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As They Slept #1
As They Slept
The autobiographical tale of a stubborn, thirty something commuter, who wasn't prepared to lose a petty argument on Facebook.
Infuriated by the snoozing passengers surrounding him, Andy posted a status declaring that sleeping on trains is a complete waste of time.
His friends disagreed.
In a bid to prove them wrong, Andy set out to write a book from start to finish on the daily commute.
"As They Slept" is a collection of comical tales of travel and trepidation, guaranteed to make you laugh.
In his well received first book, Andy sets out to explain how to eradicate lost property, why women can't use their pockets, and exactly when it's ok to lie.
Infuriated by the snoozing passengers surrounding him, Andy posted a status declaring that sleeping on trains is a complete waste of time.
His friends disagreed.
In a bid to prove them wrong, Andy set out to write a book from start to finish on the daily commute.
"As They Slept" is a collection of comical tales of travel and trepidation, guaranteed to make you laugh.
In his well received first book, Andy sets out to explain how to eradicate lost property, why women can't use their pockets, and exactly when it's ok to lie.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 11, 2012
89 people are currently reading
661 people want to read
About the author
Andy Leeks
6 books25 followersAndy Leeks grew up in Watford and moved to Kent in 2011 for a taste of the quiet life.
Andy started writing his first book, "As They Slept" almost by accident. After a heartfelt Facebook post fell on deaf ears, Andy decided he needed to prove a point.
As They Slept was released on 14th December 2012 and has been described as "witty, pithy and extremely well written". It has been compared to the work of Dave Gorman, Danny Wallace, Jeremy Clarkson and David Mitchell.
On the 30th March 2013, Andy released his second book, imaginatively titled As They Slept - Part 2 and on the 10th August 2013, his third instalment, titled rather unsurprisingly As They Slept - Part 3 was released.
Andy started writing his first book, "As They Slept" almost by accident. After a heartfelt Facebook post fell on deaf ears, Andy decided he needed to prove a point.
As They Slept was released on 14th December 2012 and has been described as "witty, pithy and extremely well written". It has been compared to the work of Dave Gorman, Danny Wallace, Jeremy Clarkson and David Mitchell.
On the 30th March 2013, Andy released his second book, imaginatively titled As They Slept - Part 2 and on the 10th August 2013, his third instalment, titled rather unsurprisingly As They Slept - Part 3 was released.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
June 15, 2015
Not going to lie, I only read this because I was 3 books behind on my 2015 Reading Challenge and it was free on Amazon, and at 192 pages, it's a pretty short read. I'd like to say that it was a good decision on my part, but unfortunately, that would be a lie.
The premise of the book is quite interesting; as someone who likes to make the most of my commute by completing the 2015 Reading Challenge (to little success, seeing as my commute is only about 15 minutes) it appealed. In a nutshell, a dude decides to prove that a commute can be productive by writing a book solely in the time he spends on trains.
However, the execution is really lacking. Simply put, this guy hasn't really written a book on his commutes. He's just written a diary. There's no plot, no theme - nothing. Just 'today I did this' and 'here's what I think about London!' Any poor sod could do it if they spend two hours a day on trains, which this chap does.
There were a couple of good lines, and I did laugh out loud on a few occasions, but I can't for the life of me remember why. That's probably the main drawback of this book. Nothing about it is memorable. I can't even remember the name of the author.
Good idea, Andy Leeks (thank god his name is just up there) but if you want to write a book on your commutes, could you at least make it a good one?
The premise of the book is quite interesting; as someone who likes to make the most of my commute by completing the 2015 Reading Challenge (to little success, seeing as my commute is only about 15 minutes) it appealed. In a nutshell, a dude decides to prove that a commute can be productive by writing a book solely in the time he spends on trains.
However, the execution is really lacking. Simply put, this guy hasn't really written a book on his commutes. He's just written a diary. There's no plot, no theme - nothing. Just 'today I did this' and 'here's what I think about London!' Any poor sod could do it if they spend two hours a day on trains, which this chap does.
There were a couple of good lines, and I did laugh out loud on a few occasions, but I can't for the life of me remember why. That's probably the main drawback of this book. Nothing about it is memorable. I can't even remember the name of the author.
Good idea, Andy Leeks (thank god his name is just up there) but if you want to write a book on your commutes, could you at least make it a good one?
