoir by Plum Johnson (Viking) will be a welcome gift. It’s the story of happily-ever-after and happily-never-after and everything in between. This book is THE gift for Johnson’s fans and it’ll make a bunch of new ones, so go ahead, wrap away!
The person you know who likes studying human nature will love The Sexual Evolution: How 500 Million Years of Sex, Gender, and Mating Shape Modern Relationships by Nathan H. Lents (Mariner) — because animal nature is in this fascinating book, too! Humans are not the only creatures that fall in love, bargain for sexual favors, or are gender fluid, and your giftee will love finding out more.
BUSINESS
For the business person you know who needs a new way to connect with co-workers and clients, Safe Danger: An Unexpected Method for Sparking Connection, Finding Purpose, and Inspiring Innovation by Ben Swire (Balance) is a great gift. Risk-taking isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as your giftee will see, and it may help them be a tiny bit braver.
What does it take to be a leader? Your giftee wants to know and The Psychology of Leadership by Sébastien Page (Harriman House) might help. This is a book to take to work, to consult and absorb; it helps your giftee understand how to be a better supervisor, lead person, or up-and-comer.
And now for the housekeeping…
Titles change. Release dates get moved all the time, it’s never a problem — which is to say that if you’re looking for something on this list, check with your favorite librarian or bookseller to be sure you’re getting exactly what you want. They’ll also have other great ideas for you, just for the asking.
Enjoy your holidays, and Season’s Readings!
