If You Love London, Read These Books

Notes from the Big Smoke

London comes to its own this time of year: I missed it each December that I was gone, with shiny, creative, cheerful Christmas lights on many major streets and quite a few minor ones. (Goodness knows we need it, with the grey and the gloom and the sun setting before 4 pm by the end of November.) When I moved back here six months ago, quite a few of my American friends were jealous. They love London. They can’t believe that I would ever choose Washington, DC, over this place. If you, too, are envious about my glamorous British life, I won’t shatter the illusion — instead, I’ll recommend some books.

Ordinary People, by Diana Evans

Ordinary People is a beautifully written novel of domestic love, set in South London and against the backdrop of Barack Obama’s historic election victory. It’s the story of two families, one reckoning with a new life and the other with a recent death. I absolutely loved it, and loved speaking to Diana Evans for my podcast. London really comes alive in this novel, and it’s a sharply observed portrait of relationships. Highly recommended.

The Lido, by Libby Page

When a customer came into East City Bookshop asking for “a book where people are lovely to each other”, I took her straight to this one. In The Lido (known in the US as Mornings with Rosemary), a young lonely journalist and an older bereaved widow team up alongside their entire community to save their local outdoor swimming pool. It’s a truly charming book which brings Brixton and its surrounding area to life.

London, with Love, by Sarra Manning

If you love One Day by David Nicholls, this is a book to pick up ASAP. Like Emma and Dexter, Jennifer and Nick spend two decades falling in and out of love around the city. This one has rave reviews from many well known British authors, and at the time of writing, has a 4.09 average rating on Goodreads. It’s definitely on my TBR list. And look at that gorgeous cover!

White Teeth, by Zadie Smith

White Teeth catapulted Zadie Smith to literary fame more than twenty years ago and became an instant modern classic — a role it has retained. The story of three very different families is set in Willesden, in North West London, and its themes include race and immigration in an ever- and perhaps increasingly multicultural capital.

Londoners, by Craig Taylor

Although published back in 2012, this collection of essays would make a great gift for anyone who loves or dreams of London. It’s more than appropriate for a wide variety of writers to pay tribute to such a diverse city.

Want more?

More London-set books can be found here (US) and here (UK).

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