Book: Marley and Me by John Grogan

This is without a doubt one of the best non fiction books I have ever read. A true life tale of a family and their badly behaved dog Marley. Marley may be the worst behaved mutt in the world but you just fall in love with him from page one. The focus is on the dog, but it is also a document of a family and it’s ups and downs which makes this book so user friendly. I am not a dog owner but was lent this book by a friend who does have a Labrador the same as Marley (maybe not as naughty but just as greedy), and she told me that I would need a box of hankies on hand. I avoid animal books for this reason as I am just too sentimental, but I had heard so much about this book that I was prepared to take the chance and find out what all the fuss was about. I am glad I did. It was an emotional roller coaster when one minute you were laughing at Marley’s antics or the way the author described them, and the next crying when ‘Mum’ had a miscarriage. If ever there was a book written from the heart to melt the heart then this is it. Never before have I dreaded reading the last chapter of a book because I knew that Marley was getting old and ready to go off to that big dog basket in the sky, and when it happened I was in floods of tears. You love that dog as much as his family did. On the cover it says 3 million copies sold, and I bet there have been 3 million boxes of hankies in use as well. I am a cat owner, and have never owned a dog, but that doesn’t matter. If you have any empathy with animals and the fact that as pets they bring something to your world that no-one else can, then this book is essential reading. I can’t praise it enough.
Score Board: 10/10. Nothing else comes close to Marley the Wonder Dog.

Book: Monkey Portraits by Jill Greenberg

This is a gorgeous book. Not much writing but just a simple forward and afterword. The photos say it all. Orangutans, chimps, baboons, monkeys etc. Cute yes, but the photographer has caught something extra special about these animals. Just look at their expressions and you can see amost human emotions going on. Fear, humour, aggression, intelligence, calm, happiness, sadness, curiousity, fun, playful, cute, old, young. This is not just a book of studio portraits of monkeys (and apes), but a look at creatures that are so much like us it's frightening. The author has put one word descriptions beside each photo and they are as descriptive as a whole ream of unnecessary words.

Score Board: 10/10 Unusual book, but fascinating

CD: Jackie The Album & Book: More of The Best

If you grew up in the 70's like I did and you went to school around the time that Donny Osmond and David Cassidy were heart throbs, then you will love this album. Three discs of all the songs you remember. To be fair I have to say that I went to my secondary school around 78 / 79 and my real school era of music was the 80's, but as I was growing up these tracks were around. It's a shock to say that I pretty much remember every one of the songs that have been included on this compilation. Of course the Osmond clan, Rod Stewart, Bryan Ferry, Hot Chocolate, The Jackson 5, T Rex, Suzi Quatro make an appearance as well as some stinkers like Leo Sayer and Barry Ryan (who?), but in general this is a great piece of nostalgia.

I used to get the magazine as a treat way back then and in those more innocent of days it was considered a "cool' mag for the discerning school girl, but nowadays the teens of today would just laugh at it. However there must be a market out there for these sort of things as this is the third Jackie book to come and the first compilation of music. All have sold well as far as I know

The book just reprints some original quizzes, fashion tips, photo stories, true life confessions, articles on how to get the boy you fancy etc. Great fun to look back at.

For those of you who are sniggering behind your hands as to how sad this sort of thing is, well in a few years time the sort of music YOU are listening to now will be considered old hat and a bit rubbish, so wind your neck in. Treat all eras of music with respect.

Score Book: 10/10 It's a bit of fun and worth every penny.

CD: 'X' - Kylie Minogue

Now I generally like Kylie's music, but I admit to being very disappointed with her last album 'Body Language'. It just didn't have the Kylie touch, too experimental and too far away from her normal pop tunes. It didn't do very well. I was really looking forward to her 'comeback' album 'X' as it was so highly anticipated in the music world, but again I have to say it isn't exactly what I was expecting. The lead single '2 Hearts' does grow on you after a while but it was a daft choice as a first taster. 'Like A Drug', now this is more like it. Classic disco Kylie and this would have made a better lead single, definately my favourite. 'In My Arms' again this is the sort of stuff I was expecting, catchy sing a long pop, 'Speakerphone' now here is where we hit a stumbling block. It starts off ok, but it descends into a computerised mess, no I don't like this one. Next please. 'Sensitized' An ok track, standard Kylie album filler. It has some good hook lines and I think it's quite a hit with fans, but I can take it or leave it. 'Heart Beat Rock' This is poop! What were you thinking Kylie?? This is just terrible. She is trying to do some sort of hip hoppy thing and it does not work. One to skip over I think. 'The One' now this is a nice song, it would make a good single and is a pure pop Kylie gem. 'No More Rain' another cute little track more in the Kylie style. Catchy chorus. 'All I See' a ballad. Bland and boring but it's not awful. 'Stars' more of an album filler, but not too bad but it goes in one ear and out the other. 'Wow' this is the new single apparantly and I am not sure why as it's not the best track on the album by a long way. It's a dancey, disco tune that Kylie seems to do well with, but It doesn't hit you with wow factor I have to say. 'Nu-Di-Ty' This is the worst thing Kylie has ever done. It's so awful i can't describe it. Who told her that this was a good idea? I suggest they shut up next time. A total shambolic hip hop electonic mess. 'Cosmic' A dull ballad.

