Mile-high reading | Books | guardian.co.uk

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But what kind of books are?</p> </div> <ul id="content-actions"> <li> <div class="pluck-init-block" id="comment-info-related"> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/jan/07/mile-high-reading#start-of-comments" class="comment-count-info comment-icon">Comments (<span class="comment-count">…</span>)</a> </div> </li> <li class="third-party-tool "> <a id="buzzlink" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://uk.buzz.yahoo.com/buzz?publisherurn=the_guardian665&targetUrl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/jan/07/mile-high-reading&summary=%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAlison+Flood%3A+%3C%2Fstrong%3EAs+recent+experience+has+taught+me%2C+long-haul+flights+are+not+the+ideal+location+for+demanding+reading.+But+what+kind+of+books+are%3F%3C%2Fp%3E&headline=Mile-high reading |Books |guardian.co.uk">Buzz up!</a> </li> <li class="third-party-tool"> <a id="digglink" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://digg.com/submit?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fbooks%2Fbooksblog%2F2010%2Fjan%2F07%2Fmile-high-reading&title=Mile-high+reading">Digg it</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div id="content"> <div id="article-wrapper"> <div class="image"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/pictures/2010/1/7/1262882038896/Airplane-passengers-001.jpg" width="460" height="276" alt="Airplane passengers"/> <p class="caption">Looking for something light ... Airplane passengers. Photograph: Alamy</p> </div> <p>Panic stations were momentarily manned by literary types in Canada earlier this week after it was reported that <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/publishers-dumbfounded-by-airplane-book-ban/article1420232/">passengers might not be allowed to take books on planes bound for the US</a>. Fortunately, this was later described by Transport Canada <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Books+list+Transport+Canada/2412772/story.html">as a misunderstanding</a>, but it reminded me of just how necessary a book is for enduring a long haul flight, and made me wonder if you wise readers have any tips for time-passing in-air reading.</p><p>I'm actually just back from a trip to Africa, which (in order to get the cheapest flights possible) involved two changes each way, so good reading was essential to while away the time. I find I can't really concentrate on anything too thought-consuming and I'm incapable of reading a guide book until I've actually arrived. On the way out, I had to put aside Green Mars, part of Kim Stanley Robinson's excellent Mars trilogy, because my brain was too fried for the depth and breadth of his thinking. Luckily, anticipating that at some point on the trip I'd need some light relief, I dived into Colleen McCullough's The Thorn Birds. Maybe it wasn't as epic-ly brilliant as I'd thought as a teenager, but it served very well to get me to Lusaka.</p><p>I'd meant to save Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible for the way back, but the ravings of my sister, who'd swiped it at the start of the holiday, meant I'd already been tempted into finishing it by flight time. So instead I was down to a choice of Sebastian Faulks's Bond sequel Devil May Care (brought by my husband) or Gene Wolfe's The Fifth Head of Cerberus. If there's one kind of book I can't bear, it's the spy thriller, so Bond was out, but Wolfe – well, he asks a bit much of his readers for brain dead plane reading. I gave him a go (and have subsequently finished and loved it), but it was all a bit much for 30,000 feet in the air and I think I missed a lot of his cleverness.</p><p>Trashy horror novels by the likes of Dean Koontz and Peter Straub, and serial killer thrillers that I wouldn't countenance reading at home, have helped me through many a flight after a last minute airport purchase. But I'd love to know if you've got any better ideas – I've no holiday lined up at the moment, but the best time to start planning is when you're just back ...</p> </div> </div> <div id="related"> <div class="blog-byline"> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/alisonflood" title="Contributor's page"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/10/16/1255690477387/alison.jpg" width="60" height="60" alt="alison"/> </a> <span>Posted by</span> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/alisonflood" name="&lid={blogBylineContributor}{Alison Flood}&lpos={blogBylineContributor}{1}">Alison Flood</a> Thursday 7 January 2010 <span class="timestamp">16.35 GMT</span> <span class="byline-publication "> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/">guardian.co.uk</a> </span> </div> <ul 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It was last modified at 16.37 GMT on Thursday 7 January 2010. </div> </div> </div> <div id="advertiser-container"> <script type="text/javascript"> google_ad_client = 'ca-guardian_js'; google_ad_channel = 'Books'; </script> <script> google_max_num_ads = '3'; </script> <div id="google-ads-container" class="component capsule advertiser-links" style="display: none;"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> //<![CDATA[ if (true) { writeScript("http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js", false, function(){}); } // ]]> </script> </div> <div id="pluck-addressed-comment-container" class="pluck-init-block pluck-comments-container"> <h2 id="pluck-addressed-comment-author-info" style="display:none;"> <span id="pluck-addressed-comment-author"></span>'s comment </h2> <div id="pluck-addressed-comment" class="pluck-comment-block"></div> </div> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> // <![CDATA[ if (true) { insertStyleSheet('styles/wide/pluck-on.css'); } // ]]> </script> <div id="pluck-container" class="pluck-comments-container"> <h2 id="start-of-comments">Comments in chronological order <span class="comment-count-info" style="display:none;">(Total <span class="comment-count">comment</span>)</span></h2> <div id="post-comment-div-top" class="pluck-comment-addComment header"> <a href="#post-area"><b>Post a comment</b></a> <div class="pluck-comment-legend"> <ul> <li><img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/static/84254/common/images/communities/icons_staff_16.gif" alt="This symbol indicates that that person is The Guardian's staff" title="This symbol indicates that that person is The Guardian's staff"/>Staff</li> <li><img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/static/84254/common/images/communities/icons_contributor_16.gif" alt="This symbol indicates that that person is a contributor" title="This symbol indicates that that person is a contributor"/>Contributor</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> serverUrl="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Direct/Process"; commentsSignUpUrl="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://users.guardian.co.uk/signup/tr/1,,-720,00.html"; contentId = "357772596"; coreContentCommentCount = 28 ; </script> <script src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551js_/http://static.guim.co.uk/microapps/server-side-pluck/javascript/pluck-v5.js" type="text/javascript" language="javascript"></script> <div