DVDs, CDs and books, May 24, 2011

A look at some of the DVDs, CDs and books hitting stores this week:

DVDS

"Gnomeo & Juliet" (G): This animated feature puts a "Shrek"-meets-"Toy Story" twist on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," casting garden gnomes (voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt) as the star-crossed lovers .

Elsewhere , the sci-fi thriller "I Am Number Four" (PG-13) focuses on an alien teen (Alex Pettyfer) hiding out at a typical high school, hoping to elude a killer . And "The Duel" (not rated) delivers a handsome adaptation of a Chekhov novella about a Russian bureaucrat (Andrew Scott) who boozes, gambles, alienates his mistress (Fiona Glasscott) -- and moves toward a deadly standoff .

Antonio Banderas and Sam Elliott headline the detective thriller "The Big Bang" (not rated), while "The Scenesters" (R) takes a darkly comedic look at an L.A. serial killer.

Topping the TV-to-DVD transfers (unrated unless otherwise noted): the BBC's "The Royal Wedding: William & Catherine," Martin Scorsese's Fran Lebowitz documentary, "Public Speaking" (PG), the Disney Channel movie "Lemonade Mouth" (G) and "Nova: Japan's Killer Quake."

CDS

Lady Gaga, "Born This Way": The title track is a thinly veiled rewrite of Madonna's "Express Yourself," but the song gets "Born" again on Lady Gaga's latest.

What likely will vie for top sales status of 2011, Gaga's sophomore full-length disc comes with more bawdy nouveau disco anthems.

Also in stores: Art Brut, "Brilliant! Tragic!"; Kate Bush, "Director's Cut"; Journey, "Eclipse"; Thurston Moore, "Demolished Thoughts"; Brad Paisley, "This Is Country Music"; The Prodigy, "World's On Fire (CD/DVD)"; She Wants Revenge, "Valley Heart"; and Various Artists, "Glee: The Music, Volume 6."

BOOKS

"Frankenstein: The Dead Town" by Dean Koontz: Survivors come together in a small Montana town as they battle a barrage of creatures set loose on the world and learn the full scope of Victor Fankenstein's plan.

Historian David McCullough explores the story of American artists, writers and doctors who set off for Paris between 1830 and 1900 in "The Greater Journey."

Also hitting shelves: "Awaken" by Katie Kacvinsky; "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray; "Between Here and Forever" by Elizabeth Scott; "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of Our Tumultuous Years" by Frank Bailey, Ken Morris and Jeanne Devon; "Blood Magic" by Tessa Gratton; "Chasing the Moon" by A. Lee Martinez; "Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival" by Brock Lesnar; "Kiss Her Goodbye (Mike Hammer Series No. 15)" by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins; "Silver Sparrow" by Tayari Jones; "Something Deadly This Way Comes" by Kim Harrison; "Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN" by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales; and "The Warlock (Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series No. 5)" by Michael Scott.