Information is courtesy of Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St.; 215-923-2960; www.queerbooks.com. Ten-percent off most hardcover in-store sales.
Men’s DVDs 1. “From Beginning to End,” directed by Aluizio Abranches (2009, 96 min., $19.99). This controversial Brazilian drama follows the love and sexual intimacy between two men … who are half-brothers. 2. “Undertow,” directed by Javier Fuentes-León (2009, 100 min., $24.95). In a tiny Peruvian seaside village, where traditions run deep, Miguel, a young fisherman, and his beautiful bride, Mariela, are about to welcome their first child. But Miguel harbors a scandalous secret: He’s in love with Santiago. 3. “Best Gay Shorts” (2009-10, $24.95). Eight gay shorts culled from top film festivals. 4. “Role/Play,” directed by Rob Williams (2010, 85 min., $19.95). When soap-opera star Graham Windsor (Steve Callahan “East Side Story,” “Pornography: A Thriller”) is outed after a gay sex-tape scandal, he seeks refuge at an exclusive Palm Springs resort. But quiet anonymity eludes him. 5. “BearCity,” directed by Douglas Langway (2010, 105 min., $19.99). Take the girls from “Sex and the City,” inject them with large amounts of testosterone, tape fur coats to their bodies — and you have something almost as great as “BearCity.”
Books 1. “A Body on Pine,” by Joseph R.G. DeMarco (Lethe, $18 pb). When Marco Fontana enters his friend’s spa on Pine Street, he doesn’t find the peaceful retreat he expected. DeMarco’s second Philadelphia mystery. 2. “Bad Seed,” by Lee Hayes (Strebor, $15 pb). A hypersexual 17-year-old high-school boy develops a fatalistic crush on his reclusive high-school English teacher. By the author of “Passion Marks.” 3. “The Handsome Prince: Gay Erotic Romance,” by Neil Plakcy (Cleis, $14.95 pb). 4. “Remembrance of Things I Forgot,” by Bob Smith (U. of Wisconsin, $26.95 hb, less 10 percent in the store). After his brilliant scientist boyfriend invents time travel, John Sherkston is transported back to 1986. 5. “Murder on Camac,” by Joseph R.G. DeMarco (Lethe, $18 pb). DeMarco’s first mystery. 6. “Celluloid Activist: The Life and Times of Vito Russo” (U. of Wisconsin, $29.95, less 10 percent in the store). This biography illuminates, through the life of this fascinating individual, one of the most explosive cultural revolutions in American history and significantly expands the fields of gay film studies, biography and history. 7. “No One in the World,” by E. Lynn Harris and R.M. Johnson (Simon & Schuster, $25 hb, less 10 percent in the store; $11.99 Google eBook). In this posthumous work, Harris and Johnson combine forces to tell the story of twin brothers struggling to uncover many questions about themselves and one another. 8. “Tom of Finland: The Comic Collection,” edited by Dian Hudson (Taschen, $14.99 hb, less 10 percent in the store). This is the most affordable compilation of Tom of Finland’s popular panel stories. This volume features 14 stories, including the first completed by Tom in 1946, and the last, done in 1986. Along the way, we meet “Jack in the Jungle,” “Beach Boys,” “Greasy Rider,” “Ringo & the Renegades” and Tom’s most infamous creation, “Kake,” the ultimate leatherman. The stories are arranged chronologically in a book sized to fit perfectly in one hand, wrapped in our new Panic Jacket that allows the book to be read any place, any time, by simply removing and reversing the cover to give the appearance of a serious scholarly tome. For boys who like boys who like art — but are sometimes embarrassed to enjoy their art in public — this attractive package is not to be missed.
Women’s Books 1. “Room,” by Emma Donoghue (Back Bay, $14.99 new in pb). To 5-year-old Jack, Room is the world: It’s where he was born, it’s where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it’s the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this 11-foot by 11-foot space. But with Jack’s curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer. 2. “Best Lesbian Erotica 2011,” edited by Kathleen Warnock, selected by Lea Delaria (Cleis, $15.95 pb). 3. “The Little Stranger,” by Sarah Waters (Riverhead, $16 pb). One post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive and handsome, is now in decline. Its owners — mother, son and daughter — are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his. 4. “The Night Watch,” by Sarah Waters (Riverhead, $16 pb). Set during the air raids, blacked-out streets and sexual adventure of World War II London. 5. “Damron Women’s Travel Guide 2011,” edited by Gina M. Gatt (Damron, $18.95 pb). 6. “Pretend You Love Me,” by Julie Ann Peters (Little, Brown, $8.99 pb). Mike (real name: Mary Elizabeth) is gay and likes to pump iron, play softball and fix plumbing. Then a glamorous new girl, Xanadu, arrives in Mike’s small Kansas town. Young adult.
DVDs 1. “Bloomington,” directed by Fernanda Cardoso (2010, 83 min., $24.95). A former child star goes to college and meets a professor, then the bodices begin to rip. 2. “Fest Selects: Best Lesbian Shorts” (2008-10, 101 min., $24.95). Nine short films culled from the top film festivals, including Outfest/QFest. 3. “The Owls,” directed by Cheryl Dunye (2010, 66 min., $27.95). Formerly a hit lesbian band, the band members are making a less-than-graceful transition to middle age. Then there’s the murder. 4. “Purple Sea,” directed by Donatella Maiorca (2010, 105 min., $24.95). In 19th-century Sicily, two women fall in love; one crossdresses to disguise their relationship and to become powerful. 5. “Four-Faced Liar,” directed by Jacob Chase (2010, 87 min., $24.95). Two women fall in love, leading to hilarious complications.