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This Father’s Day, instead of a set of whiskey stones or a new tie, give your Dad one of these excellent books! We have the perfect book to suit the tastes of all types: from mystery lovers and sports enthusiasts to fans of page-turning fiction. What could be better than giving a good story?
For NPR-Loving Dads:
Dad-approved nonfiction that will arm him with plenty of fun facts for your next family dinner.
The Price of Time by Edward Chancellor
From one of the world’s leading financial journalists, this critically acclaimed and comprehensive history of interest rates offers an engaging look at how the price of borrowing became the foundation of the modern global economy—a must-read for anyone engaged in financial markets.
“A hugely engaging history of the greatest problem confronting markets today.”—Merryn Somerset Webb, Editor-in-Chief, MoneyWeek
Unabridged by Stefan Fatsis
Named a Best Book of 2025 by Smithsonian and Washington Independent Review of Books
A lively journey through the world of dictionaries and those who curate them in a time marked by rapid-fire change in the way we create, use, and define words.
“[A] spirited examination of the state of language.”—New York Times
How Africa Works by Joe Studwell
From acclaimed global economist Joe Studwell, a clear-eyed deep dive into the engines of economic growth across the continent of Africa. An essential, optimistic read for those looking to understand the next chapter of global development.
“Challenges outdated narratives and makes a compelling case for the continent’s economic potential.”—Bill Gates
A God-Shaped Nation by Brook Wilensky-Lanford
A kaleidoscopic history of 500 years of religion in America and how the quest for religious freedom has shaped the country, restructuring life for believers and nonbelievers alike.
“Vital for anyone who wants to understand our present political moment.”—Katherine Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of Money, Lies, and God
Devil in the Stack by Andrew Smith
A riveting and sharp-eyed journey through the world of computer coding, exploring code as both a vivid culture and an impending threat. An essential read for anyone hoping to participate in the future-defining technological debates to come.
“A searing philosophical take on the ravages of the digital age, this is a must-read.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
For the Dad That’s in the Fandom
Books that bring the stadium to life on the page.
The American Game by S.L. Price
A fascinating look at the game of Lacrosse, charting the sports’ origins from the Haudenosaunee culture to the present-day capitals of the collegiate game, ultimately capturing the complexity of America’s ongoing struggle to form a more perfect union.
“Unflinching storytelling . . . Price delivers a heavily researched and well-crafted history.”—Bailey Lipschultz, Bloomberg Weekend
The First All-Star Game by Randall Sullivan
The riveting story of baseball’s early history, from its rough-and-tumble origins, to the first ever Major League baseball game in the turbulent summer of 1933. Deeply researched and compulsively readable, this is a fascinating look at a nation and a sport at a crossroads.
“An excellent account that even diehard fans might not have realized they were missing.”—Booklist
Rock Concert by Marc Myers
A lively oral history of the golden age of the rock concert, drawn from interviews with musicians, promoters, and stagehands who contributed to the evolution of live rock-and-roll. A perfect gift for anyone who has experienced the transcendence of live music and seeks insight on how its legacy can be preserved.
“A rounded and vivid account of live rock’s stratospheric rise.”—Record Collector News
Anatomy of 55 More Songs by Marc Myers
A deep dive on the iconic recordings that inspired generations and changed the course of music history, told through fifty-five oral histories with the legendary artists who wrote and recorded them—from Dionne Warwick to Keith Richards.
“An enjoyable musical interlude . . . [and] one hell of a mixtape.”—Daneet Steffens, Boston Globe
Blues Brothers by Daniel de Visé
The story of the epic friendship between John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, and the creation of a culture-defining film—the 1980 action comedy The Blues Brothers.
“Races along on a whoosh of marvelous details and crackling anecdotes.”—Kyle Smith, Wall Street Journal
For the History Buff Dads:
Essential nonfiction to turn your Dad into the definitive authority on his favorite topic. Get ready for a lot of conversations starting with “Did you know . . .”
The Visionaries by James Holland
An insightful chronicle of the post WWII U.S. decision to aid its allies as well as its enemies via the Marshall Plan, which led to decades of peace and prosperity in the West that is at risk today.
“A compelling account of one of the most consequential strategic decisions in modern history.”—Dominic J. Caraccilo, Booklist
Mexico by Paul Gillingham
A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice
An essential, award-winning narrative that traces the history of Mexico from the 16th century to the present, in a richly detailed account of its ground-breaking political innovations, rich cultural history, and current role as a vital shaper of world affairs.
“A sparkling history that captures a nation’s complexity . . . every one of those pages is worth reading.”—Washington Post, “Best Nonfiction Book of 2025”
The Unvanquished by Patrick K. O’Donnell
The groundbreaking untold story of President Lincoln’s special forces during the civil war —the Jessie Scouts —whose irregular guerrilla warfare tactics influenced the creation of the modern American military strategy.
“Told from the eye level of the saddle, seasoned with a dash of early John le Carré, Mr. O’Donnell’s work beautifully brings a covert Civil War out of the shadows.”—Jonathan W. Jordan, Wall Street Journal
Land Between the Rivers by Bartle Bull
An epic history of Iraq, from ancient Sumer to the 1958 overthrow of the Iraqi monarchy, charting the uniquely central role Iraq has played an essential crossroads between the East and West.
“A sweeping and superbly written epic . . . Bull highlights the human, and humanist, threads in the political tapestry.”—Dominic Green, Wall Street Journal
The Great Resistance by Carrie Gibson
A panoramic account of the 400-year-long fight to end slavery in the Americas, portraying the multitude of freedom struggles across the entire hemisphere—from North America to the Caribbean to Brazil—in a powerful history of on-the-ground resistance and the persistence of the human spirit.