id="post-comment-div-top" class="pluck-comment-addComment header"> <div id="abuse-box-wrapper" style="display:none;"> <div id="abuse-box"> <p id="abuse-box-close"><a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Close">Close</a></p> <div> <h2>Abuse report</h2> </div> <div id="abuse-box-edit-area"> <p><label for="abuse-reason">Please choose a problem:</label></p> <select id="abuse-reason"> <option value="" selected>Choose one</option> <option value="Personal abuse">Personal abuse</option> <option value="Off topic">Off topic</option> <option value="Legal issue">Legal issue</option> <option value="Trolling">Trolling</option> <option value="Hate speech">Hate speech</option> <option value="Offensive/Threatening language">Offensive/Threatening language</option> <option value="Copyright">Copyright</option> <option value="Spam">Spam</option> <option value="Other">Other</option> </select> <p><label for="abuse-description">Comment: <span id="abuse-description-optional">(optional)</span></label></p> <textarea rows="4" cols="50" id="abuse-description"></textarea> <p>You have <span id="abuse-chars-left">5000</span> characters left</p> <div id="abuse-login-info"> <p>Logged in as <strong id="abuse-user-name"></strong></p> </div> <div id="abuse-email-info"> <p><label for="abuse-email">Your email address: <span>(optional)</span></label></p> <input type="text" id="abuse-email"/> </div> <p id="abuse-submit-container"> <input type="button" disabled="true" id="abuse-submit" value="Report"/> </p> </div> <div id="abuse-progress-area"> <p>Loading...............</p> </div> <div id="abuse-close-confirmation-area"> <p>Closing this window without pressing "Report" will result in your words being lost. <br/> Are you sure? <input type="button" value="Yes, close" id="abuse-close-confirm"/> <input type="button" value="No, return to text" id="abuse-close-cancel"/> </p> </div> <div id="abuse-thank-you-area"> <p>Thank you <input type="button" value="Close" id="abuse-close-thank-you"/> </p> </div> <div id="abuse-pluck-error-area"> <p>Sorry, something has gone wrong and this action cannot be completed. <span>Please try again later.</span></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="pluck-comment-block" class="pluck-comment-block js-hitbox-tracked pluck-comments-container"> <div> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-1"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Cosmodemon" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/1/6e8f2b6b-2f63-4168-81c4-c0c50b9afa2e.Small.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="Cosmodemon"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Cosmodemon"> Cosmodemon </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 5:10PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>Two contenders for long haul flights might be Cervantes Don Quixote or Perec's Life: A User's Manual. They are admittedly quite "thought-consuming" but they are examples of books that you can dip into in a sort of random non-linear way. </p><p>Failing that, the complete works of Anais Nin? Sensual but not in a too cognitive manner. Then all you need is your imagination for the way back...</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:d614e5ee-03dd-4dd8-9077-b0f68e27b833"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:d614e5ee-03dd-4dd8-9077-b0f68e27b833" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:d614e5ee-03dd-4dd8-9077-b0f68e27b833')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:d614e5ee-03dd-4dd8-9077-b0f68e27b833" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=d614e5ee-03dd-4dd8-9077-b0f68e27b833&commenterUserName=Cosmodemon&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:d614e5ee-03dd-4dd8-9077-b0f68e27b833" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-2"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/EMnut" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="EMnut"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/EMnut"> EMnut </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 5:16PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>Anything by Robert Harris. <br/>A page turner is a must for anyone with a fear of flying...</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:4eb2d43d-f220-44a4-835a-9bb153c3ef12"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:4eb2d43d-f220-44a4-835a-9bb153c3ef12" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:4eb2d43d-f220-44a4-835a-9bb153c3ef12')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:4eb2d43d-f220-44a4-835a-9bb153c3ef12" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=4eb2d43d-f220-44a4-835a-9bb153c3ef12&commenterUserName=EMnut&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:4eb2d43d-f220-44a4-835a-9bb153c3ef12" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-3"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/tim2ubh" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="tim2ubh"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/tim2ubh"> tim2ubh </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 5:42PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>Got through most Pynchon's 'Against the Day' on a return trip to San Diego last year. And, some years ago, all of Eco's 'Foucault's Pendulum' on one long haul. </p><p>It's good to have something you can concentrate on, if only to take your mind of the discomfort.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:7ec872ad-a003-446a-b141-7b00ce786876"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:7ec872ad-a003-446a-b141-7b00ce786876" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:7ec872ad-a003-446a-b141-7b00ce786876')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:7ec872ad-a003-446a-b141-7b00ce786876" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=7ec872ad-a003-446a-b141-7b00ce786876&commenterUserName=tim2ubh&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:7ec872ad-a003-446a-b141-7b00ce786876" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-4"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/ozzygirl" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="ozzygirl"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/ozzygirl"> ozzygirl </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 6:19PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I usually go for the latest Marian Keyes, especially when you go to the bookshop at the airport and they've got the special airport releases. A long-haul flight is not the time to try anything risky, unfamiliar or too wordy - you need comfort reading. MJ Hyland would also be good - she writes in very clear, almost simple sentences and usually has just a few characters so it's not too taxing on the old brain cells.