If you need a gift for Father’s Day, a birthday, or just for a fun gift this list of books for dad is just what you need.
Our whole family loves reading. That includes my husband, dad, and father inlaw. Over the years I have given a lot of books as gifts to all three of them.
My posts about what my husband is reading are always popular. I think readers love our book lists for guys because social media is full of book reviews and book suggestions that are geared more toward women.
It is a nice change to see something geared more toward the guys in your life. Or for you if you are a guy.
I know a lot of books can be for all kinds of readers, but most men don’t read a lot of romance, contemporary fiction, or historical fiction. There are some exceptions, but overall men are not the target audience of those types of books.
We need more book lists for guys!
Instead of sharing a list of books that my husband has been reading, I decided it would be fun to share a list of books for dad. Obviously, these books would work for anyone, but since Father’s Day is coming up I wanted to share a list focusing on dad.
As always these are books that we have read or someone in our family has read. Many of them have been read by multiple people in our family. They are books we can and do recommend to people all the time.
This list is full of nonfiction books. I will share a list of great fiction books for dad soon.
Nonfiction Books For Dad and Guys
Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. My husband and I read this book as a buddy read earlier this year and neither one of us can stop talking about it.
We loved it. Because it is such a tough topic it is hard to say that you loved it, but I do not know how else to describe it. This book was a fascinating nonfiction read that we have recommended to so many people.
This book is great for anyone that loves books about medicine, science, laws, ethics, or just a narrative nonfiction type of book this is a good one. It is the story of the Sackler family and how they changed modern medicine. You can read our full review of Empire of Pain here.
Midnight In Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham. I read this book and instantly handed it to my husband and said you have to read this. He read it and really enjoyed it. I recommended it to my dad and he loved it too.
This book is great for anyone that loves books about math and science. And I mean that in the best way. This book is not dry or boring it is a fascinating read. It is also a great book for anyone that remembers all the news coverage of Chernobyl. You can read our full review of Midnight In Chernobyl here.
In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick. Multiple people in our family have read and loved this book. In the Heart of the Sea is based on the whaleship Essex. The Essex is the ship that Moby Dick was based on. Some of you may be thinking, but I didn’t like Moby Dick. Don’t let this stop you from reading this book or gifting it to your dad.
My husband and I both learned so much from reading this book. It is well written and well researched. You can find our full review of In the Heart of the Sea here.
The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Cartington. If you are a long-time reader you will probably know that this is another book that my husband and I can’t stop talking about. It has been on several of our book lists.
I read this one a couple of years ago and told my husband he needed to read it too. He read it and recommended it to several people. We have also given this one as a gift.
This nonfiction book is good for anyone that loves true crime, medicine and science type books, or narrative nonfiction. This book shares a part of the south that a lot of people don’t realize still exist today. You can read our full review of The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist here.
Waco by David Thibodeau. Waco is a survivor’s story. If you only know about the events at Waco by what you heard in the news years ago, this book is a must read.
Both my husband and I clearly remember all the news coverage about Waco in 1993. This book shared part of the story that neither of us knew about. Both sides were wrong. Both sides could have done things differently. This book shares those things.
If you remember Waco, but don’t know much else about it, I highly recommend this one. You can find our full review of Waco here.
Forty Autumns by Nina Willner. I read Forty Autumns at least five years ago and loved it. It shares the story of a family that lived in Germany before the Berlin Wall, during the time the wall was up, and in the years after. It is about a family divided by a wall and so much more.
We all know about East and West Germany, but I doubt you have ever read anything like this. This is an amazing story about life on both sides of the wall. This is a book that has not gotten the attention it deserves. You can read my full review of Forty Autumns here.
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. I read this book in 2020. It was the right book at the right time for me, but I think I would have enjoyed this one at any time.
If you have a guy in your life that enjoys WWII books this is a good one. You can read our full review of The Splendid and the Vile here.
The Devil and the White City by Erik Larson. Erik Larson has become a go to author for my husband. He has read quite a few of his books and has enjoyed them all. I recommended this book to my dad and he enjoyed it too.
This book is part true crime, party history, and part architecture and science. This book packs a lot into it and makes a great read. You can find our full review of Devil in the White City here.
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. This book has been on quite a few of our booklists because we enjoyed it so much. This book is part memoir, part business, and part sports book.
It is a great read for sports lovers and those that love books about business. You can read our review of Shoe Dog here.
Aloha Rodeo by David Walman and Julian Smith. This was one of my favorite books from my Nonfiction Books from Every State Challenge.
Did you know that Hawaii had cowboys? Neither did I. This book shares their story. Not only was this book well written, I learned so much. My dad read this one and enjoyed it as well.
You can find my full review of Aloha Rodeo.
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson. This was a recent read for me. I had no idea that feathers could be so fascinating.
One of the reasons that I loved this one is because it was a lighter nonfiction read. As soon as I finished it I told my husband that he needed to take this one on vacation to read. It makes a great quick nonfiction read.
This book is great for anyone that loves true crime and unusual historical facts. You can read my full review of The Feather Thief here.
The Boys by Ron and Clint Howard. This book is great for any guy or dad that enjoys Hollywood and T.V. I think this would be the perfect gift for anyone that grew up watching The Andy Griffith Show or Happy Days.
I read this a few months ago and loved all the behind-the-scenes information in the book. You can read my full review of The Boys here.
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre. This is one of the best narrative nonfiction books that I have read in a long time. Spies, double agents, the KGB, MI6, and the CIA, make this book hard to put down.
Ben Macintyre is now one of my go to authors. He makes history fascinating. You can read my full review of The Spy and the Traitor here.
We would love to hear what books you love to give the guys in your life? Do you have any recommendations?