Lit Hit List: Books for Dads
Yes, yes, I’m well aware that it’s the Thursday before Father’s Day, but I think this year is one where we can all lean heavily on coronavirus-induced shipping delays. Or you can do my favorite and send a Happy Father’s Day with photos of gifts he will be getting this year (yes, my Dad is totally aware that this is because I am a delinquent gift buyer, but I have no complaints).
I definitely made some Dad stereotypes here, but I hope you find a suggestion that may fit for the father-figure in your life.
For the Dad who is hoping-beyond-hope that sports come back soon: “K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches” by Tyler Kepner (Bookshop | Amazon)
Shannon is our resident SFOL baseball fan, but I actually read this book (it was to try to impress my current boss during the interview process) and I enjoyed it so much. It breaks down baseball’s major moments through the ten major pitches, and it is super engaging and funny.
For the Dad who will really miss Governor Cuomo’s press conferences: “The End of October” by Lawrence Wright (Bookshop | Amazon)
I recently started reading this book about an avian pandemic wreaking havoc on the world, and honestly, it is scarily prescient. I’ve been stuck on page 200 for a few days — about where we are in our real COVID-19 existence — because I’m afraid he’s going to predict something terrible that may come through. That said, it is the best “public health thriller” I have ever read, and my Dad has this one at home to read!
Others like this: Anything on my Pandemic Fiction List
For the Dad who is trying, like, really hard to understand the anti-racism movement: “Stamped from the Beginning” by Ibram X. Kendi (Bookshop | Amazon)
There are a million anti-racists book lists that are going around right now (I even wrote one of them!), and you will find this book by Dr. Kendi on all of them. I am reading a chapter a day, and I am unlearning so much of what I thought was American history. If you are new to this movement, like I am, starting at the very beginning is essential, and reframing everything you thought you knew about our country is the best first step you can take.
For the Dad who wishes he could have spent quarantine outdoors, even if it’s occasionally terrifying: “This Tender Land” by William Kent Kruger (Bookshop | Kindle)
I’m cheating a little with this one because I gave it to my Dad last Christmas, and he claimed he really enjoyed it — so I’m assuming it’s a valid recommendation! This is an epic story set along the Mississippi River as four orphans journey to freedom during the Great Depression. It’s a sweeping story, and it will definitely make you emotional through both the amazing descriptions of our countryside and of the trials of our heroes.
Others like this: “The River” by Peter Heller (Bookshop | Amazon) | “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer (Bookshop | Kindle) | “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah (Bookshop | Kindle)
For the Dad that loves family drama, even if he won’t admit it: “All Adults Here” by Emma Straub (Bookshop | Kindle)
This new release novel says that it tells the novel of the “lifecycle of a family” — from kids entering adulthood to a matriarch aging to adult siblings all navigating past, present and future. I love reading about family drama so long as it isn’t mind, and this one feels like a perfect summer read.
Others like this: “Ask Again, Yes” by Mary Beth Keane (Bookshop | Kindle) | “The Floating Feldmans” by Elissa Friedland (Bookshop | Kindle) | “A Woman is No Man” by Etaf Rum (Bookshop | Kindle)
For the Dad that has had the History Channel on repeat your whole life: “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson (Bookshop | Kindle)
I have read every one of Erik Larson’s books, and I have had this one at home since it’s release date — I can’t wait to find the time to really dig into it. I wrote my undergrad honors thesis on the role of Winston Churchill from May 10, 1940 to December 7, 1941, so the idea of one of my favorite authors tackling Churchill’s role during the Blitz is almost too exciting to imagine. Brb, moving this to my bedside table so I start it tonight…
Others like this: “The Path Between the Seas” by David McCullough (Bookshop | Kindle) | “Franklin and Winston” by Jon Meacham (Bookshop | Kindle) | “You Never Forget Your First” by Alexis Coe (Bookshop | Kindle)
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