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Research for upcoming trip to London

To help the anticipation of an upcoming trip, I like to read books, watch movies etc. on the upcoming destination. This time we go to England for two weeks in the fall. My husband gave me Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson an American living in England and commenting on all the differences. I had read A Walk In The Woods many years ago and knew he was quite the funny writer. This book did not disappoint. Laughed out loud many times. I highly recommend it!

Posted by
2461 posts

Tammy,
I will never forget the flight to London when I read Notes from a Small Island, many times I laughed out loud. It was so very appropriate. I’ve since read some of his other books, he is a very funny guy!

Posted by
2291 posts

I'm about to start The Road to Little Dribbling.

I also have The Book Lover's Guide to London but saving that for next year when I go (fingers crossed)

Posted by
869 posts

A serious, and long, novel about the story of London is Edward Rutherford’s London. Traces the story of the city from when it was a Stone Age settlement until the present day. Also look for some fascinating books about underground London which look at the stories of London’s hidden rivers, the Tube, the sewer systems etc.

Posted by
6231 posts

I have read most of Bill Bryson's books and love every single one. I read Notes from a Small Island back in 1996 right before my first trip to England and it was such a great read.

BTW, there is a book called Dear Bill Bryson: Footnotes from a Small Island written by Ben Aitken, that is sort of a homage to the original Bryson book. Aitken basically retraces Bill's exact travels - and I mean exact! He ordered the same food and stayed in the same hotels and so on, then winds up outside Bill Bryson's house at the end. :) I keep meaning to read it and keep forgetting, but I'll have to find it when I get home.

Posted by
6231 posts

Has anyone read 84 Charing Cross Road? That's another favorite of mine - I read it before my first trip to England in 1996 and loved it. It was such a heartwarming read. I even went to the address so I could see where the bookstore was.

Posted by
32521 posts

I absolutely loved Notes From A Small Island and my wife and I have read again since. Some of it really strikes home.

Posted by
1815 posts

If you love Bill Bryson's books and you visit the Roman baths in Bath, be sure to choose Bill's commentary on the audioguide. I laughed at his comments all the way through the baths. It really added another layer to the visit.

Posted by
633 posts

Tammy--I love all of Bill Bryson's books. Try I'm a Stranger Here Myself, on his return to the US, Neither Here Nor There for Europe, and In a Sunburned Country for Australia.

Posted by
2599 posts

I first read Bryson in 1988 and have loved him ever since--my favorite is The Lost Continent, in which he drives all over the US in his mother's Vega, having hilarious adventures and sharing random bits of history. The opening line is perfect: "I come from Des Moines--someone had to."

Posted by
55 posts

I thought “The Anglo Files,” by Sarah Lyall, was great. Thoughtful, affectionate and humorous insights into British culture and character. May seem a bit dated now, however — was first published in 2008.

Posted by
1936 posts

I loved Rutherford's London. It's fiction but follows families from the first settlements to the near present. You learn a lot about the history but in an interesting way. Thumbs up.