“Impressive . . . a narrative history brimming with action.”—Wall Street Journal
For Dads That Love a Mystery:
If your Dad is the reigning champion of Clue at your family board game night, he’ll love one of these twisty mysteries that will keep him guessing until the last page.
The Predicament by William Boyd
A thrilling novel featuring a travel writer-turned reluctant spy, who becomes entangled in a dangerous, global conspiracy during the presidential election of Guatemala in the year 1963.
“A witty and insightful exploration of life’s unpredictable twists.”—Her Majesty Queen Camilla, The Spectator
Smoke and Embers by John Lawton
A propulsive novel about deception and reinvention set in the murky days following the end of WWII in London, following a Scotland Yard Chief Inspector who discovers his sergeant is having an affair with the known mistress of London’s most infamous racketeer.
“One of the great pleasures of modern spy fiction.”—Mick Herron
The Dentist by Tim Sullivan
“A satisfyingly complex police procedural” (Washington Post) that follows autistic Detective Sergeant George Cross’s investigation of the murder of an elderly homeless man, which reveals a connection to a case that has been cold for fifteen years.
“I am insanely in love with George Cross. A perfect detective for our time and for all time.” —Stephen Fry
The Hadacol Boogie by James Lee Burke
A gripping mystery set in a gritty Louisiana at the turn of the 20th century, following iconic detective Dave Robicheaux’s investigation into the death of an unidentified woman whose body mysteriously appears on his property.
“James Lee Burke is not only the greatest living American mystery novelist, but also perhaps the most deeply moral and humane.”—John Connolly
The IPCRESS File by Len Deighton
A sensational thriller that became the defining novel of 1960s London. When a high-ranking scientist is kidnapped, a secret British intelligence agency recruits Harry Palmer to find out why—but what seems to be a straightforward mission turns sickeningly sinister.
“Lively, exciting, ingenious.”—Observer
Dad-Approved Literary Fiction
Propulsively readable books perfect for Dads who majored in English, or who simply love a good story.
John of John by Douglas Stuart
An Instant New York Times Bestseller
A vivid exploration of expectations and desires following an art school graduate’s return to his Hebridean childhood home, as he reunites with his sheep-farming, Calvinist pastor father and his profanity-loving maternal grandmother.
“John of John explores a range of relationships—romantic, religious, erotic, familial—enriched by a dollop of melodrama . . . one of 2026’s literary triumphs.”—Hamilton Caine, Boston Globe
Drayton and Mackenzie by Alexander Starritt
Longlisted for the Financial Times and Schroders Business Book of the Year
A deeply intelligent novel charting the unlikely friendship between two Oxford graduates and their business venture into tidal energy with the potential to change the world.
“A big, bustling novel about love, friendship, money, ambition and the 21st century . . . picture Great Expectations meets The Big Short.”—Sunday Times
Late City by Robert Olen Butler
The poignant story of a 115-year-old man’s deathbed reflections on the eve of the 2016 election. Former newspaperman Sam Cunningham revisits his life —from his tumultuous childhood to his military service in WWII—in a stunning meditation on fatherhood and love over the course of the 20th century.
“An honest, poignant reckoning of what it means to gaze unblinkingly at our own failings and to find transcendence.”—Historical Novel Society
Touched by Walter Mosley
Martin, his wife, and his two children are the only Black family on their neighborhood block in LA. When Martin has a realization that “humanity is a virus destined to destroy all existence,” he must occasionally slip into an alternate consciousness—equipped with unprecedented physical strength—to defend his family.
“Thriller-Master Mosley’s sci-fi tale will knock your socks off.”—People Magazine
Father of the Rain by Lily King
A sharply insightful family drama set in an upper-middle-class East Coast suburb in the 1970s, tracing a complex and volatile father-daughter relationship marked by addiction across decades.
“Richly satisfying and haunting.”—Richard Russo
For Fans of Essays and Memoirs
Extraordinary deep dives into the lives of a diversity of men, the ideal gift for a Dad with an extraordinary life of his own.
The Broken King by Michael Thomas
A New York Times Notable Book of the Year
A deeply personal memoir of race, fatherhood, mental illness, and ultimately hope in a portrait of three generations of Black American men.
“By turns raw and exquisitely lyrical, this is a very compelling memoir about American manhood.”—Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe, “75 Best Books of 2025”
Chinese Prodigal by David Shih
A probing exploration of Asian American identity, drawn from the author’s reflection on his relationship with his immigrant parents. The result is a testimony of a son, father, and citizen stepping outside the identities imposed on him.
“An insightful, vulnerable, trenchant, and utterly readable story about belonging.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The Search for the Genuine by Jim Harrison
A sparkling, definitive collection of essays and journalism from one of America’s most critically acclaimed authors. His musings range from grouse hunting to a literary analysis of Bukowski, and are filled with compassion, humor, and a full-throated zest for life.
“This bevy of essays and musings bursts with insight, adventure, and well-lived experiences.”—Booklist (starred review)
If Walls Could Speak by Moshe Safdie
Legendary architect Moshe Safdie recounts his career spent designing some of the world’s most famous structures—from Habitat in Montreal to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Part-memoir, part-manifesto, this richly detailed account will forever change the way you look at and appreciate any built structure.
“A brilliant defense of architecture as an expression of truth and beauty.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Walking with Ghosts by Gabriel Byrne
From the award-winning actor and star of over 80 films, an exquisite memoir of an artist as a young boy, recounting the journey from his childhood in the outskirts of Dublin to his Hollywood success.
“A lyrical and unflinching interrogation of the self.”—Dan Sheehan, Air Mail