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:51c0bcfd-a230-4627-86a2-28d7ba6a9058"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:51c0bcfd-a230-4627-86a2-28d7ba6a9058" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:51c0bcfd-a230-4627-86a2-28d7ba6a9058')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:51c0bcfd-a230-4627-86a2-28d7ba6a9058" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=51c0bcfd-a230-4627-86a2-28d7ba6a9058&commenterUserName=ozzygirl&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:51c0bcfd-a230-4627-86a2-28d7ba6a9058" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-5"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/andycairns" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="andycairns"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/andycairns"> andycairns </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 6:40PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I really hope my Mum isn't reading this but I find that reading erotica helps the time go very quickly without having to use too much of the brain. </p><p>I should add that I never read erotica at any other time. I wouldn't want you (or my Mum!) to think that I'm some kind of deviant. </p><p>- Andy (andycairns.com)</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:ca8d0f73-73ed-47b1-9e29-295dd476f7d3"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:ca8d0f73-73ed-47b1-9e29-295dd476f7d3" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:ca8d0f73-73ed-47b1-9e29-295dd476f7d3')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:ca8d0f73-73ed-47b1-9e29-295dd476f7d3" class="high-recommended">(4)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=ca8d0f73-73ed-47b1-9e29-295dd476f7d3&commenterUserName=andycairns&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:ca8d0f73-73ed-47b1-9e29-295dd476f7d3" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-6"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/noneother" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/10/7/6a8ca9fe-b924-4ff4-a79d-2092d015452d.Small.jpg" height="60" width="60" alt="noneother"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/noneother"> noneother </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 8:03PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I hadn't read a whole book for the two years after my son was born but then had to go to New York and picked up a Wallander at the airport. I then bought a non-Wallander Mankell in NY and started reading it there, and bought another Wallander to read on the way back once I'd finished that one. Got me hooked on Scandi crime - I'm on the 'i' book in the M.a.r.t.i.n. B.e.c.k. series now. The Beck books are too short for long haul flights, but most of the Wallanders are probably about the right length.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:176dac89-73db-44cd-8ae9-49e7b285876a"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:176dac89-73db-44cd-8ae9-49e7b285876a" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:176dac89-73db-44cd-8ae9-49e7b285876a')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:176dac89-73db-44cd-8ae9-49e7b285876a" class="normal-recommended">(1)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=176dac89-73db-44cd-8ae9-49e7b285876a&commenterUserName=noneother&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:176dac89-73db-44cd-8ae9-49e7b285876a" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-7"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/SackTheJuggler" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/8/6/788d1f95-c778-49bf-965a-e73471258768.Small.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="SackTheJuggler"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/SackTheJuggler"> SackTheJuggler </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 8:20PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>"The World's Greatest Airline Disasters"</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:43ef8172-b484-45e9-97e1-38eb69d08bfc"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:43ef8172-b484-45e9-97e1-38eb69d08bfc" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:43ef8172-b484-45e9-97e1-38eb69d08bfc')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:43ef8172-b484-45e9-97e1-38eb69d08bfc" class="high-recommended">(3)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=43ef8172-b484-45e9-97e1-38eb69d08bfc&commenterUserName=SackTheJuggler&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:43ef8172-b484-45e9-97e1-38eb69d08bfc" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-8"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/oommph" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="oommph"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/oommph"> oommph </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 8:26PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>i remember finally facing up to - and to my surprise enjoying - Captain Corelli's Mandolin on a long haul flight. If you want to go down the "liked that, try this" road, then you could follow "theThorn Birds" with the book of another big TV favourite of that era "The Far Pavillions", which is a terrific read, but longer than one flight. </p><p>Although those were not of the genre, I think "familiar territory" stuff that is not too arduous works quite well - tales about UK family / domestic life that is fairly recognisable. I've found both Shopaholic and A Spot of Bother (Mark Haddon) and a David Lodge one set in a Uni (forget its name) fitted the bill recenlty. Perhaps the likes of, say, Kate Atkinson or Nick Hornby would do much the same.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:f31e82b4-b13f-4551-8382-cb92f2ca99a1"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:f31e82b4-b13f-4551-8382-cb92f2ca99a1" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:f31e82b4-b13f-4551-8382-cb92f2ca99a1')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:f31e82b4-b13f-4551-8382-cb92f2ca99a1" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=f31e82b4-b13f-4551-8382-cb92f2ca99a1&commenterUserName=oommph&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:f31e82b4-b13f-4551-8382-cb92f2ca99a1" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-9"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/2JokersInEveryPack" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/9/9/b97d259e-9051-42ab-9964-cd831ed3bf0e.Small.jpg" height="60" width="60" alt="2JokersInEveryPack"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/2JokersInEveryPack"> 2JokersInEveryPack </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 9:14PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I was thinking about this the other day... you need something easy that you can really lock into. Terry Pratchett would probably fit the bill nicely, but I've never tried as I've never had one handy and unread come a long haul flight (I've only ever done 6). What worked for me was a Christopher Brookmyre: killed off 5 hours of LHR to SFO almost without blinking, leaving me free to watch the descent over Northern