Are you going on a plane soon and looking for some fun books to read on the flight? Whether you’re going on a short or long plane ride, keeping occupied during the flight time is always a good thing. And that’s where vacation reads come in! Of course, you could always choose to use the time for heavier reading like checking some of the must-read classics off your list, but if you’re looking for fun and entertaining reads then here are 12 of the best books for flights that will have you enthralled the whole flight through!
1. The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse
Nothing says vacation like a fun, laugh-out-loud read…which is where The Code of the Woosters comes in!
This book is part of Wodehouse’s iconic Jeeves and Wooster series, and in this book Bertie Wooster once again gets himself into a web of tangled complications that only his gentleman’s gentleman Jeeves can get him out of. When Aunt Dahlia demands Bertie help her acquire an 18th-century cow creamer from an antique dealer, she sets events into motion that will get him caught up with eccentric characters including Roderick Spode, a leader of a fascist organization who also wants the cow-creamer, and an old friend named Rev. H.P. “Stinker” Pinker. Add to that Gussie Fink-Nottle’s plea for Bertie’s help with the mess he’s made of his impending marriage to Madeline Bassett, and you know that Jeeves’ clever mind will be needed to rescue Bertie…before he’s arrested, or worse—married by mistake!
Any of P.G. Wodehouse’s books will have you in stitches, but The Code of the Woosters is an excellent place to start. Just be aware you may end up laughing a lot while reading this on a plane!
Buy The Code of the Woosters now!
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Another of the best books to read on a plane is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a historical fiction tale about the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation.
In January 1946, London is just starting to emerge from the shadow of World War II and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. When she receives a letter from a man she’s never met on the island of Guernsey, she begins to exchange letters with him and she is quickly drawn into the world of Guernsey and the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society (a name born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were found breaking curfew by the Germans occupying the island). Captivated by the stories she hears, Juliet sets sail for Guernsey on a trip that will change her life!
This is a charming read written in an epistolary style, and is filled with literature lovers and a focus on finding human connection. You’ll be drawn right into the story and may even forget you’re on a plane hurtling through the sky!
Buy The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society now!
3. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Good airplane books comes in all genres, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is one you should definitely add to your list!
This dark fantasy YA novel mixes fiction and photography for a unique and fun reading experience! A horrific family tragedy has sent sixteen-year-old Jacob on a journey to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he finds the ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. But exploring the abandoned bedrooms and hallways leads Jacob to believe these children may have been more than just peculiar…they may have been dangerous! Were they quarantined on a deserted island for a good reason? And, even though it seems impossible, are they actually still alive?
Buy Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children now!
4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Another plane read (or re-read) you might want to consider is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, or any of the other Harry Potter books.
In the first book, we find Harry Potter living a miserable life with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. But everything changes when he receives a letter in the mail informing him that he’s a wizard—and that he’s now enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Drawn into this strange new world of magic, Harry soon settles into his new life and begins to make friends at school. But there’s a darkness lurking on the outskirts of life at Hogwarts…will Harry and his friends be able to stop this evil from taking over the only true home he has ever known?
Even if you’ve read the Harry Potter books before, this can still be a fun series to read on a plane! So whether it’s a nostalgic re-read for you or your first time reading it, grab a copy now before your next plane ride.
Buy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone now!
5. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
When looking for books for long flights, mystery books can be another excellent choice…and The Secret Adversary is one you may love!
Set in the 1920s, amateur adventurers Tommy and Tuppence accidentally stumble upon the mystery of a missing woman named Jane Finn. And it isn’t long before they find themselves plunged into a world of danger and intrigue! Who is Jane Finn? And why does her name cause such strange reactions from everyone they meet? And, more importantly, now that they’ve stumbled across this unexplained disappearance…will they be able to solve it and make it out alive?
This is a lighthearted read with a good dash of mystery, which makes it the perfect book to read on a plane! There’s not much better than a good novel by the Queen of Mystery, so you won’t be sorry you picked this one up.
6. How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
Looking for a travel-themed book to read while traveling? How the Penguins Saved Veronica may be just what you’re looking for!
Veronica McCreedy is a wealthy but grumpy eighty-five year old lady with no family and only a housekeeper named Eileen to keep her company. But as Veronica ages, she begins to think about where she should leave her enormous wealth when she dies…only to unexpectedly discover she has an adult grandson she didn’t know about! Only…he’s not at all the type of grandson she would have hoped for. When she comes across a TV program about Adélie penguins, she decides she’ll leave her wealth to the penguin researchers in Antarctica. But of course, she simply must see the program for herself to make sure it’s worthy to receive her millions (unlike her no-good grandson). What follows is a delightful journey as Veronica sets out to visit the penguins in Antarctica…and, ultimately, learns how to open her heart to family and connection with others around her.
