Carol Naylor's REVIEW it...

                        Summer in February Film Review. "Ruined with brawling and caterwauling                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. "Sometimes when I want to be on my own I get into the airing cupboard in the bathroom and slide in beside the boiler and pull the door closed behind me and sit there and think for hours and it makes me feel very calm." This is an extraordinary book about being special and cherishing differences in spite of the isolation felt. The title is taken from Arthur Conan Doyle's "Silver Blazes" and quoted by the maestro himself, Sherlock Holmes. In Haddon's novel the main character, Christopher, a 15 year old boy wants to be a mystery detective solving the murder of Wellington just like his idol Holmes. As soon as you start reading it is obvious that Christopher is different and special. He has a photographic memory and thinks logically and literally. He demonstrates his thought patterns by adding illustrations, maps, diagrams and stories. This appealed to Haddon's younger audience...

   One Chance Film Review based on the rise to fame of Paul Potts. He was "The little boy from Wales who always wanted to sing. The opera of my life" is what he called this biopic. Directed by David Frankel ( The Devil Wears Prada ) the film has a good cast of well-known stars. I'm not a fan of James Corden but must agree that he excels himself as Paul Potts with Alexandra Roach as Julz who is endearing with her humour and supportive outlook. Julie Walters is a down-to-earth, lovable mum full of encouragement although Colm Meaney as Roland, Paul's father is discouraging, a typical working-class Alpha male. Paul's story begins in 1985 in Port Talbot, Wales and it covers the period up to his success on BGT in 2007 with Nessun Dorma. It is based on a true story with a number of embellishments for our entertainment and amusement. It has been compared to Billy Elliott with the rags to riches and feel-good factor. As a child, he seemed prone to acc...

                     Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. "What if he is the Messiah? Aren't we morally obliged to save his life if he's here to save the world?" This is Jodi's 15th novel delving into lots of serious moral issues about capital punishment and organ donation. You'll also experience some interesting discussion on religion and spirituality from different religious denominations as well as the atheists and gnostics. It raises questions over whether religion makes us more or less tolerant and whether what we believe is always the truth. Is religion divisive or does it unite? Following the modern trend, there are multiple-narrators and they are credible characters questioning life and suffering. June is the most tragic person having lost her first husband in a car accident. Daughter Elizabeth and June miraculously survived. She was inconsolable but a policeman called Kurt was there to comfort her and she grew ...

       A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. Book/Film Review. "These weren't my people. They were just people who would talk to me because I was in their boat, but it was a bad boat to be in-an unseaworthy, shabby little boat, and I could suddenly see that it was going to break up and sink." Nick Hornby is rated as one of our most gifted comic writers so the obvious question to ask is what is remarkably amusing or alluring, reading about four people wanting to kill themselves? Group suicide is it fashionable? Is there an attraction? If so, what is it? Very dark humour emerges from the miserable lives of four very different people who have had to deal with excessive personal suffering and shame. Some of it is self-inflicted though. Take Martin Sharp for example. Hornby moralises allowing the characters to reflect on their misery, giving themselves time to reassess the value or worthlessness of their lives. But don't expect any glorious moments of redemption...