California</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:815dffd2-1f58-4019-a24c-80834142a8b4"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:815dffd2-1f58-4019-a24c-80834142a8b4" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:815dffd2-1f58-4019-a24c-80834142a8b4')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:815dffd2-1f58-4019-a24c-80834142a8b4" class="high-recommended">(2)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=815dffd2-1f58-4019-a24c-80834142a8b4&commenterUserName=2JokersInEveryPack&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:815dffd2-1f58-4019-a24c-80834142a8b4" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-10"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Carefree" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/4/12/a49af075-bde5-4d2d-bc73-28f265df84ff.Small.bmp" height="60" width="60" alt="Carefree"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Carefree"> Carefree </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 9:47PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>My most memorable book experience on a plane was the 11th August 2006, the day after the 'liquid bomb' scare at Heathrow - that day you couldn't take *anything* through except essential medication and your passport and travel papers. </p><p>I wasn't sure I was even going to be able to get on a plane, but I was so relieved to get through passport control I celebrated by going and buying a big fat copy of the Night Watch and a glossy magazine...and when I eventually got on the plane, there was no in-flight entertainment except a tiny screen showing Ice Age 2, so boy was I glad I had my copy of Sarah Waters! (And that after the chaos of Heathrow it was one of the smoothest and most peaceful flights I've ever enjoyed). </p><p>More recently I bought the Stieg Larsson books to Iceland, I thought the Scandanavian connection made it quite appropriate, but of course an Icelandic whodunnit would have been even better. (although as our tour guide in Iceland said, you can't have murder mysteries there, everyone knows everyone so nothing ever stays secret...)</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:af2c6094-4245-4ee6-b49b-36d715591d1d"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:af2c6094-4245-4ee6-b49b-36d715591d1d" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:af2c6094-4245-4ee6-b49b-36d715591d1d')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:af2c6094-4245-4ee6-b49b-36d715591d1d" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=af2c6094-4245-4ee6-b49b-36d715591d1d&commenterUserName=Carefree&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:af2c6094-4245-4ee6-b49b-36d715591d1d" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-11"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/woman55" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/1/0/9106e0b2-7989-401a-b056-8ae58340a063.Small.png" height="60" width="60" alt="woman55"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/woman55"> woman55 </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 10:05PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>A recipe book from your favourite chef because this requires little immediate concentration except a notebook to record the recipes you want to cook at home.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:8bf2abb3-e496-4e19-8144-03920c34fb04"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:8bf2abb3-e496-4e19-8144-03920c34fb04" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:8bf2abb3-e496-4e19-8144-03920c34fb04')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:8bf2abb3-e496-4e19-8144-03920c34fb04" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=8bf2abb3-e496-4e19-8144-03920c34fb04&commenterUserName=woman55&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:8bf2abb3-e496-4e19-8144-03920c34fb04" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-12"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/noneother" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/10/7/6a8ca9fe-b924-4ff4-a79d-2092d015452d.Small.jpg" height="60" width="60" alt="noneother"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/noneother"> noneother </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">7 Jan 2010, 10:33PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I do also now try to read books situated where I'm going. Although I've actually lived in Paris in the past, I read my first Fred Vargas while going/staying there recently, although the Nestor Burma series by Leo Malet would probably be more fun - and you could actually read one on the Eurostar as they're short (or 10 if it breaks down). But not sure they are in print in translation anymore. </p><p>@Carefree You want Arnaldur Indriðason for Icelandic crime. The receptionist at a hotel in Copenhagen actually saw me with a Nordic crime book and commented on it, I said to her that actually although I know Swedish (Mankell, Sjowal/loo, Edwardson, etc, etc), Norwegian (Nesbo, Fossum) and even Icelandic, I didn't know any Danish ones - she said that there aren't any. Does anyone know any? And Finnish, for that matter. </p><p>@oommph I actually read Corelli on the way to Greece, although that was more by chance. </p><p>One word of warning: don't plan to read manga. I love it, but as the speed at which it can be read means that you'll need about 20 volumes to keep you occupied until, say, Tokyo - try Yukio Mishima's Sea of Fertility tetralogy instead (not a crime novel for those of you that don't know - for that try Natsuo Korino's awesome Out).</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:570f8184-8fcb-4c65-be57-fc61cbbb8a8a"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:570f8184-8fcb-4c65-be57-fc61cbbb8a8a" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:570f8184-8fcb-4c65-be57-fc61cbbb8a8a')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:570f8184-8fcb-4c65-be57-fc61cbbb8a8a" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=570f8184-8fcb-4c65-be57-fc61cbbb8a8a&commenterUserName=noneother&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:570f8184-8fcb-4c65-be57-fc61cbbb8a8a" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-13"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/AlisonFlood" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="AlisonFlood"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/AlisonFlood"> AlisonFlood </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 9:25AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Editor"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/microapps/server-side-pluck/images/icons_staff_28.gif" width="28" height="28" title="Staff" alt="Staff"/> <span>Staff</span> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>andycairns - love it! Do you disguise the covers so your neighbours aren't aware of what you're reading? </p><p>oommph, will definitely try The Far Pavillions, thanks. </p><p>And noneother, yes, reading something set where you're going/already holidaying is so nice...Gerald Durrell in Corfu was wonderful, as was Kingsolver in Zambia (not that far from the Congo). </p><p>And I may be wrong, but isn't Peter Hoeg (Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow) Danish? I'm not sure he's done anything much else but I loved that.