Father's Day Book Recommendations List!
This list has a bit of a fantasy slant, but I don’t think you have to love that genre to love these books! Check them out and pick one up before Father’s Day!
#1 has to be: THE DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL by Matt Dinnamin series! All the men in my life love this ridiculous series. It’s silly, it’s fun, it’s wildly addicting. There are eight books in the series out currently, with a few more on the way!
Synopsis: Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy.
#2: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson is a prolific fantasy writer and much of his success was because of the Mistborn series.
Synopsis: The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson is a critically acclaimed epic fantasy saga set in a dystopian world where a seemingly immortal, godlike tyrant has ruled for a thousand years. It is famous for its in-depth exploration of revolution, religion, and a deeply inventive, metal-based magic system. Era 1 is The Original Trilogy (The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, The Hero of Ages) . Era 2 is Era 2: The Wax and Wayne Series (The Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, The Bands of Mourning, The Lost Metal).
Rumor has it that Era 3 is on the way and will be the final Era of the Mistborn series, so get started NOW!
#3: Holly by Stephen King. Stephen King’s backlist is obviously insane but this one was published in 2023 and won several Best Book of the Year awards. Fair warning: It is disturbing.
Synopsis: In Stephen King’s 2023 standalone crime thriller Holly, private investigator Holly Gibney investigates the disappearance of Bonnie Dahl. Holly uncovers a horrific local secret: two seemingly respectable retired college professors are serial killer cannibals who kidnap victims to eat their flesh in the belief it cures ailments and extends their lives.
#4: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It’s a major motion picture now and folks LOVE Rocky. This one is fun, and perfect for the dad in your life. I bought it for my own dad. Dopey boy scientist goes to space!
Synopsis: Project Hail Mary is a hard science fiction story about Ryland Grace, an amnesiac middle-school teacher turned astronaut. He wakes up alone on a spaceship millions of miles from Earth with a seemingly impossible mission: solve a cosmic mystery and use science to save humanity from an extinction-level solar crisis.
#5. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. This one is technically Young Adult (and also a movie!), but don’t let that stop you! Five Star read for sure.
Synopsis: Set in Earth's future, humanity is recovering from two brutal invasions by a hostile insectoid alien species known as the "Formics" or "Buggers". Desperate for a brilliant military tactician to prevent total annihilation, the government genetically breeds and recruits gifted children. The story follows young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, a compassionate but strategically ruthless child genius, who is plucked from his life on Earth and sent to the orbiting Battle School.
#6. A Far-flung Life by M. L. Steadman. This one is hitting all the best seller lists in 2026! A solid pick for all the empath dads who truly love their families.
Synopsis: Remote Western Australia, 1958: here, for generations, the MacBrides have lived on a vast sheep station, Meredith Downs. It is a million acres, an ocean of arid land. On an ordinary day, on a lonely road, under the unending blue sky, patriarch Phil MacBride swerves to avoid a kangaroo. In seconds the lives of the entire MacBride family are shattered. And then, tragedy revisits, when a twist of consequences claims the life of one sibling, and leads another to give up everything for the sake of an innocent child. Matt, the youngest MacBride, is plunged into a moral and emotional journey for which there is no map, no guide. The secret at the heart of this gutting and beautiful story forces him to choose between love and duty, sacrifice and happiness.
Honorable Mention: #7. Recursion by Blake Couch | #8. Ready Player One by Ernist Cline | #9. Rockets Red Glare by James Patterson | #10. A Man Named Ove by Fredrik Backman
*Please note links are Affiliate Links. My dream is to open a pop-up bookshop! Thanks for your support! Here is the full list of all the books mentioned in this post.