Overall it isn't the 13 track Kylie sensation as was predicted, but it isn't a bad album. She was ill advised to include a couple of the more way out tracks which don't work and don't fit in with the other songs. I understand she wants to branch out a bit but if you are a pop princess then it's pop music that you need to do. The album didnt reach number one and neither did the single so she needs to release some of the better tracks to get the casual listener interested again. '2 Hearts' and 'Wow' won't do it.

Score Board: 6/13 could do better.

CD: Deborah Harry - Necessary Evil (2007)

I have to be honest here and say this is not good. No stand out tracks and some real stinkers. I mean what is 'You're Too Hot' all about? Debbie goes back to her punk days and just screams it out. Not a good listening experience. 'Two Times Blue' isn't too bad, but it's not a patch on her Blondie stuff. 'School For Scandal' is more a song for Girls Aloud then Debbie. 'If I Had You' is a pretty enough tune but it's bland. 'Deep End' weird verse, ok chorus. 'Love Without Vengeance' another bland offering. 'Necessary Evil' she talks though the beginning of it and it is similar to Blondie's older stuff but there just isn't a hook line or melody in sight. 'Charm Redux' no idea what this means but it's a hip hoppy back beat which lasts for a minute then the track is over. Debbie doesn't sing on it, what a waste of space. 'Dirty And Deep' another one where she talks the verse, it sounds exactly like 'Necessary Evil', boring. 'What Is Love' now this isn't a bad one at all, maybe the best track on the album. A gentle ballad with a nice hook line. 'Whiteout' Debbie sounds a bit drunk in this one, but it does get better as it goes on, but not by much. 'Needless To Say' another ballad, very nice but it's forgetable. 'Heat Of The Moment' a slightly jungle type beat going on here with Debbie's breathy vocals over the top repeating the title of the song. Again it's short and is no more then an instrumental interlude. 'Charmal Arm' what is a charmal arm?? Another weird track. Very computerised. 'Jen Jen' This track takes ages to begin, just silence for ages then some tribal chant thing comes in and a synthised beat. Debbie doesn't make an appearance. It's written by Chris Stein so I'm not surprised it's peculiar. 'Naked Eye' again no melody, no impact at all. 'Paradise' A ballad that starts off with a bit of a saxaphone riff but just dies of boredom after a couple of minutes.

It is worth noteing that Debbie had a hand in writing most of these tracks, and her voice is as gorgeous as ever, but this is not an album I could listen to very often, if at all.

If anything this is a conceptual 'experimental' piece of music, certainly not commercial in value and in places it is just plain odd. To odd for Debbie's Blondie fans I think.

Score Board: 4/17 Out of 17 tracks only a few have made any impact. Sorry Debbie.

DVD: Shrek The Third

I am a huge fan of Shrek and I don’t care who knows it. I saw the first film by chance and must have seen it dozens of times since. I never tire of it. Shrek 2 was more of a good thing and Shrek 3 hasn’t let the side down.
This time Prince Charming (he with the hair), is the baddie and a new character Arthur is the hero. The rest of the cast are there of course and the same actors take on the voices. For me, Shrek, Donkey, Fiona and Puss In Boots can only be played by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas. Their voices are now so familiar with these characters that you couldn’t imagaine them as anyone else. All the actors say that ‘Shrek’ is the film that the public associate them with most of all, and people of all ages just love these stories. There is a charm about ‘Shrek’ that other films can’t even begin to find. There are also jokes about bodily functions, plenty of farting, lots of little back ground things that you have to watch out for that just makes them very special. In Shrek 3 there is a poster of ‘Sir Justin’ in Fiona’s bedroom and you know that it’s meant to be Justin Timberlake, Cameron’s ex fella (he also voices Arthur in the film). Lots of little in-jokes like that are great to watch out for.
As always the storyline is good, the characters are familiar and lovable and the jokes are brilliant. On top of that the animation is second to none.
If you haven’t seen ‘Shrek’ then you have no idea what you’re missing.
Score Board: 10/10 Another one to add to my Shrek favourites.

DVD: Sister Act 1 & 2

It’s been a while since I have seen either of these films, but I’d forgotten just how much I enjoyed them. They are both ‘feel-good’ stories without the slush that other films seem to go in for (‘Under The Tuscan Sun’ please take note). Whoopie Goldberg delivers witty one liners with her usual charm and the music is actually very good. The story is pretty basic, involving a lounge singer (Whoopie) who witnesses a murder by her married lover. The police have to keep her protected and hidden until the trial date. She ends up in a convent and proceeds to cause mayhem among the unworldly sisters as well as training the dreadful choir into something decent. Of course they triumph over evil and everyone is happy.
In the second film Whoopie (Delores) is asked by the nuns to help out a failing school full of wild kids. She begins to teach them about music and singing and they are entered in a competition. They win, the school improves and hey guess what, everyone is happy.
Score Board: 10/10 Nice films with a dash of sisterly humour.