This is one of my all-time favorite books. Openly lesbian author Fannie Flagg brings us the story of Idgie and Ruth, a lesbian couple in the rural South in the Great Depression. The book graphically portrays the racism, sexism and violence of the era, so be forewarned. It also has a positive portrayal of prostitution, which I think is unrealistic. The book also contains lots of recipes for Southern food, including the fried green tomatoes.

The movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" is one of my favorites, but does not portray Idgie and Ruth as a couple, so it's not nearly as good as the book.

The book has some real funny parts, too, such as when Evelyn intentionally runs her car into another and then tells the other driver, "Face it: I'm older and I have more insurance."

Based on the Fannie Flagg novel, "Fried Green Tomatoes" is one of my favorite movies. It follows the friendships of two sets of women, one in the Depression and one in 1980s. It has some real funny parts, such as when Evelyn intentionally runs her car into another's and then tells the other driver, "Face it: I'm older and I have more insurance."

My main criticism is that, unlike the book, it is hard to tell in the movie that Ruth and Idgie are a couple. The film also accurately portrays the racism and sexism of the era. Ruth and Idgie segregate seating at their cafe, although the African American patrons (oddly) don't seem to mind in the movie. The movie also does not portray nearly the racial politics that the book does. For example, in the movie Idgie suggests what to do with the corpse, but in the book, Big George does and his employers never know anything about it. The book is better, so be sure to read it.

The movie contains a fair amount of violence, including the KKK attacking African Americans and Ruth's husband beating her.

A cute, adorable and fun story about an Australian marsupial, "Diary of a Wombat" is so funny that I gave a copy to my little sister, who also loves it. I often quote the book's cute lines, such as "Demanded carrots. Got carrots!" and "Decided humans make excellent pets."

A funny movie with a strange plot, "Strangers with Candy" is about Jerri, an alcoholic just out of prison who wants to impress her father by finishing high school. Despite being ridiculously clueless about what's happening around her (such as her stepmother having an affair), Jerri manages to have a happy ending. The movie contains lots of subtle jokes against homophobia and the religious right.

Humor author David Sedaris told Jon Stewart that he travelled to Japan in order to quit smoking because he had heard that the culture shock might help. While there he read strange suggestions and safety tips for travelers, such as what you should do if you are engulfed in flames (sadly, the brochure he read gave the wrong advice), hence the book title.

David Sedaris' stories about his life are simultaneously hilarious and sad with indirect social commentary throughout. Now an openly gay man living in Paris with his husband, Sedaris also contributes to NPR's "This American Life." His sister Amy Sedaris also has a book, TV show and movie ("Strangers with Candy," co-starring Stephen Colbert) at the AADL.