Strange Animal - Gowan

Advantages: Characters, Story.
Disadvantages: Overlong.

...Written by James Cameron and directed by his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, Strange Days is a cyberpunk film set just before the year 2000. Former vice-cop Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes) sells 'SQUID' recordings on the underground circuit. Basically, these are full-sensory pieces of human memory on MiniDiscs that capture other people's emotional experiences, and act as a 'fix' to the people that are curious or missing something in their lives. Nero is in a state of unhappiness after breaking up with girlfriend Faith (Juliette Lewis) and repeatedly relives their happier (and most erotic) times together via the box of tapes in his apartment. While strictly only choosing to deal in soft-core porn imagery, Nero soon finds himself in the possession of a snuff disc, which shows the murder of Jeriko One -a Hip-Hop artist that has been heralded as... Read review

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Advantages: Excellent crime thriller
Disadvantages: Slow build up

...his brother but now he sounds like he's in trouble. As Alan is unable to get hold of him on the phone he drives down from Yorkshire to London to see what the call is all about. Meanwhile back in Yorkshire the body of a young lady Jennifer Clewes is found in her car with a bullet in her head. When the investigation begins in the dead ladies back pocket Alan Banks' address is discovered. So DI Cabbot checks what turns out to be his old address and finds the place had been broken in and Inspector Banks no-where to be seen. The Strange Affair begins. As Alan seeks to find his troubled brother in London, while 'his team' try and find the murderer in Yorkshire. Alan must try and learn and understand all about his brother's life to find him and solve the mystery. But how and why can these two very different investigations be linked? My... Read review

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Advantages: Teaches kids to accept families
Disadvantages: none

...***The Background*** Malorie Blackman is a very popular children's author who has written a wide variety of books for different ages. Ranging from picture books such as this one and I Want A Cuddle to the Noughts and Crosses series aimed at young adults, she has everything a child could want. Alison Bartlett has illustrated many books by various authors but the most frequent combination is with Vivien French. ***The Story*** Jessica Strange is a stripey ginger cat, but as she looks so different from the rest of her family, who are strangely a group of cute little mice, she decides that she must be another animal. Throughout the book she visits all the other animals on the farm and asks them all what type of animal they think she is but finds herself becoming more confused with every answer. The butterfly thinks that... Read review

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