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Andrew’s Year In Books

Andrew’s 2025 Year in Books

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Andrew K. Lawston’s Followers (62)

Andrew’s Bookshelves

to-read (6)
currently-reading (3)
read (180)
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Andrew’s Friends (333)

M.T. McGuire

186 books | 191 friends

Nick Campbell

203 books | 20 friends

Dorothy Dreyer

369 books | 2,383 friends

David Gustafson

343 books | 277 friends

Claude Dancourt

540 books | 1,559 friends

Jud

2,160 books | 99 friends

David Hadley

1,233 books | 225 friends

Susan

1,256 books | 48 friends

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Andrew K. Lawston

Goodreads Author

Born

in Salisbury, The United Kingdom

Website

http://andrewlawston.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter

alawston

Genre

Short Stories, Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Influences

Terry Pratchett, The League of Gentlemen, Paul Magrs, Albert Camus, Do ...more

Member Since

April 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/andrewlawston

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Andrew K. Lawston has at various times been a writer, actor, director, teacher, journalist, academic, salesman, publisher, editor, designer (that was a weird day), cinema manager, film extra and till monkey. His first job was working in an independent bookshop aged 16, and he at least had the foresight to know that it would all be downhill from there.

Andrew writes quirky comedy fiction over a variety of genres. His writing is infused with the kind of worldview that comes from watching a lot of French cinema and Doctor Who (not necessarily in that order), and reading a lot of Pratchett, Dickens and Shakespeare. It's often dark, sometimes disturbing, always unpredictable, and occasionally very funny. Ever wondered what would happen if a small ...more

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Combine Editions
Andrew K. Lawston’s books

Average rating: 4.07 · 642 ratings · 131 reviews · 43 distinct works • Similar authors

	Something Nice - 10 Stories 4.28 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Detective Daintypaws: A Squirrel In Bohemia: Crime-Solving Cat Adventures 3.89 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Apocalypse Barnes (The Gentrified Dead #1) 4.29 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2017 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Detective Daintypaws: Buscemi At Christmas - A Christmas Special: Crime-Solving Cat Adventures 3.72 avg rating — 18 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Something Nicer 4.50 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Voyage of the Space Bastard 3.38 avg rating — 8 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Zip! Zap! Boing! (Starship Troupers #1) 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Killing Me Softly? An Examination of the Depiction of Violence in the Early Films of Jean-Luc Godard (1960-1967) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2002 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Frag Prince: A Science-Fiction Fairy Tale 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2016	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rudy On Rails: A Cyberpunk Adventure really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2018 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Andrew K. Lawston…

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Andrew K. Lawston's Blog

Noor Inayat Khan (1914-1944)

Today, the UK has been remembering Noor Inayat Khan, a British Muslim who was the first female radio operator sent into Nazi-occupied France. English Heritage have erected one of their iconic blue plaques at the flat where she lived in Bloomsbury from 1942-43, and they've put together detailed information on her life and heroic exploits which you can read here.

I was struck by the detail that prior

Series by Andrew K. Lawston

Starship Troupers Initiative Universe (2 books)
by

Andrew K. Lawston (Goodreads Author)

3.67 avg rating — 12 ratings

Andrew is Currently Reading

Andrew Lawston is currently reading

The Dynamite Room

by Jason Hewitt (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 04, 2014 02:44AM

Andrew Lawston is currently reading

Les Misérables

by Victor Hugo

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Mar 14, 2013 02:14AM

Andrew Lawston is currently reading

London Falling (Shadow Police, #1)

by Paul Cornell (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 07, 2012 02:13AM

