7 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Our Endearingly Quirky Dads

Get Literary
June 9 2020
Share 7 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Our Endearingly Quirky Dads

Oh, dads. We love their awful puns, their reliable-as-clockwork t-shirt birthday gifts, their inability to sit on a couch without falling asleep, that one weird mustache phase… The list is endless. While it’s true that every dad is full of surprises, there are some things about them that are so very predictable. For example, we know for a fact that Dad will treasure these books we’ve rounded up to match his weirdest (and most endearing!) quirk.

For even more ideas, check out Simon & Schuster’s guide on Books to Give Dad.  

This post was originally published on GetLiterary.com.

The Deserter
by Nelson DeMille

For the dad who you’re pretty sure is secretly a spy

With ripped-from-the-headlines appeal, an exotic and dangerous locale, and the hairpin twists and inimitable humor that are signature DeMille, The Deserter is the first in a timely and thrilling new series from an unbeatable team of True Masters: Nelson DeMille and his son, Alex DeMille.

Captain Kyle Mercer of the Army’s elite Delta Force disappeared from his post in Afghanistan, and a video released by his Taliban captors made international headlines. But circumstances were murky: Did Mercer desert before he was captured? Then a second video sent to Mercer’s Army commanders leaves no doubt: the trained assassin and keeper of classified Army intelligence has willfully disappeared. When Mercer is spotted a year later in Caracas, Venezuela, Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor of the Criminal Investigation Division fly out to bring Mercer back to America—preferably alive. Brodie knows this is a difficult mission, made more difficult by his new partner’s inexperience, by their undeniable chemistry, and by Brodie’s suspicion that Maggie Taylor is reporting to the CIA.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Deserter
Nelson DeMille

*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*

An “outstanding” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) blistering thriller featuring a brilliant and unorthodox Army investigator, his enigmatic female partner, and their hunt for the Army’s most notorious—and dangerous—deserter from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille.

When Captain Kyle Mercer of the Army’s elite Delta Force disappeared from his post in Afghanistan, a video released by his Taliban captors made international headlines. But circumstances were murky: Did Mercer desert before he was captured? Then a second video sent to Mercer’s Army commanders leaves no doubt: the trained assassin and keeper of classified Army intelligence has willfully disappeared.

When Mercer is spotted a year later in Caracas, Venezuela, by an old Army buddy, top military brass task Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor of the Criminal Investigation Division to fly to Venezuela and bring Mercer back to America—preferably alive. Brodie knows this is a difficult mission, made more difficult by his new partner’s inexperience, by their undeniable chemistry, and by Brodie’s suspicion that Maggie Taylor is reporting to the CIA.

With ripped-from-the-headlines appeal, an exotic and dangerous locale, and the hairpin twists and inimitable humor that are signature DeMille, The Deserter is the first in a timely and thrilling new series from an unbeatable team of True Masters: the #1 New York Times bestseller Nelson DeMille and his son, award-winning screenwriter Alex DeMille.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
Close
I Don’t Want to Die Poor
by Michael Arceneaux

For the dad who can’t stop saying “Money doesn’t grow on trees”

Ever since Oprah Winfrey told the 2007 graduating class of Howard University, “Don’t be afraid,” Michael Arceneaux has been scared to death. You should never do the opposite of what Oprah instructs you to do, but when you don’t have her pocket change, how can you not be terrified of the consequences of pursuing your dreams?

Michael has never shied away from discussing his struggles with debt, but in I Don’t Want to Die Poor, he reveals the extent to which it has an impact on every facet of his life. In Michael’s voice, these razor-sharp essays will still manage to make you laugh and remind you that you’re not alone in this often intimidating journey.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo
I Don’t Want to Die Poor
Michael Arceneaux

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Can’t Date Jesus, which Vogue called “a piece of personal and cultural storytelling that is as fun as it is illuminating,” comes a wry and insightful essay collection that explores the financial and emotional cost of chasing your dreams.

