When I was growing up, books and reading were always very important. Like many other fathers, my dad spent long hours at work and volunteered in the community. He read the local newspaper daily but much of his other reading was reports and minutes and quotes and diagrams.
While he still spends lots of time volunteering and reading reports, Dad dedicates time each day to reading for pleasure. An engineer by training and methodical to a fault, his reading tastes are now rather eclectic. Dad reads memoirs and mysteries, histories and titles with a touch of fantasy. His willingness to read outside the box is delightful and gives us many opportunities to talk about topics that otherwise wouldn’t come up.
With my father in mind, here are some titles that your father or another important person in your life might like to receive this Father’s Day. No need to worry about size or color, and there’s no ugly tie involved. Love you Dad!
If you don’t have a local independent bookstore, consider choosing to support one in another community when you shop online. Many will also give advice and take orders over the phone. Find one at www.indiebound.org.
I have reviewed all books that are in bold and underlined. Just click and go!
NONFICTION (note: many of these authors have written multiple fascinating books)
- Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
- Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedman
- One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson
- Dead Wake by Erik Larson
- The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
- The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
- My Father’s Paradise by Ariel Sabar
- The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
- The Aleppo Codex by Matti Friedman
- All Who Go Do Not Return by Shulem Deen
- My Promised Land by Ari Shavit
- Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
- The Wright Brothers by David McCullough
- Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power by Jon Meacham
- Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence by Joseph Ellis
FICTION
- Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
- The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling
- Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell
- The Coffee Trader by David Liss
- The English Teacher by Yiftach Reicher Atir
- The Woman Who Lost Her Soul by Bob Shacochis
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi
- The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
- The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis
- A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
- The Last Flight of Poxl West by Daniel Torday
The best book to give is one YOU love. And the best gift of all is your time, so read together!
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