February 17, 2013
Commuting in London can be a tiresome task, so tiresome that some of us utilise this time to sleep, which seems to be a monumental waste of time to As They Slept author Andy Leeks. Instead of re-charging his batteries, Andy used his time on his daily commute to write this book, and I for one found the experiement an entertaining and bold expression of London life.
The only problem I have with this book is that it wasn't really about anything. It was more a blog of Andy's life, which is fine, and there is enough good stuff crammed into the book to keep me reading, but I was hoping for a more comical look at commuting... Maybe that will be Andy's next book.
This book may not be for everyone, but I can certainly recommend it to most Londoners who will find plenty in here that they can relate to... Also it was an easy book to read on a sleepy commute to and from work in London.
The only problem I have with this book is that it wasn't really about anything. It was more a blog of Andy's life, which is fine, and there is enough good stuff crammed into the book to keep me reading, but I was hoping for a more comical look at commuting... Maybe that will be Andy's next book.
This book may not be for everyone, but I can certainly recommend it to most Londoners who will find plenty in here that they can relate to... Also it was an easy book to read on a sleepy commute to and from work in London.
September 20, 2014
London commuter Andy Leeks decides to prove how valuable commuting time can really be by committing to fill his time by writing something on every commuting journey he makes over a 3 month period. It's an easy read and an eclectic mix of observations, soul-searching and general ramblings - exactly what commuting is made of. And he got the first in a series of 4 knocked out. Smart.
February 11, 2013
The star rating shouldn't put you off - it was never going to be a literary classic! Nonetheless, it is hilarious with numerous laugh out loud moments. I can not wait until the next instalment is published.
February 16, 2013
First I would like to say I received this book through the goodreads giveaway. This book is very funny with lots of moments of laughing out loud. He writes about things most of us think but don't say. Very good interesting read. I can not wait until the next book is out on the shelves.
April 2, 2013
This was so much funnier than I thought it'd be. I love British tongue-in-cheek humour so it was right up my street. I'm thinking I might pick up the second book in the series soon too. Hopefully Andy Leeks has more to share from his train journeys.
March 29, 2013
This was a great book and for the most part had me smiling.
Although not a brilliant work of art it was simple and enjoyable for what it was. It was easy to dip into, to pick up and read a chapter (day) if I had a spare five minutes or so.
I will certainly be looking out for the next edition.
Although not a brilliant work of art it was simple and enjoyable for what it was. It was easy to dip into, to pick up and read a chapter (day) if I had a spare five minutes or so.
I will certainly be looking out for the next edition.
January 4, 2013
A really great biog, written with fast pace and great personality. Not unlike work by Bill Bryson
January 13, 2013
very funny in the beginning then sobers up and real life happens.
but, sometimes he's thinking what we all think.
cant wait for the second book.
but, sometimes he's thinking what we all think.
cant wait for the second book.
February 16, 2013
I wouldn't actually call this a book - more like a collection of blog posts really. Easy to read - sometimes bringing a smile, but not really that funny.
March 6, 2013
Short, light and enjoyable - anecdotes that anyone who has commuted into London on a regular basis will appreciate!
April 1, 2013
I really enjoyed this despite it being different from my usual kind of read. The book was easy to read and provided an intriguing observation of day to day life
Read
April 5, 2013worth 77p. clever idea and quite funny in parts.
October 7, 2014
Ironically read this on my commute to work!!
Found it short and enjoyable.
Found it short and enjoyable.
March 21, 2013
Who hasn't thought they could use their commute more productively!
January 16, 2019
A light and funny read to read on your commute!
Loved this book. Found myself chuckling out loud a few times. The author portrays himself to be very similar to my partner so have often found myself recalling conversations I've had with him, only to then discover that the "conversation" was actually a chapter I read of this book! Very easy read
Loved this book. Found myself chuckling out loud a few times. The author portrays himself to be very similar to my partner so have often found myself recalling conversations I've had with him, only to then discover that the "conversation" was actually a chapter I read of this book! Very easy read
June 4, 2022
Good, light reading.
I enjoyed this light and often light hearted book. Great idea to truly observe and record some of the interesting things we all overlook every day. Andy captured some of the stories of his commute.
I enjoyed this light and often light hearted book. Great idea to truly observe and record some of the interesting things we all overlook every day. Andy captured some of the stories of his commute.
