Five Engaging Books for Reading on a Plane

Getting from point A to B by plane can be exhausting and boring. I bring along at least two good books for accessible reading entertainment during layovers and in-flight hours. Inexpensive paper back books are a good choice due to their lightweight size. The second book is in case I finish or tire of the first book.

Light Plane Reading

Time spent on a plane can really drag. Reading a quick, light book can help to pass the time in pleasant day dreaming. I am not a fan of romance and reading mysteries can disturb my thoughts, so for the plane I choose young adult books. Young adult books are entertaining without being overly complicated, perfect for my weary plane brain.

Try the first book in the series The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is about friendship between four teenage girls who usually spend the summer together. Before they split up, the girls decide to share a pair of jeans that magically fit each of them just right.

The jeans help to keep the girls in touch with each other as they mail the pants from one girl to the next. The likeable characters in these books keep me turning pages and sooner than later my plane reaches its destination.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is another book in a series. This book, also about friendship, is even more magical. At age twelve Percy Jackson discovers that he is the demigod son of Poseidon. When he is accused of stealing the god Zeus' lightning bolt, he and his new demigod friends set out on a quest to clear his name.

The magic of both of these series is that their exotic settings and engaging characters help me to forget the close quarters of the plane. When I want a book with everyday characters that is just as engaging, I try a short story collection.

Short stories are made for fast reading. Since the story is complete within a few pages, reading on for curiousity's sake is not necessary. After reading one or two short stories, I can close my eyes and vegetate.

Stories by O. Henry is a collection of short stories by the much loved American story writer O. Henry. A book of O. Henry stories is one of my favorite companions on plane rides. This collection includes "The Gift of the Magi", an endearing story about a poor young couple who sacrifice to buy each other Christmas gifts.

An O. Henry story always has a surprise at the end. One story will make my eyes tear up, another will have me laughing. Reading O. Henry is always a distraction from plane travel.

Adventures in Reading

Reading about the real life adventures of others in far off places can help me to anticipate what lies ahead at the end of the plane trip. Once on a plane I was reading My Life of High Adventure, a book by Grant Pearson about how he became a sourdough in Alaska. Suddenly the boy across the aisle snatched the book out of my hands. That boy's action started a conversation!

Talking to the complete stranger sitting next to me has eased many a plane ride. Often the book I am reading is the conversation starter. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle is a humorous tale of how Mayle left the advertising business to live in an on old farmhouse fixer upper in the south of France.

This book, published in the 1970's, is just the sort of been around book that can catch the eye of a fellow passenger. I can reread a favorite book or pass plane time chatting with another passenger who has similar reading tastes.

Sleeping on a Plane

It is nearly impossible for me to sleep on a plane. Next flight I am going to take along I Can Make You Sleep by Paul McKenna. This book comes with a hypnosis CD and the steps for discovering my natural sleep mechanisms. McKenna shows that the key to sleeping is resetting the body's sleep cycle.

Sometimes my goal for reading on a plane is to get drowsy so I can sleep. McKenna's book appears to be a good pick for this purpose.

You may not approve of my exact book choices, but keep the basic principles in mind. Keep plane reading light in weight as well as material. If you like to meet new people, read a book that might be a potential conversation piece. And if you want to sleep, try I Can Make You Sleep and let me know how that works for you.