Andrew Lawston

This is a second collection of stories from Andrew. They are never quite like anyone else's and that's partly what I love about them. He's also got a writing style that I get on with very well.

Something Nicer

Amazon.com Something Nicer

My review -

I enjoyed the author's first collection of short stories, Something Nice, so I was pleased to see that there was another volume of these off-the-wall tales. They vary in length from the short, almost knee-jerk 100-word flash fiction drabbles to longer works and the one thing they have in common is a sideways look at the world. In any collection a reader will have favourites - I have a partiality to the quick-fire drabbles - but some of the others really made me sit up. I found some odd, some a little horrific and my favourite – Bushimi: The Cat Who Wanted To Be An Art Critic - was charmingly surreal.

If you enjoy quick reads in between your longer novels, if you like to be made to think, if you want a different slant on the world, this book is for you. The writing is clear and enjoyable. It took three years for a second collection of these stories. I hope we won't have to wait so long for another book.

Andrew Lawston

I was amused to discover that this collection of strange stories got its name from Andrew's mother asking him when he was going to write 'Something Nice!'

Something Nice

Amazon.com  Something Nice

My review -

Andrew Lawston is a new writer to me although these stories have evidently had previous incarnations. There wasn't a single one I didn't enjoy. They were particularly well written and all had that little edge of discomfort. With many, you wondered if it could happen. The best accolade I can give him is that his stories didn't remind me of anyone else's work. He writes with his own voice. Long may he continue.