Ever since Oprah Winfrey told the 2007 graduating class of Howard University, “Don’t be afraid,” Michael Arceneaux has been scared to death. You should never do the opposite of what Oprah instructs you to do, but when you don’t have her pocket change, how can you not be terrified of the consequences of pursuing your dreams?

Michael has never shied away from discussing his struggles with debt, but in I Don’t Want to Die Poor, he reveals the extent to which it has an impact on every facet of his life—how he dates; how he seeks medical care (or in some cases, is unable to); how he wrestles with the question of whether or not he should have chosen a more financially secure path; and finally, how he has dealt with his “dream” turning into an ongoing nightmare as he realizes one bad decision could unravel all that he’s earned. You know, actual “economic anxiety.”

I Don’t Want to Die Poor is an unforgettable and relatable examination about what it’s like leading a life that often feels out of your control. But in Michael’s voice that’s “as joyful as he is shrewd” (BuzzFeed), these razor-sharp essays will still manage to make you laugh and remind you that you’re not alone in this often intimidating journey.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

Books Like Us: Introducing a New Own Voices Video Series

By Get Literary | June 12, 2020

7 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Our Endearingly Quirky Dads

By Get Literary | June 9, 2020

Close
The Pioneers
by David McCullough

For the dad who recites historical facts daily

Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David McCullough rediscovers the settling of the Northwest Territory by courageous pioneers who overcame incredible hardships to build a community based on ideals that would define our country. Drawn in great part from a rare and all-but-unknown collection of diaries and letters by the key figures, The Pioneers is a uniquely American story of people whose ambition and courage led them to remarkable accomplishments.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo
The Pioneers
David McCullough

The #1 New York Times bestseller by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David McCullough rediscovers an important chapter in the American story that’s “as resonant today as ever” (The Wall Street Journal)—the settling of the Northwest Territory by courageous pioneers who overcame incredible hardships to build a community based on ideals that would define our country.

As part of the Treaty of Paris, in which Great Britain recognized the new United States of America, Britain ceded the land that comprised the immense Northwest Territory, a wilderness empire northwest of the Ohio River containing the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. A Massachusetts minister named Manasseh Cutler was instrumental in opening this vast territory to veterans of the Revolutionary War and their families for settlement. Included in the Northwest Ordinance were three remarkable conditions: freedom of religion, free universal education, and most importantly, the prohibition of slavery. In 1788 the first band of pioneers set out from New England for the Northwest Territory under the leadership of Revolutionary War veteran General Rufus Putnam. They settled in what is now Marietta on the banks of the Ohio River.

McCullough tells the story through five major characters: Cutler and Putnam; Cutler’s son Ephraim; and two other men, one a carpenter turned architect, and the other a physician who became a prominent pioneer in American science. “With clarity and incisiveness, [McCullough] details the experience of a brave and broad-minded band of people who crossed raging rivers, chopped down forests, plowed miles of land, suffered incalculable hardships, and braved a lonely frontier to forge a new American ideal” (The Providence Journal).

Drawn in great part from a rare and all-but-unknown collection of diaries and letters by the key figures, The Pioneers is a uniquely American story of people whose ambition and courage led them to remarkable accomplishments. “A tale of uplift” (The New York Times Book Review), this is a quintessentially American story, written with David McCullough’s signature narrative energy.

Amazon logo Audible logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo Libro.fm logo

MENTIONED IN:

December eBook Deals: 10 Top Reads for Holiday Travel Days

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 5, 2023

10 December 2021 eBook Deals for Quiet Nights by the Fire

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 2, 2021

5 Books That Will Surprise and Delight Dads This Father’s Day

By Elizabeth Breeden | June 12, 2020

7 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Our Endearingly Quirky Dads

By Get Literary | June 9, 2020

Close
Upstream
by Dan Heath

For the Mr. Fix-It dad

So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay downstream, handling one problem after another, but we never make our way upstream to fix the systems that caused the problems. Cops chase robbers, doctors treat patients with chronic illnesses, and call-center reps address customer complaints. But many crimes, chronic illnesses, and customer complaints are preventable. So why do our efforts skew so heavily toward reaction rather than prevention?

