So you looked at the calendar the other day and — eeeek!

The holidays are almost here and you’re not ready. Out of ideas for gifts? How about a book?  

Is there an activist for justice on your gift list? Then they’ll be happy to open “Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul” by Aran Shetterly (Amistad, $28.99), It’s a story of the Klan, white supremacy, racial conflict, and how it fits in with what’s going on in America today. Pair it with “Sidney Poitier: The Great Speeches of an Icon Who Moved Us Forward” complied by Joanna Poitier, edited by John Malahy (Running Press, $29). Bonus: This inspiring book is packed with photos.

Fiction for the LGBTQ Reader

If there’s someone on your gift list who’d enjoy a coming-of-age story, “Shae” by Mesha Maren (Algonquin Books, $28.00) is a good choice to give. It’s a boy-meets-girl tale, but when a pregnancy happens, it spurs bigger changes in their lives than just parenthood. 

If a fun little rom-com is what your giftee loves to read, then look for “We Could Be Heroes” by Philip Ellis (Putnam, $20). It’s a light tale of a chance encounter and a friendship that starts out small and becomes pretty super. You might want to wrap it up with “Love and Hot Chicken” by Mary Liza Hartong (Wm. Morrow, $30), a sweet, funny story of two Tennessee women, a chicken shack, and amour.

If your giftee loves rom-coms, there are a bunch to choose from this season. Consider “The Ride of Her Life” by Jennifer Dugan (Avon, $17.99), a girl-meets-girl novel of a new ranch-owning horsey-girl and the farrier who disagrees with her ranching ideas.

Nonfiction for the LGBTQ Reader

The person on your gift list who loves memoirs will devour “Cactus Country” by Zoe Bossiere (Abrams Press, $27.00), the story of an 11-year-old and a new start in which everyone sees him as the boy he is. But life as a trans boy isn’t easy in the beautiful area he’s come to embrace, and neither are the people who surround him. Wrap it up with “The Long Hallway” by Richard Scott Larson (University of Wisconsin Press, $21.95), a memoir of a boy who identifies with a movie monster who helps him see that hiding parts of himself can help him come to terms with who he is.

For the trans man or woman on your gift list, look for “The Last Time I Wore a Dress” by Dylan Scholinski and Jane Meredith Adams (Penguin Publishing), a story of abuse, bullying, mental anguish, and a happy ending. This book was first published more than 25 years ago but now has a new, satisfying and joyful ending. Wrap it up with “Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found” by Nikkya Hargrove, the tale of a love, responsibility, and more love.

If your giftee is exploring their sexuality, “Fierce Desires: A New History of Sex and Sexuality in America” by Rebecca L. Davis (Norton, $35) might be a welcome gift. Have we come a long way, in understanding people’s sexuality? Yes and no – your giftee may have ideas about that.

Biography 

Did your giftee spend a childhood immersed in books about growing up? If so, they’ll cherish those memories when they read “The Genius of Judy” by Rachelle Bergstein (One Signal Publishers, $28.99). This biography fills readers in on who Judy Blume was, why she wrote the novels she penned, and how her stories fit in with today’s adolescence, feminism, current events, and literature. Wrap it up with this great biography: “Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters” by Susan Page (Simon & Schuster $30). It’s the story of Walters, her times, and her impressive works.

If your giftee is riled by this year’s politics and feminism, then they’ll love reading “A Well-Trained Wife” by Tia Levings (St. Martin’s Press, $30). It’s the story of Levings’s life as a wife in a Christian patriarchy-based marriage, the submissiveness, the expectations, and her ultimate resistance. The right kind of giftee will love this book completely.

The British history lover on your list will absolutely want “The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV” by Helen Castor (Avid Reader Press, $35). This book takes a deep dive into history, the lives of two cousins, and a shocking assumption to the throne. Pair it with a bookmark and “Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King” by Dan Jones (Viking, $35), a book about the life and times of this English king in the fifteenth century.

