Father’s Day gift ideas: 20 great books for all types of dads
What to get the dad who has everything? A book, of course. Whether you’re seeking the perfect read for Father’s Day (June 16 this year), or just to celebrate him any day, check out this mix of fiction, history, nonfiction, mystery, and more, as curated by the Amazon Editors.
For the dad who likes a historical epic.
The country is on edge. A new president has been elected, but has reason to believe he’ll never be sworn into office—perhaps the capitol will be stormed, or troops will march upon Washington, D.C. Divisive politicians travel the country, holding rallies to promote an old way of life, while an uneasy public grapples with the forward march of time. The year: 1861. Erik Larson’s (The Splendid and the Vile, The Devil in the White City) pacey and tension-filled new book takes readers inside rooms where passions run high at the dawn of the Civil War, where new President Abraham Lincoln frets and inspires, where armies plan to sow “death and mayhem,” where a single missed message can launch battleships, where gossip and romance, and power and influence, combust into “the single most consequential day of American history.” To know the past is to understand the present—and this gripping narrative is just as relevant today as 200 years ago. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
For the dad who wants a brilliant new take on a classic.
With the same fiery wit, snap, and energy of his previous work, Percival Everett brings to life a retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as told from the perspective of Jim. When he is threatened to be sold off and separated from his wife and daughter, Jim decides to run away to buy time while he hatches a plan. Landing on an island in the Mississippi, Jim soon discovers another runaway: Huck, who is trying to escape his violent and drunken father. With a bounty on his head, Jim has no designs on shepherding a young white boy north with him. But there is no other alternative, and the next thing you know, the unlikely duo sets off—rafting down the river, dodging the danger that surrounds them. Everett brilliantly unwinds this adventure, revealing with glee savvy code-switching Jim and his penchant for philosophy, literature, and justice. Based on a classic, Everett has made an entirely new classic, one that is rip-roaringly American, funny, and hard-hitting. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
For the dad craving a thoughtful thriller.
Abir Mukherjee’s new thriller looks and acts like a popcorn movie disaster tale, landing, conceptually, somewhere between Tom Clancy and a Michael Bay movie. But refreshingly, he’s not interested in playing good guy-bad guy; he serves up a lot more nuance than that in Hunted. The novel starts with a bang, as a young American man and a young English woman of Southeast Asian descent enter a mall in the US just moments before the bomb in the girl’s suitcase detonates, killing dozens. But in this novel, we follow the bad guys as closely as the good guys (in particular, an FBI agent whose career is in the doldrums), and the role that radicalization plays in modern terrorism is given a penetratingly thoughtful examination that doesn’t keep the action from being in top gear all the way. If you’re looking for a literary, action-adventure thriller that will spike adrenaline and serious thought equally, Hunted is the ticket. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
For the dad seeking a witty, delightful tale (or six).
The imitable Amor Towles (Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Lincoln Highway) regales readers with his signature wit, old-world atmosphere, and beguiling characters in Table for Two. While avid Towles fans may wish this book were a novel, rest assured, the stories are uncannily satisfying and deliver just the right amount of humor, glamour, and ambience that make them as immersive as his novels. Readers will delight (perhaps just as much as Towles does) in his characters, who seem to act simultaneously as naive, optimistic rubes and calculating operators with a dash of panache—or is one mistaken for the other? Regardless, it’s all too much fun—whether you’re waiting in a Russian breadline at the turn of the century, sitting in a New York City bar with two men whose flight have been cancelled, or in the storied Beverly Hills Hotel with the charmingly independent Evelyn Ross of Rules of Civility. Table for Two is splendidly enchanting—and perhaps, in this chaotic world that we live in, just the right amount of pomp to elevate your outlook. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
For the dad ready to embark on a swashbuckling adventure.
The best-selling historian Hampton Sides is back, and like David Grann’s The Wager and Erik Larson’s Dead Wake, and even his own In the Kingdom of Ice, he’s exploring the history of the high seas—and it’s downright exhilarating. In this latest adventure, Sides charts Captain James Cook’s last voyage in 1776 that had the public purpose of returning a Tahitian man to his home, but also a secret one to expand the British empire. A story of adventure on the high seas but also the searing effects of conquest and colonialism. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
For the dad who loves to talk about a book he couldn’t put down.
Ten trillion scream emojis are not enough to describe this book, and I’ll resist the urge to write this entire review IN ALL CAPS. In two sittings, I tore through this horrifying narrative, a ticktock of North Korea launching a hypothetical nuclear missile at the U.S., followed by a minute-by-minute breakdown of what happens next (with the history of atomic weapons and geopolitics slyly woven in). Nuclear War is written like a thriller; it’s visceral and cinematic, like the big-budget blockbuster of Hollywood’s dreams. My heart is pounding. I am a mess. I need a break, and yet can’t even put my Kindle down long enough to refill my water glass. This is all the more terrifying because it’s nonfiction, pieced together through interviews and classified documents dug up by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Annie Jacobsen. Some books stick in your brain forever, and this is one of them; I can’t stop thinking about it—and talking about it—with everyone I know. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
For the longtime reader of Salman Rushdie.
