I stumbled (literally - I had an armful of books and wasn't looking where I was going) across a book today (January 2005) entitled Book Lover's London, published by Metro Publications.  What a wonderful find, I thought to myself, just the thing I need to guide my wanderings through the streets of our fair capital.  So I scooped it up and put it on the top of the pile. 

What a huge disappointment! Ok, so I have only myself to blame for not spending a few moments to flick through the pages while in the shop, but sadly this book is little more than a directory of new bookshops (including what is its best feature - a section on specialist bookshops), with a few big name antiquarian booksellers thrown in for good measure and a few pages of hard to find book dealers and independents.  In practice, it provides little more information than could be derived from a cursory glance through Yellow Pages.  The blurb on the back proudly proclaims reviews of over 600 of London's bookshops and, indeed they are there, but for the most part are woefully inadequate.  Most booklovers will not need to be told what to expect when walking into Blackwell's or Waterstone's or Books etc (for the most part standard chain fodder of three for the price of two on paperback fiction and little depth in non-fiction, although some of the specialist branches of Blackwell's are the exception to prove the rule). The reviews of specialist, second hand and antiquarian booksellers do provide pointers to areas of strong stock and specialist areas but are so padded with pointers to the nearest coffee shop that they fail to hold ones interest; too few mention ambience, or comfort, or ease of browsing, or the helpfulness or knowledge of the staff.

There is a small section on fairs and markets, and even auctions, but little guidance to tempt even the enthusiast off the beaten track.

But the biggest disappointment of all is the lack of information on places and areas of literary interest. What little there is - condensed to five pages - amounts to a list of cemeteries where literary figures are buried, brief mentions of both Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia for their literary associations, and a list of pubs where famous writers once drank, perhaps.  Oh yes, and a mention of some of London's Museums which hold artefacts with literary associations.  How could any round up of places of literary interest be complete without mention of Dulwich and its Picture Gallery, or the life and works of Beatrix Potter, or Henry Williamson, Virginia Woolf in Richmond, Trollope, Dickens... well, this one manages to. Go and buy the excellent Walking Literary London instead!