For the person on your gift list who loves music, “How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music” edited by Alison Fensterstock (HarperOne, $40) is exactly the right gift. It’s a look at female musicians from the 1920s to more recent years, from country music to hip hop to guitar players and beyond. Wrap it up with “I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine” by Daniel J. Levitin (Norton, $32.50), a book about music and how it contributes to healing and well-being.

“Friendly Fire: A Fractured Memoir” by Paul Rousseau (Harper Horizon, $29.99) may be the exact right gift for anyone who loves a unique memoir. Just before he graduated from college, Rousseau was shot in the head accidentally. How he survived, both physically and in the friendship with the man who shot him is the basis of this very well-done book. 

The science-minded person on your gift list will be happy to have “The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science” by Dava Sobel (Atlantic Monthly Press, $30). Chances are, your giftee knows exactly who Madame Curie was, but do they know about the women who came after her in the laboratory. This book tells the tale in an engaging, interesting way. 

For your fashionista who loves make-up, “Becoming Elizabeth Arden: The Woman Behind the Global Beauty Empire” by Stacy A. Cordery (Viking, $35) could be the best gift beneath the tree this year. It’s a sweeping story of a businesswoman, glamour maven, revolutionary, visionary, her work, her times, and the controversy she lit.

And don’t forget queer icon Cher’s new book, “Cher, The Memoir Part One,” filled with no-nonsense anecdotes about her rocky rise to fame. Fellow queer icon RuPaul also published his biography earlier this year, “The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir.”

Politics

Was your giftee dismayed at the political landscape for the past few years? Then “Good Reasonable People” by Keith Payne (Viking, $29.00) should be the book you wrap up to give.  There is a way back to unity and away from polarization, Payne says, and with an explanation of the psychology and behind it, it’s do-able. 

Be sure you know where your giftee’s politics lie if you wrap up “The MAGA Diaries” by Tina Nguyen (One Signal Publishers, $28.00). Nguyen cut her teeth in the conservative movement, though she never felt entirely comfortable there. Eventually, she needed to get out; how she did it is a story the right giftee will love.

The person on your list who’s mourning the end of the political season, will be happy to get “The Handy Civics Answer Book: How to Be a Good Citizen” by David L. Hudson, Jr. J.D. (Visible Ink Press, $29.99). It’s a large, heavy book about our American documents, the Amendments they should know about, what it means to be a “good citizen,” and more.

Remember the Reagan years? For your giftee that does, too, “Dear Mom and Dad” by Patti Davis (Liveright, $27.99) will be a great gift to unwrap. Davis, of course, was the Reagans’ daughter, and this love letter to family and country is perfectly appropriate this year. 

Here’s a political issue your activist will want to know more about: “The Stolen Wealth of Slavery: A Case for Reparations” by David Montero (Legacy Lit, $29). Part history, part business, part eye-opener, this book is one of the better looks at this controversial subject.

Season’s readings!

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and activist Jeanne White-Ginder spoke at a commemoration of World AIDS Day at the White House on Sunday, Dec. 1. Panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt were displayed on the South Lawn for the first time in U.S. history.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

In need of a little cheer? Fortunately, there’s a fix. The DMV boasts a wealth of holiday-themed theater, music, and dance guaranteed to lift spirits and warm hearts. Here’s a sliver of what’s out there. 

Arena Stage invites audiences “to step back into the holiday spirit with the joyful return of ‘Step Afrika!’s Magical Musical Holiday Step Show’ (Dec. 13-22) where the rich tradition of African-American stepping blends with the magic of the season.” DJ Nutcracker and his Arctic friends promise to amplify the festive atmosphere. Arenastage.org 

Looking for a new way to experience a Christmas favorite? With the Kennedy Center’s “Elf in Concert: Film with Live Orchestra” (through Dec. 1), you can relive the endearing comedy on a giant screen as every note of John Debney’s wonderful score is played live by the National Symphony Orchestra. 

