Expect spies, kidnappings, assassinations, and much more in Gareth Russell's "The Six Loves of James I."

One person. Two, twelve, twenty, you can still feel alone in a crowded room if it’s a place you don’t want to be. People say, though, that that’s no way to do the holidays; you’re supposed to Make Merry, even when your heart’s not in it. You’re supposed to feel happy, no matter what – even when, as in “The Dogs of Venice” by Steven Rowley, the Christmas tinsel seems tarnished.

Acclaimed, Baltimore-based gay writer James Magruder’s new book, “No One is Looking at You” (Rattling Good Yarns Press, 2025), a collection of linked short stories, has everything we’ve come to expect from him, including rapier wit combined with the most extraordinary observations on the ever-evolving queer human condition.

The holidays always bring out the best in bookish magic, and this year HarperCollins is delivering a lineup of stunning special editions and gorgeous box sets begging to be wrapped up and placed under the tree.