Upstream probes the psychological forces that push us downstream—including “problem blindness,” which can leave us oblivious to serious problems in our midst. And Heath introduces us to the thinkers who have overcome these obstacles and scored massive victories by switching to an upstream mindset. How many problems in our lives and in society are we tolerating simply because we’ve forgotten that we can fix them?

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo
Upstream
Dan Heath

Wall Street Journal Bestseller

New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath explores how to prevent problems before they happen, drawing on insights from hundreds of interviews with unconventional problem solvers.

So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay downstream, handling one problem after another, but we never make our way upstream to fix the systems that caused the problems. Cops chase robbers, doctors treat patients with chronic illnesses, and call-center reps address customer complaints. But many crimes, chronic illnesses, and customer complaints are preventable. So why do our efforts skew so heavily toward reaction rather than prevention?

Upstream probes the psychological forces that push us downstream—including “problem blindness,” which can leave us oblivious to serious problems in our midst. And Heath introduces us to the thinkers who have overcome these obstacles and scored massive victories by switching to an upstream mindset. One online travel website prevented twenty million customer service calls every year by making some simple tweaks to its booking system. A major urban school district cut its dropout rate in half after it figured out that it could predict which students would drop out—as early as the ninth grade. A European nation almost eliminated teenage alcohol and drug abuse by deliberately changing the nation’s culture. And one EMS system accelerated the emergency-response time of its ambulances by using data to predict where 911 calls would emerge—and forward-deploying its ambulances to stand by in those areas.

Upstream delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than reacting to them. How many problems in our lives and in society are we tolerating simply because we’ve forgotten that we can fix them?

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

7 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Our Endearingly Quirky Dads

By Get Literary | June 9, 2020

Close
Self-Care for Men
by Garrett Munce

For the dad who jokes about his bald spot

Taking care of your mind, body, and soul is important to living a longer, more satisfying life and helps you feel confident in your daily interactions with others. In Self-Care for Menauthor Garrett Munce—grooming editor for Esquire and Men’s Health and confirmed self-care practitionerteaches you how to improve your physical and mental health and overall well-being through these easy and practical tips and exercises—from grooming to meditation—that are proven to work. This straightforward and illuminating guide offers self-care techniques, perfect for fathers who want to look better and feel more calm, focused, and happy.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo
Self-Care for Men
Garrett Munce

This straightforward and illuminating guide offers self-care techniques—from skin care to stress relief—designed for modern men who want to live longer, look better, and feel calm, focused, and happy.

Taking care of your mind, body, and soul is important to living a longer, more satisfying life and helps you feel confident in your daily interactions with others. In Self-Care for Men, author Garrett Munce—grooming editor for Esquire and Men’s Health and confirmed self-care practitionerteaches you how to improve your physical and mental health and overall well-being through these easy and practical tips and exercises—from grooming to meditation—that are proven to work.

Practiced by men like David Beckham, Snoop Dogg, and Adam Levine, self-care is a key component to overall wellness. This helpful guide introduces you to anti-aging products and practices, explains why masks are the HIIT workout of skincare, and shows you how to relax when you’re on the go. Offering advice on a range of topics from hair care, supplements, detoxing, the wonders of CBD, improving your energy levels, and more, Self-Care for Men will not only help you look and feel better, but live a happier, heathier, and more successful life.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

7 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Our Endearingly Quirky Dads

By Get Literary | June 9, 2020

Close
Golf’s Holy War
by Brett Cyrgalis

For the dad who has watched Moneyball at least ten times

Just as Michael Lewis’s Moneyball captured baseball at a technological turning point, Brett Cyrgalis’s Golf’s Holy War takes us inside golf’s clash between its beloved artistic tradition and its analytic future. But Golf’s Holy War is more than just a book about golf—it’s a story about modern life and how we are torn between resisting and embracing the changes brought about by the advancements of science and technology. It’s also an exploration of historical legacies, the enriching bonds of education, and the many interpretations of reality.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo
Golf’s Holy War
Brett Cyrgalis

Just as Michael Lewis’s Moneyball captured baseball at a technological turning point, Brett Cyrgalis’s Golf’s Holy War takes us inside golf’s clash between its beloved artistic tradition and its analytic future.

