Bookshelf: 2012’s Best Beefcake Calendars

Hot Men, Cats, and a Cause
The brainchild of Found Animals Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at decreasing animal shelter euthanasia, the 6 Packs/9 Lives calendar was spearheaded by creator of the celebrity-driven No H8 campaign, Adam Bouska. It features stereotype-breaking shots of men in various poses with cats -- from riding a motorcycle to lifting weights. Of the 3 million to 4 million animals euthanized each year, 75% are cats. ($14, FoundAnimals.org/6packs9lives)

A Sexy Calendar for the Cure
Want a hot calendar that lets you keep track of time and support AIDS research? Buy Jack Mackenroth's 2012 Calendar for the Cure and 100% of all profits go directly to amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Mackenroth, who came out as HIV-positive on season 4 of Project Runway in 2007, was voted one of the sexiest men alive for 2011 by DNA Australia magazine (along with Ryan Reynolds and Ricky Martin), making him the only openly HIV-positive member of the sexiest men alive. His new calendar features sexy images of the fitness model, designer, and champion swimmer by photographers including Adam Bouska, Rick Day, Carsten Fleck, Frank Louis, James Franklin, Karl Giant, Tommy Synnamon, Mattheus Lian, Richard Gerst, Ray John Pila, Sonny Tong, Thomas Evans, Krys Fox, and Preston Cros. Mackeroth assembled the calendar to mark the 30-year anniversary of the AIDS epidemic -- and to show that people with HIV (he's been positive since 1990) can be healthy, fit, attractive, and vibrant. And damn, is he buff. ($15, JackMackenroth.com/2012calendar)

Double Your Pleasure
Daniel Garofali has been called the "World's First Social Media Supermodel," in part because the Aussie model -- who was one of 2011's Sexiest Men Alive -- has built an enormous global fan base (especially in America, Australia, and across Europe) using branding and social media to track his every move. Now he's giving back with the Daniel Garofali Calendar (and the making-of DVD) shot by renowned Sydney-based photographer James Demitri. The double calendar spans two years (2012 and 2013) and Garofali is donating 50% of the proceeds to KIVA.org, a nonprofit organization that lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. ($40, DanielGarofali.com)

Eating Out
It may be less beefcake than beef tenderloin, but the 2012 Chefs of the Bay Area Calendar is still sexy and queer, and 100% of the proceeds of this Kent Taylor-shot calendar goes to Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. The limited edition calendar features 12 amazing Bay Area chefs, including cover chef Yigit Pura of Tout Sweet, winner of season 1 of Bravo's Top Chef Just Desserts, who is covered in candy sprinkles (can you say "yum"?). Two lesbian chefs made the cut too: Top Chef's Jen Biesty (from Scala's Bistro) and Dominique Crenn (from Atelier Crenn). This isn't just sexy snaps, though; each chef offers up one of their favorite recipes, like Jake Godby's Salt and Pepper Ice Cream. Sure to please the cooks in your life. ($20, MOWSF.org)

Galloping Goodness
Sure, it may be obscure, but this one is a win-win for gay horse lovers: Thoroughbred Racing Jockeys features 12 professional and sexy jockeys from the world of competitive horse racing. Javier Castellano, Garret Gomez, Edgar Prado and more -- some with their horses and others solo with just ripped abs and sexy tattoos. Seven of these guys rode in the Kentucky Derby last year, including John R. Velazquez, who won for the first time. A portion of proceeds of the calendar, which was shot by Barbara D. Livingston, go to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Giddyup. ($14, Black Liner)

Men on a Mission
It's the final year for the sexy Men on a Mission calendar, the project that was started five years ago and got its creator, Chad Hardy, booted from the Latter-day Saints church. Each year the calendar features 12 Mormon men, each recently returned from their mission, and modestly dressed with rippled abs aplenty. The calendar -- and a sister project called Hot Mormon Muffins, featuring sexy vintage pinup-style women -- lets the models each pick a charity to which some of the proceeds are donated. ($16, MormonsExposed.com)

Between the Stacks
Yes, most librarians are white women, and apparently tens of thousands of them are going to reach age 65 in the next five years. These aren't those librarians. The 2012 Men of the Stacks calendar features sexy male librarians from around the country, all hoping to change that stereotype. Von, the sexy Mr. June from Toronto, told Filipino Librarian, "We can't just leave it to others to tell the people who we are; that's why the stereotypes about librarians continue to flourish. We have to be the ones to go out there and tell people who we are. It's not enough to complain about inaccurate images of librarians; we must be able to present alternative, positive images in movies, books and, yes, blogs." Apparently calendars too. Even better, all the proceeds from the calendar go to the It Gets Better Project. ($16, MagCloud.com)