January 12, 2018
This is a nice, easy, quick read. Based on observations a commuter makes on his daily train journeys to work, it covers a wide range of different anecdotes; mostly humorous and some more serious, but great to read in small manageable chunks. The kind of book you can pick up and put back down without worrying about remembering what you last read! I'll be looking out for the other installments.
April 16, 2018
I enjoy a little 'every man's commentary
...about everyday life, dosed with a little humor. This was just what I needed after a difficult weekend. Looking forward to more.
...about everyday life, dosed with a little humor. This was just what I needed after a difficult weekend. Looking forward to more.
January 2, 2019
It was good but I think I was expecting more stories about the people on the bus. Maybe that is what Mr. Leeks does in the 2 - 4 books. Still, it was a good experiment.
October 8, 2019
lost interest at 9%
October 28, 2020
This reads more like a blog than anything else. There are too many typos to ignore that there's no real theme, and it's not actually funny. Shame.
September 1, 2021
Andy Leeks is a humorous author. He keeps us amused with his ramblings on various topics while commuting on the London trains. Some chapters funnier than others.
August 2, 2014
Wow, really enjoyed this, will read all the others!
Wow, I really enjoyed this, it was very entertaining, not what I expected at all from when I had seen it before. I grabbed it while it was on free promotion yesterday and just had a quick dip into it as I was already reading another book-I soon couldn't resist and just kept on reading-and laughing! This is a fun and different idea for a book. I agree with Andy's theory-I go to bed late every night and am up early every morning-you can get so much done whilst others are just having a lie in! This book was written as a result of a Facebook challenge and Andy ended up writing a book, written purely in the time it took him to get to work on the train each day. I love diary format! Andy Leeks has such a fun way of 'putting it over', I really 'get' this book! Well observed, this IS what people do. So perceptive. I like something different and this is certainly a breath of fresh air. Enjoyable, it certainly raises a few chuckles. Easy and quick to read with short fragments relating to each day spent traveling and what he's observed. This is just so clever. I often laughed out loud. Just endless amusing quotes. I like the humour in this book. Some authors try to be 'laugh out loud' and they're not but this is really good! So many comical philosophical gems from Andy Leeks. So, yes, it's fun. I can see that you have to have the right sense of humour for this, some people might think 'what's the point?', but, their loss! Just hilarious imagining him consulting the coffee jar for content in grams, working out how much he uses, the cost etc!-so quirky and obsessive-just like the way I think things through! I am so sad I actually checked all his sums ha ha. Is Andy a stand-up comedian? He should be! These are such funny observations, not like anything done before, really different, so effective. This is a shortish book, I never thought I was going to enjoy it so much and have so much to say about it. There is a diary entry about toilets on trains, people's habits there etc. Fits of giggles here! He is thinking deeply about the everyday things of life, the 'sods law' of it all. More and more funny quotes keep coming up. This book SO works for me. He's just perfect at his punch lines which round off the daily happenings. Part of the title is 'the comical' and that's just what it is-and more. I tend to steer clear of books which authors title 'laugh out loud' because, usually, they're not. This IS but you don't get the feeling that the author has said, look at my book it's laugh out loud etc; he has let you decide for yourself, more unassuming, so it's a welcome surprise just how great it is. It did have one little dip in the humour, but, at this point, Andy was talking about some sad events that had been happening in his life. It soon picked up again and I can't wait to read the other instalments in the series. My absolute favourite bit was the coffee calculations-hilarious!
