42 Father's Day Books That Cover All of Your Dad's Interests

Father’s Day gifts are tough for some dads—you can only buy a man so many ties, tools, and tech toys. But if Dad’s a big reader, you’re in luck. Of course, the best book for your dad depends on his passions, so we offer a wide range of titles to help you pick the perfect read just for him.

Fiction

The Three-Body Problem, by Liu Cixin

Let your dad decide which is better—book or TV show—by sharing the epic novel about an alien invasion that inspired the latest Netflix series.

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Set your dad off on an adventure through time and space with this fantastical Romeo-and-Juliet-style time-travel tale. Two agents from different warring factions fall in love amidst a time war—and make gutsy decisions that could impact the past, present, and future for them and the entire universe.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

For the dad who's into gaming, consider this book that made a slew of best of 2022 lists, about a pair of friends who develop an epic video game named Ichigo—and the three-decade ebbs and flows of their complicated relationship.

The Shards, by Bret Easton Ellis

The latest novel by Less Than Zero and American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis is just a little bit meta. Set in the 1980s, he himself is the main character—a budding author working on his first novel—as he and his circle of friends are menaced by a serial killer nicknamed the Trawler.

Manhunt, by Gretchen Felker Martin

If your dad’s a fan of The Last of Us and other apocalyptic fare, give him this clever (and gory) twist on the end times that was on many top 10 lists last year. In the novel, anyone with too much testosterone becomes a feral monster—and the remaining regular folk must go to extreme lengths to keep their levels right.

Just Like Home, by Sarah Gailey

They say you can't go home again, but protagonist Vera must—despite the fact that her dad was a serial killer and there's plenty of eerie things still happening there. This spooky book is perfect for the dad who loves a creepy haunted house vibe, and a page turner that'll keep him reading well past his bedtime.

Victory City, by Salman Rushdie

If your dad's more into literary fiction from award-winning novelists, the latest by legendary author Salman Rushdie—a sweeping, multicentury epic about a girl-turned-goddess in India.

The Survivalists: a Novel, by Kashana Cauley

An up-and-coming Black lawyer slowly drifts into a world of Brooklyn survival preppers in this engaging novel, perfect for the dad who loves his comedy dark.

Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver

Inspired by Charles Dickens' classic, David Copperfield, this novel explores the life of an Appalachian boy run wild, dealing with the effects of abject poverty.

The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman

In this cozy (and comedic) book—that's about to be made into a Steven Spielberg-produced movie—a group of retirees meet weekly to discuss unsolved cases, then start investigating a murder close to home. (Think Only Murders in the Building, but in book form!)

Hide, by Kiersten White

If Dad loves a good scare (and binged his way through Squid Game last year), this book about a horrifying (and deadly) hide-and-seek competition will keep him page-turning well into the night.

The Cartographers, by Peng Shepherd

This father-daughter thriller features a mysterious and valuable map that someone is willing to murder to recover. It's the perfect pick for a dad who loves a good mystery, and perhaps a little cartography too.