The Airport Getaway

You ever find yourself on a joy ride with a few friends to grab some healthy fast food, drive aimlessly, and maybe sing along to some 90s pop songs? If not, I was with some friends a couple nights ago, and one of them had to pick up his friend at JFK Airport, an international airport in New York. I took the opportunity to spark up convos with some people, and asked what books they read before (or during) their flights.

Moonwalking with Einstein: Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer

First I met, Chelsea Torres, 32, from Queens, who was waiting for her husband to land from California. She was reading a hardcover book called, Moonwalking with Einstein, by Joshua Foer. She admitted to having memory issues from remembering her son’s soccer games, important documents on her computer, and the location of her house keys (which she hopes an extra pair is with her significant other). She learned about the history of memory, but what attracted her was the author’s experience at the U.S. Memory Championship, which is a “thinking games“ event (one I’ve never heard of) for professional mental athletes.

“The storytelling of that event was amazing,” said Chelsea. “The author mentions games such as memorizing numbers, playing cards, poetry, as well as names and faces. Memory issues are everywhere. The book goes far beyond remembering practical things such as the names of people. It can help make your daily life less stressful.”

Let the Great World Spin by Column McCann

Afterwards, I bought an iced hazelnut coffee at the airport, and spoke to Ron Manto, 23, a Dunkin Donuts employee, who was catching up on some reading in between customers. I caught him sitting in a black step stool with a hardcover copy of Column McCann’s book, Let the Great World Spin, which was the 2009 National Book Award winner in fiction. He only started reading it because a co-worker, who got recently got fired, left it behind, along with a bright pink bookmark in between the pages.

“It’s an interesting read,” said Chris, who is narrow-minded when it comes to lengthy books. “It has short stories that are linked through various characters (priests, prostitutes, grieving mothers and socialites), and all they all have a connection to Philippe Petit’s (real-life) tightrope walk between the old Twin Towers. The transition from one story to another can be annoying, but these stories reel you in like none other.”

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Afterwards, I walked with my friends into some magazine shops, and noticed a young man depart from his family to read a book at a nearby seating area. Jack Castro, 20, had a Twix candy bar on his right hand and on the other one was Cormac McCarthy’s book, The Road, which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2007. The author is also well known for his novel, No Country for Old Men, in 2005. Jack’s family was wandering until his grandparents arrived, but he wanted to finish the last chapter in preparation for a discussion (and possible quiz) in his literature class. He summed up the book to be post-apocalyptic story about the beauty of courage and faith.

“It’s very interesting,” said Jack, who resisted the temptation to watch the movie adaptation (which many of us may submit to at times). “I felt engaged with the emotional storyline of a man and his son trying to survive in a harsh world. That’s what got me. The strength of a father’s love for a child.”

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Lastly, I bumped into an old friend, Maria Nguyen, who was picking up her younger brother visiting New York for spring break. After catching up with each other, I noticed she had a Kindle lying beside her purse. She was currently reading, The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, an American author whose previous book, Lucky, was a personal memoir of her being raped, and how her life was afterwards. The author used the subject of rape with her main character, Susie Salmon, in The Lovely Bones.

“It almost makes me want to cry,” said Maria, who was reading the book the second times around. “Susie gives you her perspective from her heaven as she watches as her family copes with her death. It’s a haunting story, but incredibly uplifting for anyone who reads it.”

What do you read in the airport? I'd love to hear some suggestions. Do you like to read during plane rides, or just catch up on some sleep? Hope you enjoyed my escapade, and maybe this inspires you to pick up one of these books.