Long-haul flights can be a boring affair. While some of us have the knack to 'raw-dog' it, others simply can't. But when you can rip through a riveting page turner on an 18-hour long journey 40,000 feet up in the air, the raw-dogging trend can take a back seat.
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Here's a list of 10 new books recommended by the Esquire India team that will keep you away from the salty snacks and that nagging co-passenger.
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
It'll leave you both hungry and satisfied. You haven't read a thriller this year if you haven't read Asako Yuzuki's phenomenal book. It's a cat-and-mouse game between a convicted gourmet cook and the journalist who is trying to tell her story and an exploration of everything from food and dieting to the pleasure-rid norms of society. This one is best read with dollops of butter on whatever you're having.
Want by Gillian Anderson
Ever been curious about how a trans couple has sex? What are the secret desires of a woman who has been married for over three decades? If you'd like an understanding of what women (and those who identify as female) want, this book will give you a much-needed crash course. A collection of anonymous essays that actor Gillian Anderson collected, the book is provocative and thought-provoking in equal measure.
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Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley
American humour writer Sloane Crosley charts a relatively new territory, but not without characteristic relish, in this memoir that came out earlier this year. She recalls the psychological weight of two losses that unravelled in quick succession—the suicide of a very close friend and a burglary at her house—with the sort of potential for emotional catharsis that people often end up seeking on a long flight.
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez
The Argentine writer of modern gothic horror might possibly be the coolest new voice on the contemporary fiction block. Following the Our Share of Night and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed author’s previous body of work up with is A Sunny Place for Shady People. The deliriously (and at times unhinged) unputdownable short story collection dives into the fantasmagória of everyday life in South America. Cults around people who died in mysterious circumstances, disturbed teens who have sex with spirits, women engaging in extreme body modifications—you get the idea.
You Are Here by David Nicholls
If you're not an outrageously fast reader who only lets go of their book on their way to the loo, David Nicholls' (the writer of One Day, for the uninitiated) latest will probably need you a round trip. But that's only because it runs into 360-odd pages. The unusually delightful page-turner romance follows Marnie and Michael, two middle-agers on a long countryside walk through the English countryside.
The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada
If you’re looking to travel with a fun read that you can artfully show off on your Instagram Stories, along with the mandatory cup of overpriced airport coffee, this is The One. The true story by Nanako Hanada, where she joins an online meet-up site that allows you to meet like-minded strangers for 30 minutes, is deceptively light. Nanako’s adventures with the eccentric residents of Tokyo drive home a profound message of self-acceptance and the joy of reading.
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Lies & Weddings by Kevin Kwan
If you’re trapped in an aluminium box, suspended 30,000 odd feet above sea level, with a bunch of strangers and re-runs of The Office, spending time with a book about rich people's problems is never a bad idea. Kevin Kwan’s latest is a globetrotting tale of decadence, drama and one debt-ridden formerly rich family looking to secure a match for their son. There’s romance, erupting volcanoes and enough family dysfunction to ensure that time passes smoothly on any long-haul flight.
The Shortest History of Sex by David Baker
Sex is always an interesting subject. But what if human history was told through the lens of sex? David Baker takes on this task in The Shortest History of Sex, before its creation almost two billion years ago, how it influences our lives today and what our love lives might look like in the future. Baker, who has also written The Shortest History of the Universe as part of a series, blends history and human behaviour well in this 344-page read.
Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet by Hannah Ritchie
There is perhaps no better time to read about sustainability and carbon footprints while onboard an aircraft which is, erm, burning fuel and emitting quite a bit of CO2. Data scientist Hannah Ritchie builds on extensive research to say how we might be able to achieve true sustainability for the first time in human history. Bill Gates called this an "eye-opening and essential" book that will transform how we see our biggest environmental problems.