The world of golf is at a crossroads. As tech­nological innovations displace traditional philosophies, the golfing community has splintered into two deeply combative factions: the old-school teachers and players who believe in feel, artistry, and imagination, and the technical minded who want to remake the game around data. In Golf’s Holy War, Brett Cyrgalis takes readers inside the heated battle playing out from weekend hackers to PGA Tour pros.

At the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, California, golfers clad in full-body sensors target weaknesses in their biomechanics, while others take part in mental exercises designed to test their brain’s psychological resilience. Meanwhile, coaches like Michael Hebron purge golfers of all technical infor­mation, tapping into the power of intuitive physical learning by playing rudimentary games. From historic St. Andrews to manicured Augusta, experimental com­munes in California to corporatized conferences in Orlando, William James to Ben Hogan to theoretical physics, the factions of the spiritual and technical push to redefine the boundaries of the game. And yet what does it say that Tiger Woods has orchestrated one of the greatest comebacks in sports history without the aid of a formal coach?

But Golf’s Holy War is more than just a book about golf—it’s a story about modern life and how we are torn between resisting and embracing the changes brought about by the advancements of science and technology. It’s also an exploration of historical legacies, the enriching bonds of education, and the many interpretations of reality.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

7 Father’s Day Gift Ideas for Our Endearingly Quirky Dads

By Get Literary | June 9, 2020

Close
This Tender Land
by William Kent Krueger

For the dad who loves a good novel to enjoy with his glass of bourbon

In the summer of 1932, on the banks of Minnesota’s Gilead River, Odie O’Banion is an orphan confined to the Lincoln Indian Training School, a pitiless place where his lively nature earns him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee after committing a terrible crime, he and his brother, Albert, their best friend, Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own.

Over the course of one summer, these four orphans journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an enthralling, big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams, and makes us whole.

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo
This Tender Land
William Kent Krueger

For fans of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdads Sing, “a gripping, poignant tale swathed in both mythical and mystical overtones” (Bob Drury, New York Times bestselling author) that follows four orphans on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression, from the New York Times bestselling author of Ordinary Grace.

1932, Minnesota—the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native American children, forcibly separated from their parents, are sent to be educated. It is also home to an orphan named Odie O’Banion, a lively boy whose exploits earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee, he and his brother Albert, their best friend Mose, and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe, heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own.

Over the course of one unforgettable summer, these four orphans will fly into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift, from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic, This Tender Land is an en­thralling, big-hearted epic that is “more than a simple journey; it is a deeply satisfying odyssey, a quest in search of self and home” (Booklist).

Amazon logo Barnes & Noble logo Books a Million logo Google Play logo iBooks logo Bookshop logo

MENTIONED IN:

Readers’ Choice: Your 12 Favorite Books of 2023

By Off the Shelf Staff | December 29, 2023

9 Delightful Book Club Picks for Summertime Discussions

By Alice Martin | June 28, 2023

Sweepstakes: 10 Page-Turners for Your Summer Reading Marathon

By Off the Shelf Staff | June 14, 2023

6 Cinematic Historical Fiction Books That Deserve Screen Adaptations

By Chris Gaudio | March 9, 2023

7 Historical Fiction Reads and the Fascinating Stories Behind Them

By Kerry Fiallo | August 10, 2022

8 Rip-Roaring Reads as Wild as Amusement Park Rides

By Off the Shelf Staff | July 11, 2022

Close

You must be logged in to add books to your shelf.

Please log in or sign up now.