Flights are a great place to catch up on your #TBR list, but there is nothing worse than just getting to the good part and having to put your book away. These six books are all plane-ride-length reads no matter where you are going!

Heartsong: Living with a Dying Heart: A Memoir by Anita Swanson Speake

When Anita Swanson Speake was diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy at 65, she thought her life was over. Despite her circumstances – beautiful house, healthy family  – she couldn’t help but be sad about her situation and resent the drugs that often made her feel like less than herself. At only 168 pages, this heartfelt and humorous memoir is a short yet inspirational read about picking yourself up when you feel like your life is over.

The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

The Refugees focuses on the dueling worlds that most immigrant and refugees know all to well; the homeland versus the adopted country. From those returning home to those forced to leave and facing brutal cultural shock, Nguyen captures the emotions they face in this collection of short stories.

Awayland: Stories by Ramona Ausubel

Ausubel takes readers on a journey around the world and beyond in her collection of 11 magical short stories. From the heart of Africa to the gates of Heaven, her stories examine universal experiences like loss, joy and longing.

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

Diaz expertly tells the tale of several different women in very different life places. Capturing both tender and funny emotions, the women in these tales come alive in a relatable and energetic way, reminding readers that emotions tend to outweigh experience when it comes to decision making.

What We Talk about When We Talk about Love by Raymond Carver

Originally published in the 1980s, this set of midwest stories is a must read. Focusing on the lonely men and women who spend their lives passing time drinking and playing cards, Carver perfectly captures how people really engage.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

In Her Body and Other Parties, Machado blends genres creating provocative and enthralling stories full of humor and heartbreak, realism and science fiction and more. From the horrible violence that women often endure to the extreme joys, Machado will keep you on the edge of your seat.