Wow, I really enjoyed this, it was very entertaining, not what I expected at all from when I had seen it before. I grabbed it while it was on free promotion yesterday and just had a quick dip into it as I was already reading another book-I soon couldn't resist and just kept on reading-and laughing! This is a fun and different idea for a book. I agree with Andy's theory-I go to bed late every night and am up early every morning-you can get so much done whilst others are just having a lie in! This book was written as a result of a Facebook challenge and Andy ended up writing a book, written purely in the time it took him to get to work on the train each day. I love diary format! Andy Leeks has such a fun way of 'putting it over', I really 'get' this book! Well observed, this IS what people do. So perceptive. I like something different and this is certainly a breath of fresh air. Enjoyable, it certainly raises a few chuckles. Easy and quick to read with short fragments relating to each day spent traveling and what he's observed. This is just so clever. I often laughed out loud. Just endless amusing quotes. I like the humour in this book. Some authors try to be 'laugh out loud' and they're not but this is really good! So many comical philosophical gems from Andy Leeks. So, yes, it's fun. I can see that you have to have the right sense of humour for this, some people might think 'what's the point?', but, their loss! Just hilarious imagining him consulting the coffee jar for content in grams, working out how much he uses, the cost etc!-so quirky and obsessive-just like the way I think things through! I am so sad I actually checked all his sums ha ha. Is Andy a stand-up comedian? He should be! These are such funny observations, not like anything done before, really different, so effective. This is a shortish book, I never thought I was going to enjoy it so much and have so much to say about it. There is a diary entry about toilets on trains, people's habits there etc. Fits of giggles here! He is thinking deeply about the everyday things of life, the 'sods law' of it all. More and more funny quotes keep coming up. This book SO works for me. He's just perfect at his punch lines which round off the daily happenings. Part of the title is 'the comical' and that's just what it is-and more. I tend to steer clear of books which authors title 'laugh out loud' because, usually, they're not. This IS but you don't get the feeling that the author has said, look at my book it's laugh out loud etc; he has let you decide for yourself, more unassuming, so it's a welcome surprise just how great it is. It did have one little dip in the humour, but, at this point, Andy was talking about some sad events that had been happening in his life. It soon picked up again and I can't wait to read the other instalments in the series. My absolute favourite bit was the coffee calculations-hilarious!
February 25, 2013
I would have given this 2 1/2 stars if I could; there were parts that I really liked and parts that were just ok. It wasn't really what I was expecting but it was mostly amusing. I thought there would be more humorous reflections on the actual commuters (there were a few mentions but many entries were random thoughts on other topics). I did actually laugh out loud (and even snort inelegantly) whilst reading the section about using train toilets and public toilets in general. I also didn't realise when I bought this on kindle that it was only the first instalment and not a full year's worth of morning commute writing (the year is still in progress as I write!); but at only 99 cents for the download I'm not complaining. Overall,the novel idea behind the book makes it interesting and some of the entries are rather humorous. Maybe the author will continue to refine his humorous style and dish us up some more laughs in the next instalment.
April 21, 2013
I'm glad I read book 2 first. This one isn't quite as funny as the sequel. This version has lots of ideas on news outlets (print, digital, good, bad), improved calendar spacing of holidays, train passes for seating based on need. Interesting but not as funny as #2.
The difficulty of October and the passing of his grandfather was very evident in the writing. While he explained what was going on it wasn't described in great detail but the tone of several chapters was changed. For a few weeks it was more serious and I felt sad for him too. By early November Andy was back on track.
I will definitely look for the future installments. And just so you know Andy...most Americans hate the Barney song too.
The difficulty of October and the passing of his grandfather was very evident in the writing. While he explained what was going on it wasn't described in great detail but the tone of several chapters was changed. For a few weeks it was more serious and I felt sad for him too. By early November Andy was back on track.
I will definitely look for the future installments. And just so you know Andy...most Americans hate the Barney song too.
March 31, 2015
I can only add to the review that simply says "Meh". I commute in and out of London for three hours every day and I've been doing it for years. I thought that I might find some wit and wisdom in this book, something along the lines of the things that I've thought to myself many times while commuting.
I found absolutely nothing of the sort. I only got these on Kindle because they were free for a couple of days. They were genuinely boring and not funny in the slightest. I was most disappointed - I might have a go at writing one myself some day.
I found absolutely nothing of the sort. I only got these on Kindle because they were free for a couple of days. They were genuinely boring and not funny in the slightest. I was most disappointed - I might have a go at writing one myself some day.
May 28, 2013
A light and humerous read. I was expecting more amusing anecdotes about his fellow snoozing passengers and events which occurred around them as they slept. What you get is a stream of random thoughts and events in Andys life. As these are funny, truthful and sometimes sad this made for an enjoyable read.
November 9, 2014
A cheap book from Amazon kindle 99p. A commuter believes that those who sleep on the train are missing out, he then makes a bet that he can use the time productively and write a book whilst others doze. In a diary format its basically observations and thoughts from the 'man in the street' point of view. Its an OK read but wont be buying the follow up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews