There are few things that could tempt me to have my private parts documented up close and very personal. Photographer Nick Karras did just that, when he asked me and my vulva to be photographed for Petals. The book began as a photo essay, a way for Karras to show a lover the beauty he saw in her labia, when she couldn't see it herself. He experimented with various styles of photography, finally settling on sepia-toned, tightly cropped imagery as the best way to present the beauty he saw without garishly factual color or the distractions of the subject's body.

The resulting book is an elegant collection of art, but for women who are learning to own their sexuality, it's a window showing that each of us is as unique and beautiful as the 48 women involved in the project. It's a must-have for any sex-positive shop. Stock it alongside Petals: The Movie, the documentary about the making of the eye-opening book and the lessons learned while working on it. $$