Ten of the best books set in London

Malcolm Burgess is the publisher of Oxygen Books' City-Lit series, featuring writing on cities including Berlin, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Venice and Dublin.

For the Guardian, in 2011 he named ten of the best books set in London, including:

Xiaolu Guo, A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

In the first novel by this Chinese author, her narrator lives in Hackney and experiences culture shock with every step she takes. A traditional greasy spoon café has to be part of the authentic city experience …

"The café is name greasy spoon, Seven Seas. All windows is foggy from the steam. You order tea as soon as you walk into. Noisy. Babies. Mothers. Couples. Lonely old man. You are opening the newspaper and start drink thick English Breakfast milky tea."

Read about the other books on the list.

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers is on The China Beat's list of the 10 Best Books about Chinese Women in 2008.

--Marshal Zeringue