Jason Webster's latest offering is just out, it's a change from his previous works, a fast-paced thriller, set in Valencia and featuring detective Max Cámara- - we have an exclusive interview with the author here

MOVIE FAN?
The Spanish love movies - there are cinemas all over town - mainly dubbed in Castellano, so you're going to have to learn the language if you want to see the blockbusters, But, there is now Great news! Ciné Cité at Mercado Campanar is now Yelmo and has an exciting line up of films in digital 2d and 3d VOS,
For arty films there are the excellent Babel (click box top right) which shows its films in original version and the IVAC - Filmoteca.(click their box top right) The annua festival Cinema Joven takes place each June for one week (15-22June in 2012), though the excellent Mostra de Valencia - the Mediterranean film festival has just been shelved indefinitely as part of the austerity cuts by the council. And, a little sinister this, their website is deamed by google to be unsafe to visit now! The IVAC has a summer outdoor cinema "Filmoteca d'Estiu' in front of the Palau de Musica in the riverbed all the way through August, and Kinepolis Heron City staged a summer cinema in the port area this summer, the programmes, as always, are here when published .

You want art? There are around 30 galleries and museums in the city. The excellent IVAM devoted to modern art, the Museo de Bellas Artes, a fine permanent collection and well staged exhibitions, the Bancaixa Gallery has a large permanent collection of Picasso etchings.

Go here for a list of the major galleries - all are open daily except monday - entrance fees vary but are not expensive and Sundays, all galleries are free.

Theatre your thing? There are four major theatre spaces in the city, an excellent Music Palace Palau de Música and the stunning Opera house masterpiece Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía by the celebrated Valencian Architect Calatrava. There is also a thriving café theatre scene (seasonal) and many of the smaller clubs have performance on a regular basis.

Sagunto - up the coast a bit has a Roman amphitheatre and stages not only the classics but concerts as well in the Festival d'estui, Sagunt a escena.

Nightbird? click here for the clubs

Is music your bag? There's a wealth of music here in Valencia for you to enjoy. From rock to folk to classical to brass bands to jazz and back again click here for the major venues.

Always got your face in a book? go here for reviews and the inspired monthly column from Gooru, returning soon

Fashion Victim? or just love to read an excellent woman columnist? Anita Darling is here, and Barbara O'Neill is here, just for you.

THISISCINEMA - THIS WEEK IN THE TWO CINEMAS THAT SHOW ORIGINAL VERSION FILMS IN THE CITY
Click the boxes right toy book and for more info
YELMO
Sherlock Holmes: Juego de sombras (Sherlock Holmes - A game of Shadows) 2D V.O.S. Action - 129 minutes. Rating 7 Showings 20:40
La dama de hierro (The Iron Lady) 2D V.O.S. Biography - 105 minutes. Rating TP(family) Showings 20:30
Un lugar para soñar (We bought a zoo) 2D V.O.S. Comedy - 124 minutes. Rating TP(family) Showings 20:15
Drive 2D V.O.S. Action - 100 minutes. Rating 18 Showings 15:50 18:10 20:20 22:30
l Topo (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) 2D V.O.S. uspense - 89 minutes. Rating 13 Showings 20:00
The Artist 2D V.O.S. Drama - 100 minutes. Rating TP(family)Showings 17:55 20:05 22:10
Misión imposible: protocolo fantasma (Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol) 2D V.O.S. Action - 133 minutes. Rating 7 Showings 22:35
Criadas y señoras (The Help) 2D V.O.S. Drama - 146 minutes. Rating 12 Showings 21:45
Arthur Christmas - Operación Regalo (Arthur Christmas) 2D V.O.S. Animation - 102 minutes. Rating TP(family) Showings 15:35
Un Dios Salvaje (Carnage) 2D V.O.S. Comedy - 79 minutes. Rating 12 Showings 22:40
La Saga Crepúsculo. Amanecer (Part 1) (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) 2D V.O.S. Aventure - 135 minutes. Rating 12 Showings 15:30

