7 New Books You Can Download at the Airport

Editor Shannon McMahon is always planning her next trip and often writing in her travel journal. Follow her on Twitter @shanmcmahon_ and on Instagram @shanmcmahon.

Shannon joined SmarterTravel in 2015. A former news reporter, she's lived in the south of Spain, spotted elephants in Sri Lanka, gone spelunking in the Caribbean, hiked Jordan's Petra Basin, interviewed Sao Paulo's Michelin-Star chefs, and explored China via bullet train. Travel trends, news oddities, and her visits to up-and-coming destinations are some of her favorite things to write about.

Her stories have also appeared online on USA Today, The Sun, Huffington Post, Business Insider, blog.TripAdvisor.com, Boston.com, and more. Her educational background is in journalism, art history, gender studies, Spanish, and film. She's been quoted as an expert travel source by CNBC, People.com, MarketWatch, The Washington Post, USA Today, and more.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Plenty of extra thick hair elastics. They tame my frizzy curls and come in handy in a surprising number of packing and hotel dilemmas."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Climbing (yes, climbing, it's steep!) the Great Wall of China before it's gone."

Travel Motto: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window, of course."

Email Shannon at smcmahon@smartertravel.com.

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Need a break from screens? Forget worrying about downloading shows or using spotty inflight Wi-Fi and spring for one of these new books to read instead.

New Books to Download

Here are the hottest new titles to find at the airport bookstore—or on Amazon—this summer.

***The Outsider*, Stephen King**

The newest horror novel by It and The Shining author Stephen King, The Outsider quickly became a bestseller after its release in May. It’s less supernatural and more crime oriented, though, making The Outsider one of the best new books to read if you’re a crime story addict.

What People Are Saying: “As with most of King’s work, The Outsider is at its heart an exploration of good and evil; except this time, skepticism blurs the lines between the two. Terry Maitland is by all accounts a solid family man, a beloved Little League coach, and, quite suddenly, the main suspect in the horrific mutilation and murder of a young boy.” –The Washington Post

***The Summer Sail: A Novel*, Wendy Francis**

Cruise lover? Mentally hop a ship to Bermuda with The Summer Sail, which reunites three college roommates on a vacation that, despite the escapist scenery, gets messy thanks to old rivalries and new secrets.

What People Are Saying: “As the balmy pink shores of Bermuda come into view, tensions simmer, and old jealousies flare, sending the temperature from soothing to scorching in this engrossing tale of three best friends on a vacation they won’t soon forget—but not for the reasons they expect.” –Goodreads

***Calypso*, David Sedaris**

Another new big-name novel to hit stands this summer, Calypso is essayist David Sedaris’s newest laugh-inducing collection of insights, told through a family beach vacation.

What People Are Saying: “With this tenth book, Sedaris demonstrates yet again what makes him the best American humorist writing today: a remarkable ability to combine the personal with the political, the mundane with the profane, slime with sublime, and hilarity with heart.” –NPR

***Ghosted*, Rosie Walsh**

A relationship tale for the modern age, Ghosted sees Sarah through seven days of falling in love followed by a mysterious disappearance of her love interest. This new book comes with a twist.

What People Are Saying: “Fast-paced, eerie, and surprisingly profound . . . Walsh pairs a plot worthy of Ruth Ware with a Bridget Jones–esque cast for a mystery that ends with fireworks.” —Martha Stewart Living

Need to Know: A Novel, Karen Cleveland

A new book to read if you’re seeking a thrilling C.I.A. spy story, Need to Know has been heralded as a page-turner since its release last year, and was recently re-released after being scooped up by Universal Pictures for a movie starring Charlize Theron.

What People Are Saying: “So timely . . . Think of the perfect mix of Homeland and The Americans … Need to Know needs to be read by all who relish spy novels. As entertaining as it is informative and as irresistible as it is impossible to put down.”—The Providence Journal

***The Summer Wives: A Novel*, Beatriz Williams**

A new book that’s sure to be on airport bookstore shelves thanks to its bestselling author Beatriz Williams, The Summer Wives will take you back in time to a 1950s summer on a wealthy New England island where a murder interrupts the seasonal wedding revelry.

What People Are Saying: “This rich and romantic tale has twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your cabana chair. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.” –USA Today

***The Incendiaries: A Novel*, R. O. Kwon**

Heading to an elite college and falling in love can be complicated, but a brand new book, The Incendiaries, takes it to a whole new level by throwing in a cult for good measure.

What People Are Saying: “Religion, politics, and love collide in this slim but powerful novel reminiscent of Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, with menace and mystery lurking in every corner.” –People Magazine

More from SmarterTravel:

SmarterTravel Editor Shannon McMahon writes about all things travel, and is always looking for the best new books for the plane. Follow her on Instagram at @shanmcmahon.

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