When you’re facing a long flight or a long stretch of any kind of trip, you need something to keep you busy. I never go on a trip without a new book with me, often two.
Things I really wanted to read. here are my recommendations for the best books to read on a plane.
You are reading: Books to read on a plane
This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. see disclaimer.
Good airplane books can make the flight seem shorter, pass the time while you’re waiting at the gate, and give you something familiar on the go if you’re feeling homesick.
I often travel with two books to choose from.
I realize I’m not inclined to read on a plane unless I’m really in the mood to read that particular book. so, I just read the other one instead.
best books to read before traveling to paris
And while I generally prefer to read books that make me think a bit, when I choose books for long trips, I’m often looking more for literary distraction than personal enrichment.
I know myself well enough to know that if a book is too dense or heavy (in every way), I won’t bother picking it up
…and I’ll focus instead on inflight entertainment…not that there’s anything wrong with that.
For me, the best books for a long flight appeal to me and also entertain me.
I prefer to pack light and travel carry-on only, so I read e-books on my phone or tablet when I travel so I don’t carry extra weight with me.
great fiction books for a long flight
can you keep a secret? by sophie kinsella
I love sophie kinsella books for pure literary entertainment.
He has a talent for getting his protagonists into the most incredibly awkward messes and then somehow working things out in the most entertaining and satisfying way.
I have yet to read a sophie kinsella that I didn’t enjoy. can you keep a secret? it is my favorite.
the guernsey literary and potato skin pie society of mary ann shaffer and annie barrows
don’t judge this lovely book by the tasteless netflix adaptation.
Set in post-World War II Britain, the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society unfolds through letters between writer Juliet Ashton and the charming cast of characters who tell their stories of the Nazi occupation. from Guernsey.
harry potter by j.k. paddle
yes, i love harry potter and i’m not ashamed.
You don’t have to just read airplane books for adults. what better time to finally read or reread this series of books than on your next trip?
p.s. harry potter and the half blood prince is the best in the series.
kathryn stockett’s help
if you’re looking for a page turner that isn’t “chick lit” or “fluffy” in any way, then I highly recommend help.
I literally couldn’t put this book down. I read it over a weekend, including a three-hour stretch on a Sunday afternoon.
It’s no surprise that Kathryn Stockett was the first writer in the Kindle Million Club (1 million paid copies in the Kindle Store) to reach that milestone with just one book.
The film adaptation is well done, but the book is *chef’s kiss*.
the life of pi by yann martel
winner of the man booker award, the life of pi tells the story of pi patel, a boy lost at sea.
See Also: Robert Dugoni – Book Series In Order
pi is the only human survivor of a shipwreck that leaves him stranded for months in a lifeboat with only a tiger named richard parker.
jhumpa lahiri disease interpreter
Short story collections are great options for flights because you can read them in small chunks if you want.
the pulitzer prize-winning disease interpreter is some of lahiri’s best writing.
what am I saying? all his writing is impressive.
pride and prejudice jane austen
If you’re looking for a great classic to take with you on your flight, I’d go with Pride and Prejudice.
While you really couldn’t go wrong with any of Jane Austen’s, Pride and Prejudice is one of my all-time favorite books, so it’s my pick.
joy in the morning by p.g. wooden house
Considered one of the best comedy novels in English, Joy in the Morning should definitely be on your holiday reading list…
…unless you’re worried about laughing out loud in front of strangers on a plane.
yeah you will lol and maybe even roll your eyes.
p. Wodehouse’s classics about hapless Bertie Wooster and his trusty valet Jeeves are great if you’re looking for a fun read with a touch of upper-class British refinement.
pin this post!
mysteries
Mysteries are always at the top of my stacks and ready to read.
These are my picks for the best books for a long trip in the mystery category.
the woman in the window by a.j. finnish
Reminiscent of Alfred Hitchock’s Back Window, protagonist Anna Fox lives alone in New York City and sees something from her window that makes her reel…and question her sanity.