In 2022, the literary luminary (Booker Prize winner, best-selling and Knighted author, etc.), Salman Rushdie was attacked and stabbed on stage at an event in Pittsburgh. He lost sight in one eye—he describes the aftermath as a soft boiled egg—and this lightening rod of a memoir tackles that horrific night, how art is critical not just to him as an individual, but our greater world, and what sustains him. Like Rushdie’s novels, there’s a verve and command of language that is at once wry, all-knowing, and deeply honest. Knife is a powerful read and one that, I suspect, we’ll be hearing about for months—and years—to come. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
For the dad who is fascinated by the space race.
This history of NASA and the Challenger disaster is enthralling. To understand how the 1986 space shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its inaugural flight, killing all seven crew members aboard, Adam Higgenbotham takes readers back decades before to reveal the complexities, the political jockeying, and the massive financial constraints that NASA had to contend with in the ‘70s and ’80s. There are details that will make your head spin and your stomach sink—because even a lay person can predict that affixing 31,000 unique panels to the exterior of the shuttle to deflect heat because the original construction was too expensive was a compromise too far. Higgenbotham ruthlessly shares the nitty gritty mechanics of how the United States’ first fatalities in space came to be—your heart will pound as each hiccup, each budget reduction, each decision made before the crackle of the radio said “liftoff.” The research, the testimonials, and the narrative make this a stand-out read for any space buff and anyone who loves epic stories that put you in the cockpit of ground-breaking history. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
For the dad who loves a quirky, creative narrative.
Poet Kaveh Akbar makes his dazzling fiction debut with an unforgettable main character who reminded us of the voicey, charismatic, and undeniably addictive hero of Demon Copperhead (yes, I just compared this to a Pulitzer Prize winner). One of the buzziest debuts of winter, Martyr! is both laugh-out-loud funny and deadly serious—a coming-of-age story and a portrait of a young Iranian-American man wrestling with what it means to have a life of value. After tripping through college on various concoctions of booze and drugs, a newly orphaned and sober graduate, Cyrus Shams ventures to New York City in pursuit of an Iranian artist who he hopes will fuel his creative writing project and give meaning to his life. Electric and unique, with a voice that feels shot from a cannon, Martyr! is a book you’re going to hear about for a long time. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
For the dad who loved Atomic Habits.
Could YouTube influencer Ali Abdaal be the next James Clear? Yep, we’re taking about the author of Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 15 million copies. Abdaal’s book is already an instant best seller. And it’s certainly catchy, with advice that will stick in your head—ranging from three simple words to lower your anxiety to a technique favored by Beyoncé to boost confidence. Abdaal also has the credentials to back up his guidance (he’s an Oxford-trained doctor), and a very 2024 attitude (“lean out!”). This speedy read is an excellent primer to home in on what’s important, and tune out what’s not. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
For the dad who loves a true crime drug thriller.
Fans of The Wire, Breaking Bad, and The Godfather won’t be able to resist this heart-pounding—and true—tale of drugs, crime, and power, with real-life characters whose astonishing stories have never been told. Take Wei Xuegang, whom you might call Asia’s “El Chapo,” otherwise known as a “stone-cold genius with the mind of a Fortune 500 CEO” who “dresses like a strip mall accountant”—and is the world’s best player ever in the drug trafficking game. He operates out of “one of the most secretive places on earth,” the 12,000-square-mile Wa State, nestled in a hilly region of Asia that might be compared to America’s Appalachia. Determined to stop Xuegang’s criminal enterprise and bring respect to his people is Superstar, himself a former druglord, whose steely principles land him squarely in the crosshairs of the US’ War on Drugs as a DEA informant. Who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys here? The lines are blurry—but Patrick Winn’s sharp, riveting storytelling never loses focus. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
For the presidential history buff dad.
Most presidential biographies and memoirs reflect on their subject’s time in the White House. Fewer break down the whiplash of going from the most powerful man in the world to civilian life. This pithy book explores the wide-ranging “next chapters” of Thomas Jefferson (who went on to found the University of Virginia, which he so considered his crowning accomplishment that he left the presidency off his gravestone); Grover Cleveland (who won, lost, and then won the presidency); William Howard Taft (who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after his presidency); Herbert Hoover (who never fully recovered from the impact of the Great Depression); Jimmy Carter (whose influence and popularity grew exponentially after he left office); and George W. Bush (who traded power for painting). This book is about presidents with access to unimaginable power and prestige, but it’s also about what constitutes a life well lived, growing older, reconciling with and accepting your choices, and considering the legacy you plan to leave. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon
For the dad who loves to mix a stiff drink.
While we’re finally seeing more cookbooks dedicated to the culinary legacy of Black cooks, this is the first to pull up a seat at the bar and explore the evolution of mixology past and present through research and recipes from 200 years of African American cookbooks. Tipton-Martin’s beautiful book effortlessly blends history, cocktails, and music into a must-have book of libations and legacy. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
For the man who loves a dad joke.
