Take a copy of "The Fifth Elephant" by Terry Pratchett. It's sort of a book from the middle of a series, the Ankh Morpork Watch series, but it stands very well on its own and will make you want to read the other books in both directions of the series. You'll get some mirth and a pretty good plot.

If you think that you'll have time for two, consider packing "Fifth Elephant" and "Thud", which is from the same series.

If you're looking for value, I'd consider taking some Proust or "Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith...in both cases, I can maybe get through three or four pages before drifting off...at this rate I'll be reading these books for several years.

Best

AA