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:49363b5d-7ed1-4c22-b5f8-cab03ac99286"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:49363b5d-7ed1-4c22-b5f8-cab03ac99286" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:49363b5d-7ed1-4c22-b5f8-cab03ac99286')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:49363b5d-7ed1-4c22-b5f8-cab03ac99286" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=49363b5d-7ed1-4c22-b5f8-cab03ac99286&commenterUserName=AlisonFlood&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:49363b5d-7ed1-4c22-b5f8-cab03ac99286" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-14"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/whatsabreadcake" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="whatsabreadcake"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/whatsabreadcake"> whatsabreadcake </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 9:29AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I tend to go for something light, some form of sci-fi or the like. Travel writing on the way there can be a nice lead in to the holiday, but never on the way back. </p><p>My worst mistake was reading Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road' on a hungover and tired flight back from New York. That was almost as bad as watching Hotel Rwanda on the way back from Shanghai, but that's for another thread...</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:354ae886-2fb2-437f-b036-3ac6532c1bad"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:354ae886-2fb2-437f-b036-3ac6532c1bad" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:354ae886-2fb2-437f-b036-3ac6532c1bad')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:354ae886-2fb2-437f-b036-3ac6532c1bad" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=354ae886-2fb2-437f-b036-3ac6532c1bad&commenterUserName=whatsabreadcake&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:354ae886-2fb2-437f-b036-3ac6532c1bad" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-15"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/jeanhannah" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/3/6/a3d2ff8a-2843-445a-a636-642e5465078f.Small.png" height="60" width="60" alt="jeanhannah"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/jeanhannah"> jeanhannah </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 9:30AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Staff"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/microapps/server-side-pluck/images/icons_contributor_28.gif" width="28" height="28" title="Contributor" alt="Contributor"/> <span>Contributor</span> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>@EMnut - I feel sort of relieved to know I'm not the only one who can't think about books while aloft. As a former flying-phobic (I had CBT to get over it, but will never be entirely happy with it) I can now get on a plane without hyperventilating, but not concentrating. </p><p>But I sort of secretly look forward to long flights as a chance to read some page-turning trash that I'd not touch if I was on land. I always buy them the airport, rather than beforehand - it's interesting to see what books are available in different locations. </p><p>For example, the wares American airport bookshops are dominated by self-help and business books (int'l terminal in Las Vegas is a particular wasteland of self-help, perhaps for obvious reasons), but there is always a copy of 'Can You Keep A Secret?' by Sophie Kinsella, I guess because it starts out on a plane. And in Copenhagen I found the most palatable English-language choice was Tina Brown's biography of Princess Diana, which I would certainly have shunned while not in transit, but thoroughly enjoyed somewhere over Holland.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:6394f8e9-132c-4c3d-bf06-7e4efa311472"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:6394f8e9-132c-4c3d-bf06-7e4efa311472" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:6394f8e9-132c-4c3d-bf06-7e4efa311472')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:6394f8e9-132c-4c3d-bf06-7e4efa311472" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=6394f8e9-132c-4c3d-bf06-7e4efa311472&commenterUserName=jeanhannah&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:6394f8e9-132c-4c3d-bf06-7e4efa311472" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-16"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/MonsieurBoulanger" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/8/4/b8164ec6-75ac-460b-844b-5f67d900ebf5.Small.png" height="60" width="60" alt="MonsieurBoulanger"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/MonsieurBoulanger"> MonsieurBoulanger </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 9:42AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>My long distance travel companion of choice is 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, which is perfect as it's massive, compelling and suitable for infinite re-reads. </p><p>(It's only drawback, in fact, is that it arrived with massive fanfare. I'd like a T-shirt, for this and other novels of similar hype, that reads 'I'm actually enjoying this book and am not a literary snob or bandwagon jumper, thank you very much')</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:36ed3fa5-c5c1-422c-8262-e5c81d449e16"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:36ed3fa5-c5c1-422c-8262-e5c81d449e16" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:36ed3fa5-c5c1-422c-8262-e5c81d449e16')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:36ed3fa5-c5c1-422c-8262-e5c81d449e16" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=36ed3fa5-c5c1-422c-8262-e5c81d449e16&commenterUserName=MonsieurBoulanger&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:36ed3fa5-c5c1-422c-8262-e5c81d449e16" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-17"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Carefree" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/4/12/a49af075-bde5-4d2d-bc73-28f265df84ff.Small.bmp" height="60" width="60" alt="Carefree"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Carefree"> Carefree </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 10:04AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I have read one Icelandic whodunnit, by Yrsa Sigurdardóttir - actually read that one while on holiday in Madrid, very inappropriately, but found it rather underwhelming. </p><p>But have heard good stuff about Arnaldur Indriðason so maybe should follow him up...probably when I'm in Zanzibar, or somewhere equally unlikely...