With penguins at the center of the story and with an eighty-five year old lady traveling to Antarctica, you know this book is going to be a good time! It’s the perfect book with a traveling theme to pick up on your next adventure.
Buy How the Penguins Saved Veronica now!
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
If you’re interested in classics, another good read or re-read for plane travel is Pride and Prejudice…which is one of the best classic romance novels of all time!
The heroine of this story, Elizabeth, is the second of five unmarried sisters in the Bennet family. And when a wealthy young gentleman rents the nearby manor of Netherfield Park, Elizabeth’s mother Mrs. Bennet does her best to marry off one of her daughters (any one of her daughters!) to him. After all, any single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife! In this way, events are set in motion that lead to excitement, some scandal, and a great deal of both pride and prejudice…and ultimately a wedding!
Austen is witty, humorous, and an excellent storyteller, so this charming book will have you invested from the very first, iconic opening line. It’s sure to be a fun and exciting way to fill those long travel hours on a plane!
8. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Another sweet and captivating read that might be perfect for your next flight is I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith.
This story follows 17-year-old Cassandra and her family through six turbulent months of 1934, when Cassandra and her family lived in poverty in an old English castle. Throughout these months, she keeps a journal filled with funny and poignant entries about her home, a ruined castle, her eccentric family, and her first descent into love. This book will surely capture your heart when you read it!
9. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Want a book to read on your next flight that will take you into a world of exciting imagination? If so, then The Wind in the Willows is the book to read! While this book is one of the best classic children’s books, it’s also highly beloved by adults and is sure to keep you absorbed throughout your flight.
Featuring an adorable cast of main characters including Mole, Ratty, Badger, and the infamous Mr. Toad, The Wind in the Willows will take you on a wild ride filled with adventures up and down the river…including going boating, going on picnics, and even stealing motor cars! If you’re looking to be whisked away into a delightful new world filled with fun animal characters, then this is a book you won’t want to miss!
Buy The Wind in the Willows now!
10. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Howl’s Moving Castle is another book that would be perfect entertainment for a short or long flight. If you haven’t read it before, you may still know a little about it because it is the source material for the wildly popular animated fantasy film of the same name by Hayao Miyazaki. But in its original book form, it is also an addicting and exciting read!
In a world filled with magic and where fairy tale rules are part of every day life, young Sophie lives and works at her family’s hat shop. But one day she accidentally angers the Witch of the Waste, and this witch promptly curses her and turns her into an old lady! Deciding there’s no reason to sit around and slave at the hat shop anymore, Sophie sets out to see the world and soon finds herself outside an enchanted castle that moves across the hills. This is, of course, Howl’s moving castle. But who is Howl? Does he really eat the hearts of beautiful young girls as Sophie has been told? And most importantly, can he help defeat the Witch of the Waste…or will Sophie remain an old lady forever?
Although supposedly written for children, readers of all ages will adore this book and its charming cast of characters. I can guarantee you’ll be left wanting to read more books like Howl’s Moving Castle right away!
11. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
Looking for short books to read on a plane? The Importance of Being Earnest would make a delightful read! This short story is written in play form, but don’t let that stop you…it’s one of the best short classics and is a hilarious tale of mistaken identity, secret engagements, and all sorts of other fun!
Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are rivals who are in love with the same man—Ernest. But what they don’t know is that both Jack Worthing and Algernon have posed as “Ernest” to win their love; Jack hoping to win Gwendolen and Algernon wooing Jack’s ward Cecily. It’s a tangle! And the tangle doesn’t improve when all four end up at Jack’s country home on the same weekend, with the rivals hoping to win the hand of Ernest and the “Ernests” trying to get themselves out of the lies they’ve told and into the good graces of the women they love! How can they solve the pandemonium they’ve set loose?
This short play will have you laughing and entertained throughout with the antics of each of the characters and the wit of Oscar Wilde. So pick it up now for your next short flight!
Buy The Importance of Being Earnest now!
12. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
If you’re into intriguing murder mysteries and are looking for another author to read, then Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers may be just the book for you!
Introducing us to the amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey, this book is exciting all the way through. When a body is found lying in a bathtub with only a pair of gold pince-nez perched on its nose, the mystery is on! The police assume the victim is a well-known financier…but is it really? Lord Peter Wimsey thinks not. But if not the financier, then who could the man in the tub be? With the help of his valet, Bunter, Wimsey tries to untangle this puzzle and make sure the true murderer is brought to justice!
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