Top Five Books to Read on the Plane

Going to take an airplane trip soon? If you're like me, you won't be able to simply lean back and snooze away the flight, so let's make sure to have reading material handy. Magazines just won't do for reading on the plane; not only do they not usually last the whole flight, with no continuous story to keep a reader engrossed there are too many opportunities to stop reading and go back to flying nerves or boredom or drinking or working up irritation over the silly things people do on airplanes that wouldn't even get to you if you were lost in a nice, spellbinding read (add those last two together, and you've really got a problem). To that end, here are my recommendations for in-flight entertainment of the literary kind:

1. The Horror Story: As long as it doesn't involve airplanes, a horror story is a great pick, because they are usually quite riveting and your objective is to make the hours pass. Also, since you will be on a well-lit airplane surrounded by people instead of alone in a dark, creaky house on a windy night, you shouldn't be able to get TOO traumatized. My recommendation in the horror category is Duma Key by Stephen King, which takes place in the Florida keys (no airplanes involved) and is very well-paced to keep you reading, creepy enough to get your horror fix fulfilled, and long enough to last through all but the longest flights. Click to read the whole review.

2. The Mystery: Ah, nothing keeps one immersed in Bookworld like a good mystery. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco is my all-time favorite mystery, plunging the reader into the shadowy, intricate world of a medieval monastery. If you've already read the Eco, try the scary, thrilling The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which covers a broad historical span from the Byzantine Era to modern times, as well as a large swath of the globe. You will learn some things, be creeped out, and follow a tantalizing mystery throughout this satisfyingly long book. Click to read review of The Historian.

3. The Thriller: One of my favorite thriller authors is James Patterson. His novels are breathlessly-paced, can't-put-'em-down works of sheer adrenaline. A lot of Patterson's novels feature Alex Cross, the Washington D.C.-based homicide detective. Each of the Cross books stand alone, but if you don't want to get into a continuing-character series (references to past events and in-jokes are just less fun, aren't they?), a good one-book story like The Quickie makes for an engrossing read. Click to read review of The Quickie by James Patterson.

4. The Learning Experience: Fiction may not be your bag, but although non-fiction can be thought-provoking, informational and even entertaining (love those Idiots and Dummies books!), what you want here is something that will keep you going for the whole flight, not something divided by subject or exercise. A great nonfiction story is the right call, here; you can follow along and learn things the whole time. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy is a gripping story that gives the reader a vicarious ride along with the author as she experiences life with a disfigurement. If you want a more lighthearted read, any of Bill Bryson's travelogues (Notes from a Small Island and In a Sunburned Country are good choices, especially if you are headed to England or Australia) or the "green" comedy-of-errors Almost Green: How I saved 1/6^th of a Billionth of the Planet by James Glave. Click to read review of Glave book.

5. The Literary Novel: Here, we have to tread carefully; it's awfully easy to pick something that's good but that might end up making you cry (The Red Tent by Anita Diamant), which could be a tad embarrassing in front of a planeload of strangers. We also might want to avoid a choice that might make you howl with mirth (anything by David Sedaris, Dave Barry or Dave Eggers-those Daves will make you giggle and jiggle and truly annoy your seatmate). So something that makes you think, touches you without torturing you and leaves you feeling fulfilled is in order. I recommend anything by Barbara Kingsolver, especially The Poisonwood Bible if you have a very long flight. For a shorter flight, try Unless: a Novel by Carol Shields. Click to read full review for Unless. Click to read review for Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver.

Now that you have an armload of recommendations, have a great flight! Oh, and you might want to take a magazine anyway; they're good for shutting up a chatty seatmate. No, don't whack the person with the magazine; just offer kindly. They will usually take the hint. If they don't, you can always whack them until they do!