A History of London

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Among many things, Woolf’s modernist novel invites us to consider who is ‘sane’ and who ‘insane’ in a messed-up world scarred by war, death, and rapid industrial, political, and social change.

Looking to right the wrongs caused by the misogyny that led to these women’s stories being overlooked and sidelined, The Five stands as one of the most important books about London’s infamous criminal history. There are four books in the set in total, which follow the trials and tribulations of ditzy Bridget Jones who gets herself into all sorts of trouble… much like Scott and I do when we go travelling!

4. London Walks: London Stories, David Tucker

Walk the Lines, Mark Mason (4 nominations). Trivia fan and Londonist video star Mark Mason walks the length of every tube line, with eyes wide open. Londonist review For Heaven only knows why one loves it so, how one sees it so, making it up, building it round one, tumbling it, creating it every moment afresh; but the veriest frumps, the most dejected of miseries sitting on doorsteps (drink their downfall) do the same; can’t be dealt with, she felt positive, by Acts of Parliament for that very reason: they love life. … Pepys – who was an MP as well as an administrator of the English navy – recorded the intricate details of his life: what time he woke up, his finances, the weather, and what he ate. But he also recorded his thoughts and perspectives on some of the key events that took place in that era (the coronation of King Charles II, the plague, and even the Great Fire of London). Why read it? Trans Britain is, in the words of its publisher, “everything you ever wanted to know about where trans people came from, but never knew how to politely ask.” And most importantly, trans history is told here first hand by its protagonists, rather than anthropologists or historians. Amusements: during the season, the West End is gay enough, especially for anyone with influential introductions: mostly London gaieties being of a private character. The early morning begins with an exercise ride in Rotten-row. In the afternoon, grand parade in the same place with splendid show of carriages in the Drive. It is here that a stranger will get his best view of the London “world.’”

From here we return to a small Kurdish village in 1945 where two twin sisters, Jamila and Pembe, are born, much to the dismay of their mother. The SS Great Eastern's Launch Ramp - At the south eastern tip of the Isle of Dogs lies the remains of the SS Great Eastern’s launch ramp.

A couple of my favourites include finding Aphrodite in the British Museum on Valentine’s Day and drinking in a bar made entirely of Swedish ice… basically, with this book on your coffee table, you’ll never be short of finding new things to do in the UK’s capital. Get The Diaries of Samuel Pepys at Waterstones and Books a Million Shakespeare’s London on 5 Groats a Day by Richard Tames Do Not Alight Here: Walking London's Lost Underground and Railway Stations, Ben Pedroche ( Londonist review) Often touted as one of the most beautiful bookshops in London, the Daunt Books flagship store on Marylebone High Street is housed in what used to be an Edwardian bookshop, complete with skylights, oak wood panelling and huge windows. Their speciality is travel, so this is where you should come in London if you need guidebooks, language books, travel memoirs, maps and more. 2. Heywood Hill, 10 Curzon Street Queenie is an all too real portrait of depression, anxiety, and what it means to spiral out, as well as the effects of generational trauma.

Get The Five at Waterstones and Books a Million Do Not Pass Go: From the Old Kent Road to Mayfair by Tim Moore Throughout this all we get the chimes of Big Ben charting the development of this single day (Woolf’s working title for the novel was ‘The Hours’), and various London streets, parks, and landmarks which are realised with the same impressionistic yet vivid eye for detail that we associate with modernist fiction. Finished Reading Those? Here Are 5 Charming Bookshops in London You Must Visit 1. Daunt Books, 83 Marylebone High Street London: A Travel Guide Through Time is a highly engaging read and showcases the best of London throughout six interesting periods of history.

Since the UK has been in existence for many hundreds of years, it should come as no surprise that there is so much historic wonder associated with it… and with especially the UK’s capital. And once you’ve finished with those, I’m also going to suggest 5 charming book shops in London that you should visit to indulge your literary obsession during your trip. Steeped in intrigue, secrecy, treachery and politics, Wolf Hall, is a great read for those interested in Tudor history and Tudor court life in London.

From the Slopes of Olympus to the Banks of the Lea, Matt Haynes and Jude Rogers (Eds) ( Londonist review) Soon their bizarre friendship begins to transform both of them in ways neither of them ever expected. About a Boy is full of 90s nostalgia and British humor, and, of course, it’s so much better than the movie!Seeing that she’s injured, Richard decides to help her, and by doing so becomes entangled in her world, and her destiny. Claiming to be the oldest bookshop in the whole of the UK, Hatchards was founded in 1797 by John Hatchard and is now a branch of Waterstones. The shop is still trading today – there’s even a portrait of John Hatchard himself hanging above the stairs! Alongside reading about the history of the UK’s most famous game and London, you can also have a few giggles along the way as you follow the author, Tim Moore, on his hilarious escapades around London. Remains of the Old London Bridge - A look at the last remaining fragments of the old medieval London Bridge. Samuel Pepys's Diary, Samuel Pepys (6 nominations). London's most famous diarist remains popular, 350 years after he scribbled it down in shorthand.