BABEL
La dama de hierro (The Iron Lady) 2D V.O.S. Biography - 105 minutes. Rating TP(family) Showings 16:30, 18:45 & 22:45
The Artist 2D V.O.S. Drama - 100 minutes. Rating TP(family) Showings 16:30, 18:45, 20:45 & 22:45
Route Irish 2D V.O.S. Drama 109 minutes. Rating 12 Showings 16:30 & 20:15
Un Metodo Peligroso (A Dangerous Method) 2D V.O.S. Drama 99 minutes. Rating 13 Showings 18:35 & 22:45
Melancolia (Melancholia) 2D V.O.S. Drama 136 minutes. Rating 13 Showings 20:20
Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre) 2D V.O.S. Drama 120 minutes. Rating 13 Showings 20:30 Fri, Sun, Mon & Tue

CIRCO GRAN FELE
UNTIL 08 JANUARY in a big top in front of the Palau de les Arts.
REVIEW - Tim Birch was surprised to have such a good time.
I would have to admit a small but quite distinct feeling of trepidation about committing time to a circus, it has never been my favourite form of entertainment, but for the sake of thisisvalencia.com I went on a surprisingly-cold-for-Valencia Thursday evening to see a preview of Circo Gran Fele's latest offering, Un Pessic de Sal (A Pinch of Salt).

Their big top is on a piece of wasteland earmarked for a proposed Conservatoire opposite the Palau de les Arts. As we walked towards it we could hear quite loud music coming from the tent and were suddenly a little worried that we had read the time wrong on the invitation we had received, but as we neared it became clear that the show hadn't yet begun and it was just warm up music for the waiting audience.

We bought popcorn and were shown to our seats (wooden bench) in the pint-sized big top by a sweet girl who dropped some boiled sweets into my hand as she left to help others to their seats - nice touch. It is, as I mentioned earlier, a smallish big top with a little area at the back of the ring for the band and next to it, a red proscenium arch and curtain. In the centre of the ring stood a table and stools and as we sat and waited for the show to begin various members of the cast wandered on and off the ring, chatting, scratch juggling, yawning and waving at members of the audience.

Rafael Pla is the Master of ceremonies in the guise of El Gran Fele. He founded the Circo Gran Fele in 1993 with the idea that the shows they put on should have a direction and a story, that all the acts should express and idea or emotion which is part of the general idea. He looks great, he's rotund with a full white beard, long curly white hair. He arrives in the ring wearing a long red frock coat and pillbox hat to match and proudly announces the start of the show! The band begins to play and the show is under way.

There are tumblers, there are jugglers, there are clowns, there are rope acts and there are marionettes, all part of the story of life in a plaza in a small pueblo. There are no animals.

One of the very British traditions that the Spanish don't have around the Christmas Season is the Pantomime. This show is as close as you can get to pantomime.

It is a hugely entertaining, and, even if like me, you can live without jugglers and clowns, this is a little marvel of a show. The clown is genuinely funny and actually looks like he is having fun(as do all the cast). The acrobatics are excellent and beautifully choreographed, the juggler's act was made all the better by the way that he pretended to be asleep. The band are great, playing music almost 100% of the show. The little marionettes of elderly 'villagers' are delightful and Gran Fele holds it all together beautifully.

One of the joys of sitting around a circus ring is being able to watch how others, particularly children, are enjoying the show. The kids in our audience were positively gleeful in their enjoyment of the proceedings, as was the man in front of us, who reminded me of a late uncle of mine, who would treat each of my 4 brothers and sisters and to a different Panto each and every Christmas and would spend the entire show reacting as much or more than the children around us to what was going on. This was just such a show, old-fashioned and full of fun for everyone. Go and see it!

It is on twice a day, almost daily, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day and tickets are from 12 - 24 euros with discounts for children.