Novels set on planes Archives

Circling the Sun: A Novel

by Paula McLain

Ann Patchett calls Paula McLain "the new star of historical fiction, and for good reason. Fans of The Paris Wife will be captivated by Circling the Sun, which . . . is both beautifully written and utterly engrossing." From the publisher: "Transporting readers to colonial Kenya in the 1920s. Circling the Sun brings to life a fearless and captivating woman—Beryl Markham, a record-setting aviator caught up in a passionate love triangle with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, who as Isak Dinesen wrote the classic memoir Out of Africa. Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of the Happy Valley set, a decadent, bohemian community of European expats who also live and love by their own set of rules. But it’s the ruggedly charismatic Denys Finch Hatton who ultimately helps Beryl navigate the uncharted territory of her own heart. The intensity of their love reveals Beryl’s truest self and her fate: to fly."

Her Last Flight

by Beatriz Williams

I'm a fan of Beatriz Williams. And Elin Hilderbrand says she thinks Williams is writing "the best historical fiction out there. It's lush with period detail but feels immediate." High praise. From the publisher: "In 1947, photographer and war correspondent Janey Everett arrives at a remote surfing village on the Hawaiian island of Kauai to research a planned biography of forgotten aviation pioneer Sam Mallory, who joined the loyalist forces in the Spanish Civil War and never returned. Obsessed with Sam's fate, Janey has tracked down Irene Lindquist, the owner of a local island-hopping airline, whom she believes might actually be the legendary Irene Foster, Mallory’s onetime student and flying partner. Foster’s disappearance during a round-the-world flight in 1937 remains one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries. At first, the flinty Mrs. Lindquist denies any connection to Foster. But Janey informs her that the wreck of Sam Mallory’s airplane has recently been discovered in a Spanish desert, and piece by piece, the details of Foster’s extraordinary life emerge."

The Love Connection

by Denise Williams

The first in an audio-first trilogy of flirty and spicy airport novellas sized just right for breezy summer reading. What do you do when the pandemic cancels your travel plans and you start missing the airports you once loved passing through? For Denise Williams, the obvious answer was to turn to vicarious travel, situating not just one but three novellas in the terminal. In the first installment we meet Ollie, an airport-based pet groomer who develops a serious crush on the handsome frequent flier she sees every Tuesday at the gate by her shop. When a runaway pup brings Ollie face to face with her longtime crush, she discovers he’s not just a pretty face. Bennett is a professional risk assessor by day but romance novelist by night, and to her great surprise, he needs her help. This is just the ticket if you need a quick win for your reading life. Open door. For fans of Ali Hazelwood’s Under One Roof and Julia Whelan’s Thank You for Listening.

The Flight Attendant

by Chris Bohjalian

It’s a normal morning for flight attendant Cassie Bowden. She wakes up with her usual hangover in a Dubai hotel room and tries to remember what happened the night before. And then she notices the man sharing her bed is dead. And not just dead: murdered. She can’t remember what happened but it doesn’t look good for her. So she decides to go to work as planned, get out of the country, and pretend as if nothing's wrong. But Cassie can’t run from her alcoholism and lies forever. A suspenseful novel with satisfying twists and turns.

Great Circle

by Maggie Shipstead

An epic dual timeline tale with complex characters. Marian Graves, daredevil aviatrix, had an unconventional life from the start. She and her twin are rescued as infants from a sinking ship in 1914, then raised by their disreputable uncle. By 14, she drops out of school to pursue her dream of flying by way of unconventional means and a dangerous patron. Her career builds until she finally gets to attempt to circumnavigate the globe by flying over the North and South Poles—but she disappears in Antarctica. In the present day, actress Hadley Baxter is tasked with playing Marian in a biopic. She sees this role as her chance to show Hollywood what she can do, not realizing how much she has in common with Marian. Content warnings apply.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

by Jennifer E. Smith

I love Jen Smith. From Booklist: "A falling-in-love story as comfortable as an old sofa, and those looking for pages that turn easily will find a good candidate here."

Novels set on planes

Circling the Sun: A Novel

Her Last Flight

The Love Connection

The Flight Attendant

Great Circle

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

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