14 March 2006

Airplane Books

In a few weeks, the Word Nerd will be taking a trip that requires flying.
Flying is only tolerable because it involves hours of sitting where the only useful thing to do is read.
However, what to read on an airplane is complicated question. The book needs to be long enough to last for 6 hours on a plane, but not so long that Word Nerd will get scoliosis from having it weigh down her carry on bag as she has to make a connecting flight. Moreover, since there's nothing else to do on the airplane or at the gate but read, the book must also be interesting/suspensful/gripping/a page-turner, etc., so that Word Nerd doesn't get bored.
Bottom line, Word Nerd is at this time, stumped, about what she should check out from the library to take on the plane.

She needs your help. Post your recommendations for what the next airplane book(s) should be. Here are some past airplane books to help you refine your recommendations.
Timeline, Michael Crichton
Devil in the White City, Erik Larson
Watership Down, Richard Adams
Fool's Errand, Robin Hobb
Body of Evidence, Patricia Cornwell
Wizard's First Rule, Terry Goodkind
Various Stephanie Plum novels, Janet Evanovich
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon

6 comments:

Stacie Penney said...

Confessions of Super Mom by Melanie Lynne Hauser. I was going to bring it to the meeting on Saturday and force it upon you.

It's Chick Lit, true, but the mom is a geniune super hero after horrible Swiffer accident.

Steve Kabelowsky said...

Good suggestions here, but I say enjoy these graphic novels.

You may say that comic books don't count as good reading, but I offer this challenge. I think you would be wonderfully surprised by the story lines and hard subject matter, and that time will (bad pun coming) fly by while on the plane.

Plus you should be able to find these at the library and they won't bog down your carry-on.

Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer (DC Comics)
and
Daredevil Visionaries by Frank Miller (Marvel)

Joshua Grover-David Patterson said...

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. Actually, any of his novels, but I know that AG is out in paperback and can actually fill six hours worth of time.

If you dig on Sci-Fi, I'd say try out John Scalzi's stuff as well - Old Man's War is out in trade paperback and The Ghost Brigades is out in hardback.

Bethany K. Warner said...

Thanks all for the suggestions --

To Stacie -- Word Nerd will do her best to try chick lit.

to Jeff -- Haven't read either of these guys.

to Steve -- graphic novels are fine. Word Nerd is not above reading them.

to J.G.D.P (your name is too long to type) -- Word Nerd is a Gaiman fan... save for American Gods. She tried to read it once, and took it back... unfinished.

Joshua Grover-David Patterson said...

Yep, noted the Gaiman-love too late. So I revise, and say try some Harlan Ellison. Most of his stuff is short stories, much of it is good. His 50 year best-of just came out in trade paperback. Might be a little too large for a plane, but there's great stuff in there.

Miss Snark said...

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaimon
Intuition by Allegra Goodman
(anything written) by Laurie King
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt.
(anything written by) Alan Furst
Praying for Sheetrock by Melissa Fae Green
Storming the Court by Brant Goldstein
So You Wanna be a Rock Star by Jake Schlicter.