A.J. Jacobs has made a career out of experimenting on himself—whether it’s living biblically or trying out every diet and fitness fad—and I look forward to reading about it each time. Here, Jacobs sets out to live according to a 4,543-word document handwritten in script on calfskin some 237 years ago, otherwise known as the US Constitution. As Jacobs tromps through New York City with his musket, hands out pamphlets to unsuspecting tourists, and foists election cakes on voters, we subversively learn more about the constitution and our nation’s history than we ever did in school, and why the Supreme Court holds such incredible power, especially right now. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
For the dad who is obsessed with Don Winslow’s incredible novels.
I’ve been putting off reading this novel because I’m simply not ready for the end—either of this series, which I have yapped enthusiastically about since the day I read City on Fire, or the end of Don Winslow’s writing career (sob). When we spoke to Winslow around the release of the second book, he said that with this third book, he had completed what he wanted to accomplish with the series, which was to cross-pollinate the classics with the classic mobster tropes. And it’s as brilliant as its predecessors—Chris Palumbo as Odysseus returning to his wife after years in the wilderness is genius, the perfect mix of poignant and hapless. And of course, readers will discover how things pan out for Danny Ryan; do leg breakers from Dogtown turned Vegas casino bosses make it to old age? Read ‘em and weep (again with the tears). —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
For the dad who wants to impress in the kitchen.
Truly one of the best single subject cookbooks I’ve come across in the last couple of years, The Wok opens up a world of culinary opportunity by giving home cooks serious skills with this one pan workhorse. J. Kenji López-Alt builds your confidence and your cooking repertoire with over 200 delicious recipes. I’ve eaten many an amazing meal from its now food-splattered pages. If you already enjoy cooking with a wok, this is your book, and if you’re new to the wok game, get ready to love it like never before. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor
For the dad who has wilderness fantasies.
Who doesn’t secretly harbor a desire of giving up everything—including but not limited to the monotony of middle age—to move to the wilderness like a modern-day pioneer? Brent Underwood does just that in his highly readable tale of impulse buying a deserted mining town in Death Valley. Snowed in, exhausted, in over his head—you’ll root for Underwood as he answers the siren song of independence, ingenuity, and the Wild West. (And, honestly, feel a bit of relief that you’re living vicariously through his efforts instead of attempting his sometimes-Sisyphean efforts yourself.) Underwood mixes the history of this rugged town—which flourished when it was rich with silver before that was tapped out and the town was abandoned—with his own ups and downs in this real-life Oregon Trail experience. This story about throwing caution to the wind to embrace a rugged life of your dreams is like a fantasy fever dream. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
For the dad seeking a harrowing, yet hopeful, story.
Yet again, things are not all quiet on the Midwestern front in Leif Enger’s latest, set on and around Lake Superior in the near future. The country is now ruled by baleful billionaires who preside over work camps, and an absconder from one such camp inadvertently upends the lives of the couple who take him in, forcing our hero, Rainy, to embark on a treacherous journey–both to escape those who hunt him, and to reunite with the love of his life. Dark much? Yes. But, those familiar with Enger’s oeuvre know that he imbues his stories with so much humanity and heart that, like Rainy, readers will never lose hope. I Cheerfully Refuse is no exception. This harrowing, but beautifully told, tale is a sly paean to books, language, love, and the transformative power of receiving and extending kindness. I cheerfully endorse it. —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Editor
For the dad seeking the diabolical, but delightful, new Michaelides mystery.
At the beginning of The Fury, our deliciously confessional narrator, Elliot Chase, tells us, "Our old friendships concealed hatred and a desire for revenge." When those old friends, including former movie star Lana Farrar, accept an invitation to join Lana and family on her private Greek island for a vacation, I could almost hear Bette Davis in All About Eve intoning gleefully, “Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night!" And it doesn’t get much bumpier than obsession, betrayal, ambition, and murder. Between the rung-climbing agent, the disenchanted husband, the friend who came up with Lana but never made it beyond theater roles, and the house staff who seem straight out of a du Maurier novel, Michaelides sets some fine hooks and then draws them through a plot brimming with reveals, twists, and counter twists, as Elliott—an exquisitely unreliable narrator, Michaelides’ stock-in-trade—plays guide. Throw in some Easter eggs for readers of his previous novels, and it’s all diabolically, delightfully fun. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor
For the football fanatic father.
ESPN’s Jason Reid explores the insidious prejudices that have long lurked in the NFL—especially involving the quarterback position—in his thought-provoking read, Rise of the Black Quarterback. It’s especially timely; 2023 was the first time in NFL history that both starting Super Bowl quarterbacks were Black (the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts); and Mahomes and the Chiefs won in 2024 (when Mahomes was named the Super Bowl MVP for the third time). This smart and engaging book provides extra context to the game—including how “pioneers like Marlin Briscoe (the first Black quarterback in the American Football League), Randall Cunningham, and Colin Kaepernick paved the way for the Black quarterbacks of today, and the long and hard-fought journey and history of change within the NFL,” Kami Tei has written. It’ll change the way you view one of America’s favorite sports. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
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