</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:2e22d6f5-e3ec-4606-9b0a-961835776cbe"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:2e22d6f5-e3ec-4606-9b0a-961835776cbe" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:2e22d6f5-e3ec-4606-9b0a-961835776cbe')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:2e22d6f5-e3ec-4606-9b0a-961835776cbe" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=2e22d6f5-e3ec-4606-9b0a-961835776cbe&commenterUserName=Carefree&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:2e22d6f5-e3ec-4606-9b0a-961835776cbe" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-18"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/MaxCairnduff" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/3/002b9ac3-e4de-43d8-9310-c50515f3ee9d.Small.jpg" height="60" width="60" alt="MaxCairnduff"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/MaxCairnduff"> MaxCairnduff </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 10:17AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>My last flight I read John Dos Passos's Manhattan Transfer, which worked surprisingly well actually but I got lucky. Generally I agree, heavyweight stuff isn't best for flights, it's just too tiring and distracting an environment. </p><p>Robert Harris is pretty good for flights actually, what I think works best though is something that's decently written and that requires some attention, but that can take a few interruptions as your front neighbour suddenly puts their seat back or whatever. </p><p>I can see Fred Vargas working for that quite well actually, strange, interesting, but not trying too hard. That said, I mostly go for some decent science fiction, it requires a bit of concentration so you can picture it all but it does tend to forgive intrusions in a way that Eco (Eco, that's a brave choice for a flight incidentally) might not. </p><p>Most noir titles are quite short, or they'd be perfect. Much as I love them, they tend to be so depressing that at least if your flight went down you'd be reflecting on the way that it was probably for the best and anyway we're all doomed...</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:86866e67-e1bd-4fbd-bf80-05bffc2b7454"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:86866e67-e1bd-4fbd-bf80-05bffc2b7454" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:86866e67-e1bd-4fbd-bf80-05bffc2b7454')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:86866e67-e1bd-4fbd-bf80-05bffc2b7454" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=86866e67-e1bd-4fbd-bf80-05bffc2b7454&commenterUserName=MaxCairnduff&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:86866e67-e1bd-4fbd-bf80-05bffc2b7454" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-19"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/noneother" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/10/7/6a8ca9fe-b924-4ff4-a79d-2092d015452d.Small.jpg" height="60" width="60" alt="noneother"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/noneother"> noneother </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 10:35AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>@carefree Yes, Yrsa Sigurdardóttir previously wrote children's books and I think it shows - I stopped about three chapters in. </p><p>@AlisonFlood Smilla did come to mind, but it seems to have been an exception for Hoeg and for Danish writing in general. I also read it ages ago when it came out and so it sits outside my Nordic crime phase. </p><p>If you're ever going back to Africa again, maybe you could try The Worst Date Ever: War Crimes, Hollywood Heart-throbs and Other Abominations by Jane Bussmann, which is hilarious, so very distracting, and kind of a non-travel travel book.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:17b7b50a-94db-4e6b-b593-c5536659c37b"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:17b7b50a-94db-4e6b-b593-c5536659c37b" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:17b7b50a-94db-4e6b-b593-c5536659c37b')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:17b7b50a-94db-4e6b-b593-c5536659c37b" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=17b7b50a-94db-4e6b-b593-c5536659c37b&commenterUserName=noneother&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:17b7b50a-94db-4e6b-b593-c5536659c37b" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-20"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/mald2" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="mald2"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/mald2"> mald2 </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 11:01AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>A few years back, I had about five hours to kill in Hong Kong airport and spent most of it being indecisive in the bookshop trying to pick which book to keep me company back home (I'm a sucker for shrunk-in-the-wash airport-editions, although I can't explain why). Like whatsabreadcake, I settled on The Road, even though it was so skinny and underfed looking, I didn't really trust it would last for the remaining 18 hours or so. </p><p>As it happens I only just finished it by the time I got to Heathrow. I had to keep putting it down because it was so bloody stressful. That I was travelling alone didn't help, nor that it was a night flight and I can never sleep on planes so I felt like I was the only one awake. On top of that, I've always found air travel faintly apocalyptic anyway - I imagine the end of the world will be involve oppressive air conditioning and lack of leg-room. </p><p>Next time, I'm taking something frothy and silly instead. Like Proust.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:57a71aea-8d6d-42e0-831e-54ad08f57fac"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:57a71aea-8d6d-42e0-831e-54ad08f57fac" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:57a71aea-8d6d-42e0-831e-54ad08f57fac')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:57a71aea-8d6d-42e0-831e-54ad08f57fac" class="high-recommended">(2)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=57a71aea-8d6d-42e0-831e-54ad08f57fac&commenterUserName=mald2&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:57a71aea-8d6d-42e0-831e-54ad08f57fac" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-21"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Isferin" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="Isferin"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/Isferin"> Isferin </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 11:18AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I dont read on planes, I LISTEN. Audiobooks are brilliant and there are many you can drift in and out of, like 2666 for instance, or The Savage Detectives, which I listened to on a long haul flight recently. On my last trip to west coast USA, the Barchester Chronicles served as an ideal waking/dozing companion, but I'm not sure I'm actually recommending them all. The Warden is very topical and well worth it, though. </p><p>No one knows what you're reading, and you don't need the 'Actually I LIKE Roberto Bolano' t-shirt. The only problem at my age is that fellow passengers probably assume I'm listening to Phil Collins or Queen. I promise I'm not. </p><p>Murakami is great on planes - Kafka on the Shore is probably best - but After Dark is one of those books that if you possibly can, reading or listening in one sitting dramatically increases the effect. I listened to that all one day whilst mowing the lawn and chopping wood and weeding etc. Bliss. </p><p>I bet His Dark Materials work well on a night flight. </p><p>If you were travelling to Chicago next week I'd recommend A Stair at the Gate (Lorrie Moore) because you could then side with me in saying it's wonderful and different, and help shout (err, I mean argue) down everyone who can't see the quality because it doesn't do convential plot and characters. Beautifully read by Mia Barron as well, which is crucial.