A portrait of the group New Generation of African American Philanthropists from the book “Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists.” Photo by Charles Thomas.
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OK folks — like we said last week — it’s holiday crunch time.

By now, you should be done buying gifts for all your family and friends. But, there are undoubtedly some stragglers roaming about who are waiting until the last minute to purchase presents. Lucky for you procrastinators, this holiday season, Qcitymetro has been offering up gift-giving ideas to aid you in your shopping.

So far, we’ve pointed out tips for music lovers and health-minded folks — and today, we wrap things up by highlighting some great books to nab for your loved ones.

“Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists” — We’ll start things off with this recently book by writer Valaida Fullwood and photographer Charles Thomas — both Charlotte residents. This lush, nearly 400-page tome (featuring 180 black-and-white photographs) seeks to “reframe philanthropy with a vast collection of … stories, revealing centuries-old customs that endure throughout the African Diaspora.” Cost: $36.50. More info: www.blairpub.com 

“Too Hot For TV” — Next up we’ve got another book from a Charlotte resident, but this one is the steamy new romance novel by prolific author Cheris Hodges. The latest book by Hodges, who has written almost too many titles to count in recent years, tells the story of actress Imani Gilliam and Dr. Raymond Thomas — who find love on a reality show. Or is it lust … or something worse? Either way, it's definitely a title you should pick it up, pass out and find out. Cost: 6.99. More info: Amazon.com. 

“The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration” — Up next is the acclaimed work by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson. And, although she’s not from Charlotte, she did visit the Q.C. not too long ago. In “The Warmth of Other Suns,” (which is now available as an audiobook) Wilkerson interviewed more than 1,000 people to chronicle “one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities in search of a better life.” Cost: $30. More info: Amazon.com.  

“Sweet Tea: Black Gay Men of the South” — For another take on life in the South, this paperback edition by author E. Patrick Johnson was drawn from personal stories of more than 70 black gay men between the ages of 19 and 93. An oral history that seeks to fill in the gap of sexual history in the South, “Sweet Tea” “offers a window into the ways that black gay men negotiate their sexual and racial identities with their southern cultural and religious identities.” Cost: $27.50. More info: Amazon.com.

“My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy” — As the title suggests, this last pick tells the life story (so far) of the legendary hip-hop artist Prodigy from the rap group Mobb Deep. A great choice for the hip-hop fan in your life, the book is billed as “an unblinking account of Prodigy’s wild times with Mobb Deep who, alongside rappers like Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, and Wu-Tang Clan … and early ’90s street life.” Cost: 24.99. More info: Amazon.com.

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