As some of you know, I'm coming over to NYC at the end of the month (can't wait :whee: ) It is an 8 hour flight each way, so I need to plan my reading material (although coming home is a night flight so I'm kind of hoping I may sleep for some of it :zzz:)

I think I average around 100 pages an hour so do I go for a couple of thicker books (500 pages) or 4-5 slimmer ones? Then how many to pack for the weekend and trip home? I'm not expecting much reading time while we're there but the last thing I want is to not have anything to read on the way home - I know there will be bookshops at the airport but I'd rather read stuff from Mount TBR than buy new.

Suggestions please! (And if anyone wants to have a look at my TBR for some suggestions of good reads for travelling, please feel free! Camis' TBR )

I usually go for easy reads when I'm traveling, 'cause I get easily distracted on the plane and in the airport and I like books that aren't too heavy (story-wise, not weight-wise :P ) and I can get back into quickly. Chick lit is always good.

I would suggest several smaller books, that way you could do some wild releases in NYC as you are out and about seeing the sites :)

My only recommendation is nothing about planes crashing. I made that mistake once. It's kinda of a creepy feeling to be reading a book about it, while on a plane. Other than that, not much else I can say. When I'm on the plane with my iPod on I'm turned out to the world.

I agree with the smaller quick reads that so you can do some releasing in NY.

I always enjoy reading books on the way that take place wherever I'm going to get me excited about where I'm heading. When I went to London & Paris, I had just finished reading Angels & Demons. It started annoying my husband when I kept pointing out things from the book and dragged him through the shopping center at the Louvre just to see the inverted pyramid (and maybe do a little shopping :P )

I don't know if you have done much transatlantic travelling but just a tip. Try to get yourself on your destination schedule as quickly as possible. I usually change my watch to my destination time as soon as I get on the plane (sometimes I take 2 watches so I keep one in my bag on my home timezone). I try sleep on the plane according to my destination time zone. Sometimes that means a little Tylenol PM to help me sleep. But using this strategy certainly helps me with the jet lag. And remember lots of water while your on the plane.

I wish I was going to be in NY and could get a chance to meet you!

When are you going? The next time I'd be in the city is the 19th, although I might be in for the 23.

:wave: Yeah, I don't have specifc plans to visit NYC soon but my foreign student is always VERY excited to do so. So if we're not otherwise engaged, we could perhaps be convinced to come down for a day on a weekend if you want to meet for lunch or do a museum or something? My corporate badge lets me get myself and 4 or 5 people into many of the museums for free, so those are cheap thrills I can share.

For book lovers, I also recommend a stop at the NY Public Library (conveniently located near Grand Central Station).

:nod: I agree with the suggestions for short books and releasing them when you're done - I usually do that on vacations. It makes it extra fun if they get picked up because you get a reminder of your trip when you get the journal entries. And you have more room in your bags for souvenirs.


:hug: And I'm just a 2-hour train ride away so if you PM, I'd be happy to give you my contact information so you know someone in the area in case of emergency. I doubt you'd need it but it's always nice to have contacts. That's true for any of you visiting NY, btw - it's not as unfriendly as its reputation but it's not Kansas either.

Much as I would love to meet up with all of you, as this trip is for hubby's birthday I can't see him being very impressed if I disappear to meet some of my mad book friends!! And we're only there for a long weekend anyway.

I had thought about releasing some books in NY although wouldn't be able to make release notes until I got home. I guess a journal entry saying I was planning to release would suffice in case they got caught before I got back!

Haven't been to the US for 11 years and haven't flown without children for 13 years so am looking forward to some uninterrupted reading time! (And I do the same as you Alsgal - always set my watch to destination time as soon as I get on the plane).

I concur with what everyone else said. I take smaller, easy to read books. I like to leave them scattered across my trip. Don't forget, you'll probably have plenty of airport time as well. If you take bigger, longer books you are usually lugging the bigger larger book throughout the trip.

And as a note, your hotel might will probably have an internet connection that you can use in their business center.

As a frequent traveler, I concur with most of the recommendations. Take several/many small books. Keep a couple in your carry-on bag(s) -- whatever you think you might read during the flight. For an Atlantic crossing, I usually put in a couple of extra books of different genres so I can pick my next book based on my mood. You can put the rest in your checked luggage and pull those out for the return trip. Remember, paper is *heavy*. You don't want to carry any more of it than you have to.

Though your flight is 8 hours, you'll have two meals served (as I remember) and there will be movies offered as well. You probably won't complete 800 pages!

Light, even humorous books make the flight go more quickly. And, your nearby passengers will get a kick out of the chuckles and laughs you emit if you're reading a really funny book.

Camis - I looked at your TBR and the ones I can attest to because I read them and liked them are.

Do They Wear High Heels in Heaven?
The Alchemist
Falling Angels

I think all three would make for good traveling books (IMO...for what its worth) :rolleyes:

I am with you there! I have made that mistake before, great book (Airframe Michael Crichton) but a bit much reading it on a plane!

Most of the museums are free to begin with. They have suggested prices but you don't have to pay them. I once paid 35 cents to get into the museum of natural history. I think there's only one or two of the big ones that dont have suggested prices.

Or they'll be annoyed :wink:

Also Camis, I'm just across the river in NJ which is going to be closer than hobbit, just in case of an emergency. Hopefully you wouldn't need it, but let me know if you want my contact info just in case.

My mistake was Blackout by J.J. Nance.

Let me hijack this thread to say that I live in NYC full time and would love to meet other BOers. I've managed to meet noumena, boogal, and another BC person who isn't on BO...

Anyway, if there's interest, we can try again with an NYC meetup...

Pretty much what I was thinking. I especially like collections of short stories. Looking at your Mt. TRB, American Girls About Town or Heat Wave would be perfect. I've enjoyed Janet Evanovich while traveling, too.

Although I don't like heavy (weight) books on flights.

Good idea with the short story collections - I'll pop a couple of those in the carry on along with a couple of easy readers. I'm also going to take N Is For Noose, purely because it's been on Mount TBR for the longest!!

(Although hubby did say tonight that he can't see why we would need to take more than one suitcase between us - I may need to forego clothes in order to fit in books!!)

One suitcase?! :blink: How long are you going to be gone? Just the weekened? :shrug:

I broke down and ordered a Kindle from Amazon. I figure that I'll use it to satisfy my passion for immediacy -- to get recently published books that I refuse to buy in hardback and wind up reading from the library. It should also make it easier to carry a variety of books when I'm traveling without the weight of the paper. Once I get it, I'll give some feedback.

Yes, just the weekend. We'll be in NY for 3 1/2 days.