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:ba6f80e4-c3ea-47ad-8fe4-81af9c2e1b30"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:ba6f80e4-c3ea-47ad-8fe4-81af9c2e1b30" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:ba6f80e4-c3ea-47ad-8fe4-81af9c2e1b30')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:ba6f80e4-c3ea-47ad-8fe4-81af9c2e1b30" class="normal-recommended">(1)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=ba6f80e4-c3ea-47ad-8fe4-81af9c2e1b30&commenterUserName=Isferin&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:ba6f80e4-c3ea-47ad-8fe4-81af9c2e1b30" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-22"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/AlisonFlood" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="AlisonFlood"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/AlisonFlood"> AlisonFlood </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 11:32AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Editor"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/microapps/server-side-pluck/images/icons_staff_28.gif" width="28" height="28" title="Staff" alt="Staff"/> <span>Staff</span> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>MonsieurBoulanger, I think the idea of a t-shirt saying "I'm not jumping on a literary bandwagon, I'd already read it" is a great one. AndIsferin, maybe you could get one that says "I'm not listening to Phil Collins, it's an audiobook stupid". </p><p>mald2, I know exactly what you mean about airport editions, there's something strangely pleasurable about getting a paperback version of something everyone else has got in hardback, be it the new Marian Keyes or whatever... </p><p>Can imagine how depressing it must have been reading The Road. </p><p>And JHE, an analysis of books in different airports around the world could be fun...!</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:5ae5e60f-8381-4e0c-b1d6-9c8fde148c51"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:5ae5e60f-8381-4e0c-b1d6-9c8fde148c51" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:5ae5e60f-8381-4e0c-b1d6-9c8fde148c51')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:5ae5e60f-8381-4e0c-b1d6-9c8fde148c51" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=5ae5e60f-8381-4e0c-b1d6-9c8fde148c51&commenterUserName=AlisonFlood&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:5ae5e60f-8381-4e0c-b1d6-9c8fde148c51" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-23"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/BigNewPrinz" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/7/f02daea2-aae7-4fd6-9729-cea7dcf55435.Small.jpg" height="60" width="60" alt="BigNewPrinz"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/BigNewPrinz"> BigNewPrinz </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 11:54AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>Here are a few that are perfect for long journeys (not just on planes). I read Trinity on the bus from Cape Cod to New York. </p><p>Haruki Murakami : Kafka on the Shore <br/>John Irving: A Prayer for Owen Meany <br/>Brett Easton Ellis: Lunar Park <br/>Anthony Beevor: Stalingrad <br/>Josef Skvorecky: The Republic of Whores <br/>James Ellroy: My Dark Places <br/>Paul Auster: The New York Trilogy <br/>Leon Uris : Trinity <br/>Philip K Dick: The Penultimate Truth <br/>Dave Simpson: The Fallen: Searching for the Missing Members of The "Fall"</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:5f08b3b7-d081-4d62-af70-c2e76367c484"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:5f08b3b7-d081-4d62-af70-c2e76367c484" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:5f08b3b7-d081-4d62-af70-c2e76367c484')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:5f08b3b7-d081-4d62-af70-c2e76367c484" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=5f08b3b7-d081-4d62-af70-c2e76367c484&commenterUserName=BigNewPrinz&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:5f08b3b7-d081-4d62-af70-c2e76367c484" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-24"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/ALY81" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="ALY81"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/ALY81"> ALY81 </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 11:55AM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>I mistakenly read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas on a flight: I don't recommend it unless you are comfortable with sobbing in front of 100 total strangers! </p><p>My top tips would be anything by Kate Atkinson and Stieg Larsson's Salander trilogy for page turning, "yikes, 7 hours just flew by" reading, and I love AS Byatt's Possession and Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy which are both long enough to last to the beach at the other end if you are a medium pace reader!</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:2b4ca7dc-14bc-481f-937d-7a40307bb582"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:2b4ca7dc-14bc-481f-937d-7a40307bb582" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:2b4ca7dc-14bc-481f-937d-7a40307bb582')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:2b4ca7dc-14bc-481f-937d-7a40307bb582" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=2b4ca7dc-14bc-481f-937d-7a40307bb582&commenterUserName=ALY81&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:2b4ca7dc-14bc-481f-937d-7a40307bb582" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-25"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/vernacularman" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="vernacularman"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/vernacularman"> vernacularman </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 12:21PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>i love the graphic novels so i always take a big wodge of them when i hit the highways and skies. </p><p>a massive but incredible graphic novel by craig thompson -"blankets" - about finding love in a Christian camp in the arctic conditions of Colorado (or one of those snow bound states) was amazing. </p><p>also "from hell" by alan moore or a clutch of books from a series like "john constantine: hellblazer" always pass the time better than movies and attempts at sleep. </p><p>cant seem to manage prose while travelling.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:45a5e59f-d6eb-4e71-8d7b-7fa48c5e9f88"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:45a5e59f-d6eb-4e71-8d7b-7fa48c5e9f88" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:45a5e59f-d6eb-4e71-8d7b-7fa48c5e9f88')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:45a5e59f-d6eb-4e71-8d7b-7fa48c5e9f88" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=45a5e59f-d6eb-4e71-8d7b-7fa48c5e9f88&commenterUserName=vernacularman&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:45a5e59f-d6eb-4e71-8d7b-7fa48c5e9f88" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-26"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/dowland" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="dowland"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/dowland"> dowland </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 12:30PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>@Isferin </p><p>Another vote here for audiobooks! Perfect for the long haul, just close your eyes and be distracted. Fantasy epics are good for passing the time, and humour like Terry Pratchett or PG Wodehouse too - detective novels also. </p><p>Avoid literary fiction or great literature as it requires too much concentration - you need to let your mind wander and not feel you've missed something crucial! (And jeanhannah - it's great for taking your mind off fear of flying too - I speak from experience.)