Father's Day Gift Ideas for the Book-Loving Dad

My Dad was never into sports. He didn't watch football, basketball, or baseball, he didn't golf, and he hated fishing. He never needed ties or office trinkets because he is a registered nurse in a Berkeley, California hospital. My parents live in an apartment, so he never cared for a lawn. He is not a "gear-head" and never spent weekends tinkering on the family car. My dad is asthmatic and has certain allergies, so gifts of cologne or aftershaves were out of the question. He doesn't smoke or drink, so cigars and pipes and beer and wines and all the accompanying accoutrements and gifts were no good. He's not much of a "gadget-guy" and so Father's Day gifts from The Sharper Image and other such places would go unused. Other than hunting and gunmanship (which didn't give us kids a lot of options for Father's Day gifts, because a couple of twelve-year-olds can't exactly walk into a gun shop and buy three boxes of rounds for a .45 handgun) my Dad loved to read, so books were always an excellent choice for Father's Day gifts (as well as birthdays and Christmas).

I am now a father (twice-over) and am in much the same mold as my father when it comes to Father's Day gifts. I have no interest in sports; I am a full-time student right now (so no office career); I'm not a "gear-head"; I don't care for colognes and aftershaves (in fact, I put off shaving for as long as I can) I don't drink or smoke and I'm not much of a "gadget-guy" either. I'm not much of a hunter, I prefer cooking, but, like my Dad, I do love books. Those who know me know that my book-lust is out of control. I read obsessively and review every book I read at Bryan's Book Blog. So, for the book-loving Dad in your life, here are six books that'll make great Father's Day gifts. (Included are prices from three major online sellers: Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and Powell's Books. All have copies of the books listed below available, however, it is worth noting that both B&N and Amazon sell not only by list price, but also have used book dealers that they do business with, so you may be able to get the book you want cheaper than the main retailer is selling for; also note that while Powell's does have the best prices listed here, they also have limited copies of the books available.)

1. Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo. (New York: Broadway Books, 2001. ISBN: 9780767904148. 336 pages. Nonfiction.) In 1916 a shark terrorized the Jersey Shore of the American East Coast. The ensuing historical hysteria and hunt make up not only a fascinating true narrative, but it is also where Peter Benchley got the idea for his seminal novel JAWS. Book loving Dad's will eat this Father's Day gift up because it is a literary "two-fer": it is an adventure story and the story it tells inspired one of the best-known books in the later-half of the twentieth century. [Cover Price: $14.95; Barnes & Noble: $14.95; Amazon.com: $10.17; Powell's: $5.95.]

2.The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson. (New York: Knopf Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 9780375725609. 464 pages. Nonfiction.)The Devil in the White City is a book that is just too amazing to be believed. The story Larson tells, which is true, is simply astounding. The novel follows the building of the Chicago World's Fair and the man that made it happen, while at the same time, following the exploits of Dr. H.H. Holmes, America's first serial killer, and Larson's storytelling abilities are absolutely incredible. The Devil in the White City is one of the most "edge-of-your-seat" stories that you can give as a Father's Day gift. This is the perfect Father's Day gift for the dad who loves a great mystery, who watches C.S.I. or Law & Order or just likes a good story. [Cover Price: $14.95; Barnes & Noble: $13.45; Amazon.com: $10.17; Powell's: $7.50.]

3.The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. (New York: Random House, 1987. ISBN: 9780345348104. 384 pages. Historical Fiction.) Some dad's are history buffs. My dad is a WWII buff and my grandfather is a Civil War buff. The Killer Angels is the perfect Father's Day gift for the Civil War buff dad in your life. Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a fictional (though extremely realistic and thoroughly researched) retelling of the Battle of Gettysburg. Shaara's novel is engrossing and will make the Civil War buff dad in your life smile. [Cover Price: $7.99; Barnes & Noble: $7.99; Amazon.com: $7.99; Powell's: $4.95.]

4.The Road by Cormac McCarthy. (New York: Knopf, 2007. ISBN: 9780307387899. 287 pages. Fiction.) Cormac McCarthy's novel was a difficult choice to add to this list of Father's Day gifts. This is not the happiest of novels, but the relationship between the father and son is so beautiful that it overshadows the despair and haunting atmosphere that the post-apocalyptic setting of the novel evokes. This may not bring a smile to dad's lips, but it will make him stop and consider the relationship he has with his children, and that can't be a bad thing on Father's day. [Cover Price: $14.95; Barnes & Noble: $13.45; Amazon.com: $8.97; Powell's: $9.95.]

5.World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks. (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780307346612. 342 pages. Fiction.) In my experience, dad's like two things: war stories and horror movies. Is that unique to my situation? I don't think so. So, why not combine these two interests in one Father's Day gift and buy dad Max Brooks' tour-de-force novel World War Z! Brooks' writing combines an incredibly realistic journalistic style with believable zombie lore. The result is one of the most frighteningly real novels in recent years and a book that will make a great Father's Day gift for the dad who loves war stories and/or horror. [Cover Price: $14.95; Barnes & Noble: $13.45; Amazon.com: $10.46; Powell's: $9.95.]

6.The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks. (New York: Three Rivers Press, 2003. ISBN: 9781400049622. 272 pages. Fiction.) This is the companion piece to Brooks' World War Z and it is the perfect Father's Day gift for not only the book-loving father in your life, but also the survivalist dad. Brooks combines survivalist literature with his well-established zombie lore to create a compelling piece of ... of what? Is it a true survival guide? Is it a parody piece? Is it a horror novel? Does it matter? No it doesn't because this is the kind of book that dad's everywhere would love to get as a Father's Day gift. [Cover Price: Cover Price: $13.95.00; Barnes & Noble: $12.55; Amazon.com: $10.32; Powell's: $9.50.]