10 Great New Books to Soothe Holiday Travel Delays

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but holiday travel means delayed flights, long security lines, and grumpy passengers. Here are 10 new books sure to keep you entertained during any stressful holiday travel ordeal.

The Expatriates, by Janice Y. K. Lee

From the bestselling author of The Piano Teacher is this year's book club favorite, The Expatriates. Now available in paperback, this novel is relatable to anyone who has or has ever longed to live abroad. The very readable novel will make your airport wait time fly by.

What People Are Saying: "This novel blends an insider's view on the expatriate scene in Hong Kong with a suspenseful plot. I loved it for the different takes on expat life in Asia, and the mystery that develops throughout the book made me unable to put it down! Plus, now I really want to visit Hong Kong..." —Senior Editor, Caroline Morse

Available on Amazon.

Today Will Be Different, by Maria Semple

Your delayed flight is nothing compared to the character Eleanor's storyline in Maria Semple's latest novel. What starts as a routine day ends up quite the opposite as she is forced to deal with self-realization and the reality of life's unplanned events.

What People Are Saying: "Maria Semple's best-selling novel Where' d You Go, Bernadette was a downhill tumble through Seattle's TED-talk set. Now Semple is back with a new novel Today Will Be Different, and yet again, she's lovingly lampooning the domestic lives of the city's tech elite. I'm almost hoping for a long layover so I can put a dent in it." —Oyster.com Editor, Maria Teresa Hart

Available on Amazon.

Atlas Obscura, by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras, and Ella Morton

This book is the perfect form of entertainment for any long-haul flight, delay, or layover. It's a bucket list—with more than 700 places—of weird and overlooked "wonders" in the world, including the Baby Jumping Festival in Spain and a weather-forecasting tool powered by leeches in Devon, England.

What People Are Saying: "Richly illustrated, delightfully strange, this compendium of off-beat destinations should spark many adventures, both terrestrial and imaginary." —Boston Globe

Available on Amazon.

Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, by Amy Schumer

A #1 New York Times Bestseller, Amy Schumer's collection of essays will make any delayed flight easier with her very personal stories and humor. You'll laugh out loud in agreement and shock at her honesty and storytelling skills.

What People Are Saying: "Amy Schumer's book will make you love her even more. For a comedian of unbridled (and generally hilarious) causticity, Schumer has written a probing, confessional, unguarded, and, yes, majorly humanizing non-memoir, a book that trades less on sarcasm, and more on emotional resonance." —Vogue

Available on Amazon.

Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult

Many are calling Small Great Things Picoult's most important novel and her best yet, so if you're a Picoult fan, this one's a must-read. She tackles race, justice, and prejudice through the story of an African-American labor and delivery nurse in Connecticut. It's already a book-club hit, and the page-turning drama will leave you with important questions and a sense of compassion.

What People Are Saying: "A novel that puts its finger on the very pulse of the nation that we live in today... a fantastic read from beginning to end, as can always be expected from Picoult, this novel maintains a steady, page-turning pace that makes it hard for readers to put down." —San Francisco Book Review

Available on Amazon.

Paris for One and Other Stories, by Jojo Moyes

This collection of stories is the latest from Me Before You and After You author Jojo Moyes. The opening story is set in Paris, after one half of a twenty-something couple fails to show up for their Parisian vacation, sparking self-discovery and adventure for the one who still goes. Romantic stories fill the rest of the collection and will pleasantly fill any downtime at the airport.

What People Are Saying: "Moyes is in fine, cheeky form in this collection of short fiction, deploying the wit and charm that animates Me Before You and her other popular novels. The title novella offers a vicarious jolt of Parisian romance, while shorter stories deliver pithy insights into the joys and woes of marriage, ending with delightful twists." —People Magazine

Available on Amazon.

RELATED: What Not to Do in Paris

A Life in Parts, by Bryan Cranston

Whether you're a Bryan Cranston fan from Breaking Bad, Malcom in the Middle, Seinfeld, or his Tony-winning role as Lyndon Johnson in All the Way, you'll love the actor's memoir. Cranston spares no detail as readers learn everything about his life from growing up without a father to the training for his plethora of roles, including the captivating Walter White.

What People Are Saying: "Cranston fuses his personal and professional life in a way that's nothing short of riveting ... an engrossing first-person account by one of our finest actors."—Huffington Post

Available on Amazon.

Home, by Harlan Coben

This thriller will keep you entertained during any travel this holiday season, as you won't be able to put it down until the mystery is solved. From the same author of Fool Me Once, Coben tells the story of a kidnapping 10 years prior that resurfaces with the discovery of one of the victims.

What People Are Saying: "Reading Harlan Coben's spectacular Home feels like running into an old friend you haven't seen in years... Coben's latest reminds us not only of his roots, but also his mastery of the genre. As structurally flawless as it is stylistically brilliant, Home is everything great storytelling is supposed to be." —Providence Journal

Available on Amazon.

Hamilton: The Revolution, by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

For those who haven't been lucky enough to see the award-winning Broadway show, this book beautifully captures the timeline of the musical from conception to performance with photographs, behind-the-scenes insight, and revealing footnotes from Miranda.

What People Are Saying: "Hamilton: The Revolution is the kind of colorful, big-format souvenir peddled with show posters and cast recordings, and it's a cinch to delight buffs who can't get enough of writer-composer-star Lin-Manuel Miranda's history-as-hip-hop phenomenon." —Washington Post

Available on Amazon.

Upstream: Selected Essays, by Mary Oliver

From world-renowned poet Mary Oliver comes a collection of essays reflecting on her life and career, both which are heavily influenced by nature and Walt Whitman. It's a great read for travel as you can easily pick it back up between essays.

What People Are Saying: "Highly recommended as an entree to Oliver's works, this volume should also be required reading for artists of all kinds, not just writers, and especially aspiring creative minds." —Library Journal

Available on Amazon.

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Read the original story: 10 Great New Books to Soothe Holiday Travel Delays by Ashley Rossi, who is a regular contributor to SmarterTravel.

(Photo: Twenty20)

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