Note: The historic Los Angeles branch of A Different Light bookstore closed in spring 2009 - here's an article on the closing. The San Francisco branch remains open, and A Different Light still does a heavy mail-order business through its website. The write-up below and photo in this gallery are from 2007.
A longtime fixture of the Los Angeles gay and literary community, West Hollywood's A Different Light Bookstore, which is a sister to A Different Light San Francisco, carries a comprehensive selection of lesbian and gay novels, nonfiction books, magazines (some adult), erotica, coffee-table books, gay travel guides, and more. It's also a great place to stop and pick up free gay Los Angeles newspapers, and it's along a strip of gay bars and restaurants on Santa Monica Boulevard, including Micky's and East West.