Another Kennedy Center holiday treat is “Finn” (through Dec. 22). From Chris Nee, the out creator of TV’s “Doc McStuffins” and “Vampirina,” “Finn” is filled with vibrant sea creatures and catchy tunes. Hilarious and heartening, this world premiere musical chronicles the coming-of-age journey of a young shark following his dreams. Kennedy-center.org 

For those in search of yuletide camaraderie and keyboards, there’s the National Cathedral Christmas Day Organ Recital (Dec. 25), a tradition featuring festive music performed (at the Cathedral) by Cathedral organist Thomas Sheehan, and organ scholar Ariana Corbin. Tickets not required. Livestream available.  Nationalcathedral.org

At Baltimore Center Stage, ArtsCentric’s production of “Black Nativity” (Nov. 30-December 22) uses a fusion of blues, soul, jazz, spirituals, dance, and the powerful words of gay poet Langston Hughes, to tell the Christmas story through a wide-ranging African-American lens. Centerstage.org

For one night only, the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda presents “A Swingin’ Little Christmas!” (Dec. 4), a nostalgic, Christmas kitsch cabaret featuring out TV star Jane Lynch (“Glee,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), alongside Kate Flannery (“The Office”), Tim Davis (“Glee’s” vocal arranger), and The Tony Guerrero Quintet. 

The following night, Dave Koz and Friends celebrate the 27th anniversary edition of the longest running jazz-based Christmas tour at Strathmore on Dec. 5. Koz, a longtime out musician (primarily sax), has released eight holiday albums, including his most recent, “Christmas Ballads.” Strathmore.org

Round House Theatre presents the world premiere of “A Hannukah Carol” (through Dec. 29). The family-friendly musical comedy tells the story of millennial influencer Chava Kanipshin who in pursuit of more followers, shuns family, friends, and holiday traditions. But on the first night of Hanukkah, Chava is visited by the ghost of deceased social media star Mimi Marley and other spirits who warn her to change her ways — or live to regret it. Roundhousetheatre.org. 

Historic Ford’s Theatre again presents “A Christmas Carol” (through Dec. 31), a popular Washington tradition for decades. Conceived by Michael Baron, this dynamically staged take on the Dickens’ classic features Craig Wallace as the miserly Scrooge who after a night of ghostly visits, rediscovers Christmas joy. In case you haven’t seen it, do. Fords.org 

At Olney Theatre, award-winning out actor Michael Russotto is stepping into the shoes of Paul Morella to star in this year’s edition of Morella’s celebrated solo adaptation of “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas” (Dec. 29). Russotto portrays more than 50 characters, from the miserly Scrooge to the haunting spirits, to the entire Cratchit family, including, of course, Tiny Tim. Olneytheatre.org

The adage that music can transport you to another time with just a couple of notes proves true at the Folger Library where Folger Consort, the estimable early music ensemble-in-residence, marvelously upholds a glorious Washington holiday tradition with “A Mass for Christmas Eve: Baroque Music for the Season” (Dec. 6-15). Folger.edu 

In Falls Church, Creative Cauldron presents “Madeline’s Christmas” (Dec. 6-22), a charming show based on the classic book by author and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans. It’s Christmas Eve and taking care of 11 flu infected little girls and Miss Clavel isn’t easy, but when Madeline finds help from a magical rug merchant, all that’s miserable is brushed away, and the girls embark on an unforgettable Christmas journey. Matt Conner directs. Creativecauldron.org

The Washington Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” at the glittering, gilded Warner Theatre (through Dec. 30). Featuring Tchaikovsky’s instantly familiar music and splendid choreography by Septime Weber, this Georgetown circa 1882-set production features historical figures ranging from George Washington to King George III, along with the usual suspects like children, rats, fairies, and a mysterious godfather. Washingtonballet.org

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington is back with its annual holiday extravaganza “The Holiday Show” (Dec. 4, 14, and 15) at Lincoln Theatre. This year’s uplifting lineup includes eclectic songs with exciting rhythms and beautiful harmonies, and features the high-kicking, bedazzled 17th Street Dance as well as small ensembles and the GenOUT Youth Chorus! Songs include “See Amid the Winter’s Snow,” “Feliz Navidad,” “Love is Christmas,” and “Silent Night.” Gmcw.org