E! Illustration/Getty ImagesSmart travel rule No. 1: Always pack a great book. Why? Because sometimes your airplane seat doesn’t have a charger. Your phone might die. Maybe you left your headphones at home, or they slipped between the seats of your car. Maybe you checked your bag and didn’t realize your tablet, aka your entire entertainment plan, is buried inside.
That’s where a good book comes in. Not just any book, though! A book that pulls you in and keeps you hooked for hours. Because flights get delayed, road trips stretch on, and not every place you stop will have a power outlet waiting for you.
We’ve rounded up the best books to help those long travel hours fly by. Whether you want to solve puzzles like a spy, unleash your creative side, or get lost in a fantasy world, we’ve got you covered. From swoon-worthy rom-coms to can’t-put-down memoirs, these picks will keep you turning the pages until you reach your destination.
Forget counting down the minutes until you land. Your next great read is below!
‘Bordergrams’
Love TheNew York TimesConnections? Meet your new favorite challenge. This must-have book turns wordplay into an undercover mission, where you’ll hunt down common threads across a grid of cleverly connected words.
‘The Artist’s Way’: 30th Anniversary Edition
What better way to make use of a long layover or flight than with a workbook dedicated to unlocking your most creative self! You’ll find prompts and exercises that will put you in touch with your inner artist.
‘The New York Times Strictly Medium Crossword Puzzles’
If you crave the pun-filled wordplay that comes with the New York Times‘ tricky Wednesday and Thursday puzzles, you’ve met your match with this collection of 200 medium-level crosswords.
‘Murdle’: Volume 1
These humorous mini-mystery puzzles challenge you to find whodunit, how, where, and why. Examine the clues, interview the witnesses, and use the power of deduction to complete the grid and catch the culprit.
‘Shadow Work Journal & Workbook’
You don’t have to be the “woo-woo” type to do some deep emotional healing and transformation work. This all-in-one journal and workbook combines powerful therapeutic insights with practical exercises to help you explore your shadows, heal emotional wounds, and grow into your most authentic self.
‘Wreck This Journal’
So you’re not a game or a journal person. Let this bestselling fantasy story whisk you out of your airplane seat and into a magical realm filled with mythical creatures and tons of romance.
‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ by Sarah J. Maas
So you’re not a game or a journal person. Let this bestselling fantasy story whisk you out of your airplane seat and into a magical realm filled with mythical creatures and tons of romance.
‘All the Way to the River’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat Pray Love) just dropped the memoir of the year. We’ve come a long way from “I’m having a relationship with my pizza.” You won’t be able to put down her story about love, loss, and liberation.
The Complete ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Trilogy by Jenny Han
You’ve binged the TV series, now spend your layover/road trip/long plane ride reading all of the TSITP books in order.
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