Filtered Visions

I really enjoyed this book, having been a fan of Russell for a while I really wanted to find out more about him, and this book delivers. Russell talks you through his childhood into his early days of fame and divulges many of his embarrassing moments and indiscretions along the way. There were quite a few moments in this book where I found myself not liking him as much as I thought I did, and had to remind myself that he is explaining the events that have made him who he is today, and is not necessarily representative of his current personality. He tells his story in his own unique way, which is really enjoyable, particularly if you're a fan as you can really hear him talking as he does on stage, with all the flourishes and campness you would expect. It is a deeply personal autobiography, where Russell really lays himself open through some very difficult times in his life. For me, it was also quite an eye opener into a world of drug taking, the levels of which I haven’t seen / experienced. Overall, I would recommend this book to any fan that wants to know Russell better, and anybody else that wants an insight into a troubled mind. I still love him!

Christopher Brookmyre stands alone on my shelf, and I'm sure on all other shelves in the world; I don't know any books quite like his. He is uniquely unsettling, warped, funny and mindbogglingly clever in his writing of crime fiction (a genre that I would normally never pick up).


Quite Ugly One Morning is the first book containing Scottish detective Jack Parlabane. It is a fulfilling murder mystery, with scenes so twisted it will have you grimacing through your fingers, trying to work out the case. This book is a departure from the books I would normally read however it was thoroughly captivating and joyfully horrible! I wholeheartedly recommend Christopher Brookmyre to anyone that likes to figure out the story and that has a very dark sense of humour (and strong constitution!).