Whatever you decide to read, get a cheap Kindle from Woot! or similar online store and put digital editions of the books on it. That will be smaller, lighter, and easier to pack than print books. Digital books are much cheaper, too. You may even save a bit after buying the Kindle plus books over print books alone.
This is an excellent suggestion. I own about six Kindles and always have one with me. Additionally, a large number of the books (classic novels) that have been suggested in this thread can be had for free in Kindle format.
