Books for setting an England-kind of mood

I suggest anything by humorist Danny Wallace: Join Me, Yes Man, Friends Like These. In addition to being very entertaining, they also gives a good slice of life about living in contemporary London.

Books written by Maeve Binchy, Elizabeth George and Peter Robinson may fit the bill for what you are looking for. I've enjoyed them. Am just now listening to book by author Elizabeth Buchan which I am enjoying and gives a sense of English life.

Ruth Rendell is a great mystery writer. Very contemporary and very English. She also writes under the name Barbara Vine. She's very prolific so it will take a while to get through them all. The ones with Inspector Wexford are set in a small town, and many others are set in London. I also love Ian McEwan. He wrote "Atonement" and "Saturday" and is a Booker Prize winner. Paul Theroux's "Kingdom by the Sea" is worth a read, as is Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island".

I loved 84 Charing Cross Road. True story about writer in NY who has many years long correspondence with a bookstore in London at that address. It is funny and poignant especially during the war years. Sadly the bookstore is no longer there, I think is is now pizza shop. Also the series by James Herriot, the vet in England. Very charming.

Alan Bradley's Flavia DeLuce novels; The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie, The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag, The Red Herring Without Mustard, I'm Half Sick of Shadows and Speaking From Among The Bones. Flavia is a 11 year old crime solving sleuth with attitude living in the bucolic hamlet of Bishop's Lacey.

Kay - I'm reading Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan now. I liked Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Also, Authors Kate Atkinson and Julian Barnes.

Bill Bryson, 'Notes from a Small Island' (I think that's the correct title).

There is no doubt these suggestions will keep me going for the next nine months until we are cleared for takeoff. Ya'll are fabulous readers and writers. Thanks SO much! (now, off to the library)

Rebecca Tope writes mysteries sat in the Cotswolds Ann Purser is a good mystery writer Barbara Taylor Bradford books are fantastic!! Will North's book A Long Walk Home is fabulous!! M.C.Beaton's books are great...mysteries. just to name of few!!!

If you want a different perspective try Paul Theroux's The Kingdom by the Sea. One of my favorite stories is The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico. Margaret Frazier's series with Dame Frevisse is very good. Bruce Alexander's books featuring Sir John Fielding would also be great. All are based in Georgian London. I really enjoyed PF Chisholm's series based in the Borders of England and Scotland during Elizabethan times. Paul Doherty has several series all based in historical England. Susanna Gregory is another author to look for. I always pick up the latest Michael Jecks book about his Templar. Edward Marston's books are great too as are Bernard Knight's, Candace Robb's and Kate Seldey's. And then there are all the Cadfael stories by Ellis Peters! Don't forget the Agatha Christie's books are often set in the UK. I want to second Elizabeth George as good one for contemporary stories. Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse books are set in Oxford. If you want to head north, try Ian Rankin's books and for historical check out Nigel Tranter. Pam

I think I'm going to run out of time before I get to all these books! And then there will be more of them! I will just keep reading after my trip to keep up the memories. Thank you!

Stuart Maconies travelogues. Really liked ,Of Pies and Prejustice.. about the north of england
Bill Bryson like, but with an insiders eyes

Hazel Holt - wonderful, cozy, English village-setting murder mysteries Agatha Christie - my all time favorite

Nick Hornby - A Long Way Down Zadie Smith - White Teeth and On Beauty They are more contemporary authors. Evelyn Waugh is good for some historical stuff (Evelyn is a man, BTW.)

Hi Kay, this should fit your bill of contemporary detective novels. These are a series of novels all set in Brighton and they are very popular are very popular here in the UK. You could try the first one and see if you are hooked: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Simple-Ds-Roy-Grace/dp/0330546015/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357653628&sr=8-1 Detective Superintendant Roy Grace Novels Dead Simple (2005) Looking Good Dead (2006) Not Dead Enough (2007) Dead Man's Footsteps (2008) Dead Tomorrow (2009) Dead Like You (2010) Dead Man's Grip (2011) Not Dead Yet (2012) Dead Man's Time (2013) If you are hooked then Brighton is only 1 hour on the train from London (its on the coast) and is a nice day trip to see the sights described in the novels as well as other things such as the Royal Pavilion, piers, restaurants/pubs etc. Cheers
Steve.