The Perpetual Tourist

It seems like it’s been ages since I’ve been west to my “other home” in Oregon, but my husband and I are flying out on Tuesday to the land of Christmas tree farms and “real” mountains.  I couldn’t be more excited for this trip.  Soon, the only thing standing between me and my beloved Northwest will be a five-hour plane ride.

Cross-country flights have become the norm for me, but they’re still hellish if I don’t have a good book.  I still haven’t mastered the art of sleeping on an airplane, so I depend on literature to get me from coast to coast.  I’ve had good and bad luck with books — the worst is when I take a book I think I’ll enjoy, only to find myself bored to tears within the first few minutes.  I don’t take chances with books anymore when I fly.  I still take a new book to try each flight, but I also bring a backup favorite — something I know can entertain me, even if it’s the hundredth time I’ve read it.

Here are the books that have gotten me through even the longest of delays, the worst turbulence, the smelliest seat partners, and the most boring of times…

• Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady by Florence King — This memoir is hilarious, gripping, and heart-wrenching.  You don’t have to be southern or female to enjoy it (my Yankee brother gave it to me), but I think being both of those things certainly enhanced the reading experience for me.  I definitely recognized my own family in King’s humorous descriptions of the southern obsession with ladyship.  It’s a very honest look at the South of the past and present, and even though she’s a cynical Republican, it’s impossible for me not to love Florence King after reading this book, which I’ve now practically memorized.
• One for the Money (and the entire Stephanie Plum series) by Janet Evanovich — You’ve seen these books everywhere, I’m sure.  There are fourteen in the series now, each one more hilarious than the last.  These books are a guilty pleasure for me — they’re trashy and ridiculous, but still hilarious and entertaining.  They’re great for a trip because they’re fast and easy reads, and every page is full of laughs.  If you’ve already read all fourteen books, check out the between-the-numbers novellas by Evanovich, all featuring our favorite heroine:  Visions of Sugar Plums, Plum Lovin’, and Plum Lucky.
• The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling — I am always skeptical of hype, which is why I didn’t pick up the first Harry Potter book until 2005, just before book six came out.  Most people who are going to read these books already have, but I definitely recommend re-reading.  Rowling wove an intricate web with these stories, and every time I read back over the books, I discover little details and clues that she’s left along the way.
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — There’s a reason this book has been made into about 30 different movies.  It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest love stories ever written.  Warning:  if you are like me and tend to get really sucked into a novel, you may find yourself severely depressed at the end of this one.  I was — I didn’t want it to be over.  So I turned back to page one and started all over again…
• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris — Sedaris has authored several collections of autobiographical essays, and they’re all fascinating, charming, and witty, though also a little dark.  This one is my favorite, though.  It feels a little more light-hearted than his others, and I especially love the chapter on poop — whenever I read it, I laugh so hard that I wake up all the sleeping passengers around me.  I may be immature, but I challenge you to get through that essay without snorting.  I don’t think it can be done.

I have other favorites, of course, but these are the ones I’ve read over and over again, and would recommend to anyone.  What else belongs on this list?