michele

Whenever I travel and have a great book that complements my desination, it always seems to make the trip complete. For example, last year I read "Memoirs of a Geisha" during a trip to San Francisco, which was just perfect.<BR><BR>Can you recommend a book that would be great to read on my first trip to London this September? I like fiction, historical biographies, and travel essays. I was a Lit major, so needless to say no John Grisham or Nora Roberts. ;-) Thanks so much!!

Denise

I'm reading it now: "London Holiday" by Richard Peck. <BR><BR>Other suggestions:<BR><BR>"84 Charing Cross Road" by Helene Hanff<BR><BR>Any of the England travel books by Susan Toth.<BR><BR>Also, "Notes From a Small Island" by Bill Bryson.<BR><BR>Enjoy your first trip. You'll never be the same.<BR><BR>An Anglophile,<BR><BR><BR><BR>Denise<BR>http://www.angelfire.com/sc/tealover

Curious

I read Memoirs for a Geisha a few years back (& also enjoyed it!) & am struggling to find the connecttion with San Francisco. Or do you mean any fiction that makes good holiday reading?

Tangata

Try London by Edward Rutherfurd.

up

up<BR>

Philip

Duchess of Bloomsbury by Helene Hanff<BR><BR>The Mapp & Lucia series by E.F. Benson<BR><BR>And if you really want something challenging:<BR><BR>The Diary of Samuel Pepys

david west

Anything by Martin Amis captures the atmosphere well, especially London Fields.<BR><BR>Peter Ackroyds "London, the biography" is a good read as well as informative.<BR><BR>If you like 84 Charing Cross Rd, try Silk and Cyanide by Leo Marks, the son of the protagonist of 84...<BR><BR>

xxx

"The duchess of Bloomsbury":a fallow-up of "84 Charring Cross"by Helene Hanff,described her first London visit after the success of her book,warm and witty with some unusual comments upon some tourist sights.<BR><BR>A traveller's history of London by Christopher Daniell.<BR><BR>London by John Hillby.

Lori

"London", by Edward Rutherfurd. It should be a must for any traveler to London. Don't let the size of it put you off, it's a fantastic book, full of history, great characeters, etc.

Michele Henry

All great suggestions; thanks so much!! <BR><BR>The connection to "Memoirs of a Geisha" is just that it's a great book, and SF is a great city with a very Asian feel in certain areas. It's hard to explain, but the book just fit with my mood in that city so perfectly. I'd love to replicate that experience!!

Vita

Hi, Michele. A couple of months ago, I started a thread called 'Literature set in London' for my own London trip. That might help you out.

Nancy

Must read is "London" by Rutherford, as suggested by others. Also great is "Sarum" about building of Salisbury cathedral, by same author I believe.<BR><BR>

Sasha

I agree about London! I purchased that book several London trips ago, and I save it for each of those trips. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book now, and can't wait to get back to London to finish "London"!

Thyra

A really great book that I just read is <BR>Georgiana: The Duchess of Devonshire.<BR>If you like Historical biographies, this is a real winner! It's by Amanda Forman, and I believe just came out in paperback. Couldn't put it down.

mimi taylor

Joyce Cary's "the Horse's Mouth" about an artist in London.

mwill

Another vote for "London" by Rutherford. I read it before my trip and it really helped me understand the history. Then visit the Museum of London, where the author did much of his research.......you will find it especially interesting if you read the book first.

Ellizabeth

1. Plan a day trip to Sissinghurst (you can go with a company called Gentle Journeys, or get yourself there on a train plus taxi)<BR><BR> 2. Read Portrait of a Marriage by Nigel Nicholson, about Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson, their marriage.

erica

Hi Michele; if you talking about a book that is set in London then i suggest "Neverwhere". i just recently got back from london about 2 wks ago and fell in love with that place. Upon coming back a co worker told me to read Neverwhere; a fictional book about life of people of the underground in london. I'm not into fiction but I love it; this man has a great imagination and when he mentions certain distanations in the book that i was able to see in real life and brought back good memories.

Doug

Try anything by Anne Perry.

Grasshopper

Next time you come to San Francisco (or Chile) read Daughter of Fortune.