Somehow, even as in-flight entertainment expandswith Wi-Fi and more movies and TV channels, we still find our planed-in selves watchingleaden reality TV or “Limitless" for the zillionth time. And it can seem that as BradleyCooper’s brain power expands to limitless proportions, ours dwindles to a slow drag -- and so do theminutes on board. That's why we’re refreshing our airplane reading with some recently published picks. Nothing makes thetime zip by from takeoff to landing like an engrossing book. We’ve rounded up afull range of titles, from lighter reads that’ll make you LOL to dense, chewyprose that you’ll mull over for days. All of these 11 spirited reads are soengaging and juicy, you’ll almost miss the drink cart going by. (Don’t worry. Wesaid "almost.")

Any others to add? Let us know in the comments section below!

1. The Japanese Lover, by Isabel Allende

Question: What’s better than star-crossed lovers?

Answer: Ones that pine for each other through a lifetime of longing. Isabel

Allende, who wrote “The House of Spirits” and “Daughter of Fortune” is on

familiar turf here spinning out a story of secret desire and lovers separated

by the Japanese internment camps of World War II. With a sprinkle of Gabriel

Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the Time of Cholera,” a dash of Marguerite Duras’ “The

Lover,” and a big splash of fairy-tale fantasy, this novel will appeal to any

true romantic.

2. M Train, by Patti Smith

Musician Patti Smith’s memoir “Just Kids” was a

heartwarming, shattering look at her youth as an inseparable duo with

Robert Mapplethorpe. That detailed account of their nickel-and-dime existence

landed her the National Book Award. But for her fans, that tale ended just

before her musical career took off, leaving out some of the most striking parts

of her life. In this follow-up memoir, Smith doesn’t dole out the next section

of the story in a linear fashion; rather, she flits around different points of

her life, musing over the loss of her husband or pondering her children in a way

that feels thoughtful and present without being overly precious.

3. City On Fire, by Garth Risk Hallberg

Literary critics have been falling over

themselves with praise for Hallberg’s opus. It’s been crowned 2015’s Great

American Novel, and, clocking in at more than 900 pages, it also serves as a

great argument in support of buying a Kindle. But those with lengthy overnight flights and

a desire to sink their teeth into a truly meaty read will appreciate the

scope of this novel, in which multiple storylines run like threads through the

tapestry of New York City.

4. Modern Romance, by Aziz Ansari

There’s no doubt that Aziz Ansari’s star is

ascending. The former “Parks and Recreation” sidekick has now become the

leading man on his show, “Master of None.” And following a similar path as his

former costar, Amy Poehler, Ansari has released a book. “Modern Romance” is a

manifesto of sorts examining the state of dating in 2015. Subjects like online

dating and sexting are covered, but really Ansari could bring his wit to any

subject and we’re sure it would be hilarious.

5. Purity, by Jonathan Franzen

Jonathan Franzen has proven adept at charting the

complex interior lives of Midwestern suburban families in “Freedom” and “The

Corrections” — efforts that won him critical raves and the coveted seal of

approval from Oprah’s Book Club. In his latest book, Franzen takes that same unblinking

approach with his heroine, Purity, aka Pip, as she stumbles through young

adulthood and its romantic entanglements, idealism, and student debt. The plot

is hardly universal coming-of-age stuff — there are activists on the lam and

murder to start — but it’s a masterful tale that’s invited comparisons to Charles

Dickens’ “Great Expectations.”

6. After Alice, by Gregory Maguire

Author Gregory Maguire has made a successful

writing career out of revisiting childhood literary classics. His most notable

to date, “Wicked,” flipped the script on L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard

of Oz” and launched a famed Broadway musical. Now Maguire turns his attention to the universe

Lewis Carroll created in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” Fans of the

fantastical will be happy to follow the white rabbit down the hole to

Wonderland again.

7. Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert

There was a time when it seemed Elizabeth Gilbert

would primarily be known for eating her way through Italy, praying in India

ashrams, and falling in love in Indonesia in the juggernaut that was her

memoir, “Eat, Pray, Love.” But her latest book could spark an even bigger cultural

conversation. In “Big Magic,” Gilbert provides something incredibly rare — a real

discussion about inspiration and artistic endeavors. Where does the creative

spark come from? Can it be fostered? Can it simply die? These questions can

haunt any creative pursuit, but Gilbert attempts to shine a light on the most mysterious

of human efforts.

8. Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard

Chances are there won’t be another book or movie

for “The Hunger Games” after this holiday season. (Sorry, J.Law

fans.) But those in the market for another gripping young adult novel will be in good

hands with Victoria Aveyard. This fantasy/action-adventure novel checks all the

boxes for big, bombastic entertainment: Supernatural powers? Check! Revolutionary upheaval? Check! Star-crossed lovers? Check! Like the original Hunger Games book, the narrative of “Red Queen” is driven by a strong female heroine and a plot that grows more tense and tangled as it hums along.

9. The Improbability of Love, by Hannah Rothschild

“The Goldfinch” and “The Girl with the Pearl

Earring” demonstrated that there’s nothing stuffy about the world of Old Masters. There’s

always a flamboyant artist, a backstory, and a fierce landgrab when the

painting in question proves to be worth immeasurable amounts. “The

Improbability of Love” deals with the latter, as a swirling cast of wealthy

characters from academics to oligarchs pursue a painting that moves hearts and

minds the way only art can.

10. The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins

Paula Hawkins’ novel “The Girl on the Train” is

poised to inherit the thriller crown from Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl,” and it’s easy to see why: This gripping tale with unexpected twists and an

unreliable narrator is more electrifying than a third rail. And just like Flynn’s Oscar-nominated tale, this novel was rushed into movie production by Hollywood. But don’t wait for the silver-screen version, which could never capture the most gripping aspect of this book — namely being trapped inside the dark, decomposing mind of an addict as she struggles to retain memories that could uncover a murderer.

11. The Vacationers, by Emma Straub

Sometimes it’s hard to pick up a book about

murder, war, or even climbing Everest when you’re on vacation. Why break the relaxing spell?

But Emma Straub’s novel doesn’t just suspend that sunkissed, beachy feeling of

being away — it animates it. Her comedy of manners follows the story of one

family reunion in a rental house in Spain. There’s a certain Oscar Wilde-ian

aspect here to the way characters come together and fall apart, and come together

again. Relationships are tested, love is found, and far too many tapas are

consumed over the course of one getaway.

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