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Andrew’s Recent Updates

Andrew Lawston rated a book it was amazing The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This was a reread, I've a signed copy from the launch party for the 2013 edition. The Language of Dying by Sarah Pinborough is a fleeting, meditative book about loss, grief and time. Grief for our lost pasts as much as for the people within them. A ma ...more
Dec 23, 2025 03:10AM · 1 like · like · see review
Andrew Lawston rated a book it was amazing Kraken by China Miéville (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This has been my side book for the last month or so, as I'd forgotten it was a precious signed copy following a really cool chat with China at a convention in 2011 or so (I remembered the chat, but not which book he'd signed). That's the state of my ...more
Dec 19, 2025 05:33AM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kraken by China Miéville. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kraken by China Miéville <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Lawston rated a book it was amazing Doctor Who: Dalek by Robert Shearman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
When Doctor Who came back to BBC1 in 2005, it was an instant smash, and a lot of people - frankly myself included - were not necessarily expecting that. We'd just had two seasons of Reeves and Mortimer resurrecting Randall & Hopkirk: Deceased as a la ...more
Dec 18, 2025 03:24AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Doctor Who by Robert Shearman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Doctor Who by Robert Shearman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Lawston rated a book it was amazing Waiting for Godalming by Robert Rankin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Barry the Time Sprout, Brentford, and far-fetched adventure abound. I read this hard on the heels of Sprout Mask Replica and a reread of Dance of the Voodoo Handbag (the details of which I had largely forgotten since 2012...), and I think this was my ...more
Dec 09, 2025 02:08AM · 1 like · like · see review
Andrew Lawston rated a book really liked it The Dance of the Voodoo Handbag by Robert Rankin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I'm a late convert to Robert Rankin - I wasn't convinced by his apparently improvised style and rambling storyline. But then I met Rankin at a couple of conventions over the last couple of years, and I've come to look at his books at an extension of ...more
Dec 09, 2025 02:07AM · 1 like · like · see review
Andrew Lawston has read The Dance of the Voodoo Handbag by Robert Rankin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 09, 2025 02:06AM · like
Andrew Lawston is currently reading Kraken by China Miéville (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 20, 2025 01:32AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Kraken by China Miéville. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Kraken by China Miéville <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Lawston rated a book it was amazing Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
At barely 150 pages, I've taken an outrageous amount of time to read this. In truth, I took a break for several months after I put my copy down somewhere in the flat, and promptly forgot about it. "Arthur Clarke" wrote Earthlight in 1955, before he'd ...more
Nov 13, 2025 05:50AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Earthlight by Arthur C. Clarke <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Lawston rated a book it was amazing Sprout Mask Replica by Robert Rankin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Another bit of far-fetched brilliance from Robert Rankin. This time riffing on chaos theory, and sprouts. Not necessarily in that order.
Nov 08, 2025 07:32AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Sprout Mask Replica by Robert Rankin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Sprout Mask Replica by Robert Rankin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Andrew Lawston rated a book it was amazing Skellig (Skellig, #1) by David Almond	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Lovely little book. With 30,000+ ratings I don't think there's anything useful I can add to the discourse around Skellig. It's kind of YA magical realism, with hints of Alan Garner on a sunny day. Obviously it's for younger readers, so as a grown-up ...more
Nov 06, 2025 07:02AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Skellig by David Almond. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Skellig by David Almond <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Andrew K. Lawston (?)

“While I prepared to poison my girlfriend, I sorted through the previous day’s post”
― Andrew K. Lawston, A Splendid Salmagundi

tags: poison, salmagundi

6 likes

“I’m Detective Daintypaws, and you’re nicked! By the power vested in me by, uh, a waiter who turned out to be the twisted pawn of an insane primal deity, I’m arresting you on suspicion of grand theft cheese - I’ll think of a clever pun later, I’m sure there is one.”
― Andrew K. Lawston, Detective Daintypaws: Buscemi At Christmas - A Christmas Special: Crime-Solving Cat Adventures

0 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Indie-Licious: What are you reading?	16	42	Jan 28, 2013 08:27AM
Book Haven: 2012 What am I Reading?	1118	1072	Aug 22, 2013 11:51AM
UK Amazon Kindle ...: Self Challenge. Jay-me's second challenge - 2012 - Our Authors	71	100	Jan 27, 2014 12:08AM
UK Amazon Kindle ...: Drabbles Needed! Authors, have a go.	1153	276	Feb 20, 2019 03:47AM
~Readers Sharing ...: Short Stories	384	130	Nov 28, 2025 04:35PM
Making Connections: * What are you Reading?	1972	2206	Dec 05, 2025 05:52AM
Action/Adventure ...: * What are you reading now?	5296	1003	Dec 14, 2025 04:47PM

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Andrew’s Quotes

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”
― George Orwell, 1984

tags: april, dystopia, first-sentence, opening-lines

2624 likes

“Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.”
― Terry Pratchett, Hogfather

2161 likes

“When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine.”
― Pablo Picasso

tags: art, criticism

185 likes

“While I prepared to poison my girlfriend, I sorted through the previous day’s post”
― Andrew K. Lawston, A Splendid Salmagundi

tags: poison, salmagundi

6 likes

“What does a scanner see? he asked himself. I mean, really see? Into the head? Down into the heart? Does a passive infrared scanner like they used to use or a cube-type holo-scanner like they use these days, the latest thing, see into me - into us - clearly or darkly? I hope it does, he thought, see clearly, because I can't any longer these days see into myself. I see only murk. Murk outside; murk inside. I hope, for everyone's sake, the scanners do better. Because, he thought, if the scanner sees only darkly, the way I myself do, then we are cursed, cursed again and like we have been continually, and we'll wind up dead this way, knowing very little and getting that little fragment wrong too.”
― Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly