20 Best Books to Give Dad for Father's Day

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It's no secret that it can be a little tough to find the perfect Father's Day gift for a lot of dads. How many golf balls, leather wallets, grilling gear and funny novelty mugs does one guy really need? When you need a present for the World's Best Dad that isn't cheesy, boring or generic, we have the perfect solution: Pick up one of these books to give him on Father's Day. We can't think of a more appropriate gift than permission to crack open his favorite beverage, sit back in his favorite chair (you know, the one nobody else is allowed to sit in) and escape his fatherly duties into another world for a while.

Whatever kind of books the dad or grandpa in your life likes to read, there's something he'll love on this list. If he's the kind of guy who keeps up with the best new books, we have a few apt newcomers he'll love. We also have nonfiction books, biographies and memoirs, sci-fi reads and even some for dads who like thrillers that go bump in the night.

Even if the dad you're buying for isn't usually a big reader himself, grabbing a great kids' book and settling in with the kiddos is a great way to bond with them, so we've included some little reader options too.

Pops: Fatherhood in Pieces by Michael Chabon

This collection of wise, witty and insightful essays on fatherhood features Chabon's signature literary stylings around all things dad. It's the perfect gift for a father who likes to get sentimental about his role in the family.

Victory City: A Novel by Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie remains one of our greatest living writers, and his latest just continues to prove his worth. In this novel, set in fourteenth-century India, a young woman becomes instrumental to the centuries-long rise and fall of a fantastical empire. With plenty of intrigue, changing alliances and breathtaking adventure, this is a masterful escape into another world.

Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenberg and Jeannie Hayden

Got a new dad in your life? Welcome them to fatherhood with this humorous guidebook to their new gig that includes instructions on important life skills, such as making a diaper out of a towel and duct tape, changing a baby at a sports stadium and baby-proofing a hotel room before the lightning-fast kiddo can get into anything.

RELATED: Best Gifts for New Dads

Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

This first installment in the Dark Star Trilogy has been compared to Tolkien by Neil Gaiman, and we can't come up with a better recommendation than that. Fans of history, sci-fi and fantasy will all find something to love in this gripping epic novel.

The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway

For the dad who loves history and weighty nonfiction, give him this book that asks, “How did so many Americans come to have so much faith in markets and so little faith in government?” This book takes on that question and others as it looks at how capitalism has impacted democracy and what we can do about it.

Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA by Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon wrote this funny book for his daughters, and the end result is a witty, winsome yarn about a father's wildest dream. Because hey, the adults should have some fun while reading stories too.

A Lucky Man: Stories by Jamel Brinkley

In these nine tender and vulnerable stories, fathers and sons try to figure out their place in the world and in relationship with one another. This National Book Award finalist takes a hard look at Black fatherhood and the forces that shape it.

Why Fathers Cry at Night: A Memoir in Love Poems, Recipes, Letters, and Remembrances by Kwame Alexander

“This is not a traditional memoir. These are just snapshots of a man learning to love. Again,” begins this unconventional memoir that includes recipes, reminiscing, letters and a whole lot of love. Get it for the dad who loves to cook and the emotion running through this book may get him reading before he even realizes it.

Best Seat in the House: 18 Golden Lessons from a Father to His Son by Jack Nicklaus II and Don Yaeger

Dad doesn't have to be a golf fan to appreciate this heartfelt book by the son of "The Golden Bear" Jack Nicklaus. It's all about the importance of family and a lovely read for fathers who have kids of any age.

RELATED: Best Golf Gifts for Dad

Every Tool's a Hammer: Life Is What You Make It by Adam Savage

From the Mythbusters star comes this book about "making and molding, building and breaking," for dads who consider themselves handy and those with two left thumbs. It's an inspiring read that will get dad thinking about creativity and how to turn his tinkering into something bigger.

The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids by Ryan Holiday

Give Dad a thoughtful way to start or end his days with this collection of meditations on all the challenges and opportunities that come with fatherhood. It also makes a beautiful baby shower gift for fathers-to-be.

Age of Vice: A Novel by Deepti Kapoor

If he can't get enough of 007 or the Oceans' hijinks, he'll love this stunning crime epic. It starts off with a car crash that leaves five people dead, a driver who wasn't supposed to be there and a lot of unanswered questions. As you get to know the wealthy Wadia family, loyal servant Ajay and journalist Neda, you'll get swept up in this complex, gasp-inducing drama that accelerates to an explosive ending.

Dad Jokes 2023 Boxed Calendar and Book Gift Set

Allow us to apologize in advance for supplying everyone's favorite groan factory with over 950 new dad jokes. This gift set includes a book and a calendar full of puntacular jokes that will keep the dinner table rolling their eyes all year long.

Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches by John Hodgman

This memoir from the host of the popular podcast Judge John Hodgman is perfect for dads who are reaching middle age and not quite sure how they got there, or what comes next. It's funny, poignant and a quick read for short attention spans.

RELATED: Best Podcasts to Listen to Right Now

My Dad Loves Me! by Marianne Richmond

For new dads or dads of small children, this heartfelt board book will encourage lots of snuggle time. It celebrates all the ways fathers love their children and will help your kids' number one guy do the same.

Above Ground by Clint Smith

This breathtaking poetry collection will get inside your heart and make a home there, especially if you're a father or have a relationship with one. It grapples with how to carry joy and sorrow at the same time, and all of the complexities of raising children today, taking readers through his own kids' early lives and the world in which they — and all of us — are living now.

The Shards: A novel by Bret Easton Ellis

Sex, drugs, crime, secrets — whatever you expect from Bret Easton Ellis, the gang's all here. This is the story of a teenager in 1980s LA whose life of bubble-wrapped debauchery begins to unravel as a serial killer called The Trawler terrorizes their town. It's spooky, gory and a ton of fun.

Dadskills: How to Be an Awesome Father and Impress All the Other Parents - From Baby Wrangling - To Taming Teenagers by Chris Peterson

You've probably heard the saying that the hardest part of parenting is that there's no manual. Well, now there is. This guide is organized by the child's age and life stage, with lots of wit and wisdom for being the best parent you can be.

Walking with Sam: A Father, a Son, and Five Hundred Miles Across Spain by Andrew McCarthy

In an effort to recreate his own life-changing journey and connect with his son before he leaves the nest completely, Andrew McCarthy and his son Sam embark on the 500-mile trek across Spain's Camino de Santiago. What follows is a heart-tugging journey full of lots of conversations that might just inspire Dad to have a few with his own kids.

Dad Law: The Definitive Reference for All Things Dad by Ally Probst and Joel Willis

If you've ever wondered how dads seem to just know how to deliver the perfect bad joke, how to wear that outfit that just screams "this guy has kids" or develop an obsession with the thermostat, now you've got a book to blame. This hilarious tome collects all the laws that govern dadhood in one handsome place.

Making It Home: Life Lessons from a Season of Little League by Teresa Strasser

When Cal Ripken, Jr. endorses your baseball memoir, you know it's good. When Teresa loses her brother and her mother in quick succession, she's left to grieve with her cantankerous father. They form a grief support group of two with America's pasttime as the framework as they watch her son embark on his first season pitching in Little League. It's a perfect book for fans of baseball, and also wonderful for those who aren't.

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