The Bookish Father's Day Gift Guide

If your dad loves a murder mystery but hates anything too grim, this is THE one 💜 Four retirees in a peaceful village solving cold cases over coffee and biscuits — it's warm, properly funny and surprisingly moving. I gave it to my own dad and he finished it in a weekend, then immediately demanded the sequel. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser that somehow appeals to absolutely everyone.

For the dad who loves a puzzle, a gadget, or shouting answers at the quiz show 🚀 It's a one-man, against-all-odds space mission that's equal parts edge-of-your-seat tense and laugh-out-loud funny. I'm not even a huge sci-fi person and I tore through it in two days — the unlikely friendship at its heart completely wrecked me. Clever, big-hearted and impossible to put down.

Made for the dad who reads the paper cover to cover and has Opinions about everything 🗺️ It explains global politics through maps in a way that's genuinely gripping rather than dry — you finish each chapter feeling about 40% smarter. My dad now works at least one fact from this into every conversation, which tells you everything you need to know. The non-fiction gift that actually gets read.

If your dad's sense of humour is all deadpan one-liners, this is his soulmate of a book 😂 It's gloriously silly, endlessly quotable and somehow still the funniest thing ever written about space, towels and the meaning of life. A nostalgic re-read for some dads, a brilliant first-time discovery for others. Pure joy from the very first page.

The true survival story so unbelievable you'll keep reminding yourself it actually happened ❄️ Shackleton and his crew, stranded in the Antarctic ice and refusing to give up — it's gripping, humbling and genuinely inspiring. Perfect for the dad who loves a documentary or quietly dreams of his own expedition (from the comfort of his armchair). I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through.

The memoir behind Nike, and so much more gripping than you'd ever expect 👟 It's the messy, white-knuckle, nearly-went-bankrupt-a-hundred-times story of building something from nothing — honest in a way most business books never are. Brilliant for the dad who loves sport, a good underdog story, or just a cracking read. I went in not caring about trainers and came out completely inspired.