Recommended by my sister, I took this book with me on our trip to Paris.
And as amazing as that city is, I was still done with this book when we landed at our home airport a week later… if that tells you anything.
agatha christie’s blue train mystery
or any agatha christie book. well, almost any agatha christie.
Not all are home runs, but many more are than are not. If you’re new to Christie, I recommend starting with her fussy Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.
just like the mystery of the blue train, most of my favorite christie novels are poirots.
hardcover homicide by kate carlisle
The first in kate carlisle’s bibliophile mystery series, hardcover homicide introduces readers to brooklyn wainwright, a rare book expert and book restorer.
When Brooklyn is accused of murdering her mentor, she (of course) sets out to prove her innocence and find the real killer.
a still life of louise penny
A still life is definitely tougher than the standard cozy mystery, but Penny’s writing is still often stunningly beautiful.
In a still life, Chief Inspector of the Sûreté du Québec Armand Gamache arrives in the small town of Three Pines to investigate the mysterious but apparently accidental death of a quiet elderly resident of the town.
the sweetness at the bottom of the cake by alan bradley
once you find precocious 11-year-old flavia de luce in the sweetness at the bottom of the cake, you’ll never forget her.
He lives in a dilapidated but once-great English mansion and has his own laboratory.
Her personal musings on murder, mayhem, and chemistry (she’s an expert on poisons) are often laugh-out-loud funny.
See Also: How to Decorate Your Home With Books (easy tips)
sweetness is the first in the flavia de luce series and remains one of my favorites of the bunch.
And to be honest, I enjoy these books just as much as fun reads in general as I do mystery.
the spellman files by lisa lutz
a more dysfunctional family of private investigators than you’ll ever meet than in the spellman files.
izzy spellman, the oldest daughter, is a mess, but she’s also pretty good at her job.
Stir in some fun family drama and you’ve got mysteries that feel more like 1930s adventure movies than your standard mystery novel.
Like Flavia de Luce’s books (above), I enjoyed Spellmans as fun reading (perfect for a plane ride) much more than any mystery.
seriously. I went through the whole series too fast.
Now that I think about it, it might be time to reread them.
magpie murders by anthony horowitz
the magpie murders is a mystery novel for lovers of mystery novels; a book in which mystery books play a very important role.
There’s even a mystery within a mystery, a tribute to the golden age of British mystery writers.
Mathew Pritchard, Agatha Christie’s grandson, also makes a cameo appearance.
seriously. What could be better?
non-fiction that turns the page
If novels aren’t your thing and you prefer non-fiction, here are my top picks to keep your attention even during your in-flight meal service.
laura hillenbrand biscuit
seabiscuit is the only nonfiction book I’ve ever read that had me turning the pages like I was reading a fast-paced, exciting novel.
so if you’re looking for something to keep your focus on your plane ride but don’t like reading fiction, there’s nothing better than seabiscuit.
laura hillenbrand is an amazing writer. the book is exceptional. the movie is wrong
eric weiner’s geography of happiness
If you like to read about travel while traveling, my favorite travel book is The Geography of Happiness.
Weiner, a former npr foreign correspondent, travels thousands and thousands of miles in search of what makes people happy and makes some surprising discoveries along the way.
If this is your introduction to travel writing, it’s a good one.
band of brothers by stephen e. ambrose
band of brothers is the e (easy) company account of the united states 101st airborne division. Army and all his experiences in the European theater of operations in World War II… while suffering 150% casualties.
is an extraordinary book about a group of extraordinary men.
my last semester in college i took a course called “the history of the two world wars”. band of brothers was on the required reading list for the course.
When my parents came to my college campus to graduate, I gave my father my copy because I thought he would like it.
he proceeded to devour the book in a matter of days, then everything else stephen ambrose wrote, then every other book on military history he could find.
and you? What would you recommend to someone who needs help choosing a book for their next long trip?
pin this post!
See Also: 25 notable 2020 books from Detroit and Michigan authors – DETOUR