</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:8a28bb3f-5a51-4863-973c-39352f9a7dd1"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:8a28bb3f-5a51-4863-973c-39352f9a7dd1" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:8a28bb3f-5a51-4863-973c-39352f9a7dd1')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:8a28bb3f-5a51-4863-973c-39352f9a7dd1" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=8a28bb3f-5a51-4863-973c-39352f9a7dd1&commenterUserName=dowland&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:8a28bb3f-5a51-4863-973c-39352f9a7dd1" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-27"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/MaxCairnduff" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/store/0/3/002b9ac3-e4de-43d8-9310-c50515f3ee9d.Small.jpg" height="60" width="60" alt="MaxCairnduff"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/MaxCairnduff"> MaxCairnduff </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">8 Jan 2010, 5:27PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>On the audiobook front, Seamus Heaney's own reading of his translation of Beowulf is spectacular. I got it as a birthday present a while back, and it's just excellent.</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:2b798f97-8352-47ae-9539-e8a57da60483"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:2b798f97-8352-47ae-9539-e8a57da60483" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:2b798f97-8352-47ae-9539-e8a57da60483')" class="recommend"> Recommend? </a> <span id="pluck-single-comment-no-CommentKey:2b798f97-8352-47ae-9539-e8a57da60483" class="normal-recommended">(0)</span> </li> <li class="abuse-report"> <a href="javascript:void(0)" title="Report abuse" class="report-abuse">Report abuse </a> </li> <li class="clip"><a class="anchor-based-login-required" href="/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/clippings/add?commentId=2b798f97-8352-47ae-9539-e8a57da60483&commenterUserName=MaxCairnduff&r2ContentIdForSSP=357772596" name="" title="Clip this comment.">Clip</a> | </li> <li class="link"><a href="?showallcomments=true#CommentKey:2b798f97-8352-47ae-9539-e8a57da60483" name="" title="Link this comment.">Link</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="pluck-content" id="comment-28"> <li class="pluck-comment">  <div class="pluck-comment-author"> <h3> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/shouldberevising" class="author-profile-picture"> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://sitelife.guardian.co.uk/ver1.0/Content/images/no-user-image.gif" height="60" width="60" alt="shouldberevising"> </a> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/users/shouldberevising"> shouldberevising </a> </h3> <p class="posted-time">9 Jan 2010, 9:07PM</p> </div> <span class="author-tier"> <a class="rollover" title="Featured"> </a> </span> <div class="pluck-comment-body"> <p>One Hundred Years of Solitude - yup, ambitious. But having battled on terra firma with it for a couple of months with little avail, but determined to see the back of it (by finishing it i must add), I took the opportunity of sitting on a flight from London to San Francisco to get it read. </p><p>Sure enough, by packing William Boyd (New Confessions) and Stieg Larsson (Girl With A Dragon Tattoo) in the hold, I had nothing to distract/tempt me from Senor Marquez (aside from the Duty Free Mag and that flight safety booklet which you can only peruse for so long) - and by the time I had landed in SF, it was complete. <br/>Success! - and what better reward then the books waiting for me in my suitcase :)</p> </div> </li> <li class="pluck-comment-tools"> <ul id="CommentKey:d02ed9a8-890c-4caf-8717-c1a4dab06ab3"> <li class="recomended"> <a id="pluck-single-comment-CommentKey:d02ed9a8-890c-4caf-8717-c1a4dab06ab3" href="javascript:void(0)" title="Recommend this comment." onclick="return onClickRecommendation('CommentKey:d02ed9a8-890c-4caf-8717-c1a4dab06ab3')" class="recommend"> Recommend? 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class="tabs-container"> <p>Last 24 hours</p> <ol> <li class="first"> <span class="rank">1.</span> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/09/james-ellroy-david-peace-conversation">James Ellroy and David Peace in conversation</a> </li> <li> <span class="rank">2.</span> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/06/leo-tolstoy-the-last-station">Leo Tolstoy: the forgotten genius?</a> </li> <li> <span class="rank">3.</span> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/09/margaret-atwood-birds-review">Margaret Atwood: act now to save our birds</a> </li> <li> <span class="rank">4.</span> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/09/seeing-further-royal-society-review">Seeing Further edited by Bill Bryson | Book review</a> </li> <li> <span class="rank">5.</span> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/jan/08/reading-relationships">Reading between the lines of your relationship</a> </li> <li class="more-most-viewed"> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/mostviewed">More top stories</a> </li> </ol> </div> </div> </div> <div id="att-latest" class="att-tabs att-toggle-pane initially-off"> <ol> <li class="first"> <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/09/margaret-atwood-birds-review" name="&lid={latestFromSection}{Margaret Atwood: act now to save our birds}&lpos={trail}{1}" class="small mask"> <img alt="Red-Crowned Cranes on Feeding Grounds in Winter" src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Books/Pix/pictures/2010/1/7/1262878981812/Red-Crowned-Cranes-on-Fee-001.jpg" width="140" height="84" class="image-in-trail "/> </a> <a 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shop</h3> <li> <img src="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551im_/http://roffers.guim.co.uk/mall/GOTruebellUKLtd/customerimages/products/t_TRUAUDCAP1.gif" alt="AudCap USB Audio Capture Adaptor"/> <h5><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardianoffers.co.uk/mall/productpage.cfm/GuardianOffers/TRUAUDCAP1/119268">AudCap USB Audio Capture Adaptor</a></h5> <p>Transfer your old favourites from stereo system, record player or tape deck to your PC or Mac.</p> <p class="price">From: £29.95</p> </li> <div class="links"> <ul class="reader-offers-links"> <li class="first"><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardianoffers.co.uk/">Visit the Guardian reader offers shop</a></li> <li><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20100110024551/http://www.guardianecostore.co.uk/">Green & ethical shopping at Guardian ecostore</a></li> </ul> </div> </ul> </div> <div id="other-blogs" class="capsule sponsored-features"> <h3>Other Culture blogs</h3> <ul 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