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Father’s Day is Sunday, June 18, and it’s officially time to decide what you’re going to buy the men in your life. Whether it’s your own father, your partner, or even a friend, this is the time of year to celebrate everything that dads do for us. From raising cool kids to always knowing the weather, fathers definitely deserve to be recognized and appreciated. But as much as we want to give them the world, it doesn’t help that they can be notoriously hard to buy for. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. After all, everyone loves a good book, right? This Father’s Day, why not treat the dads in your life to the always-awesome gift of reading?

Here are four books that are guaranteed to please those tough-to-buy-for fathers on Father’s Day.

AD: After Death, Scott Snyder & Jeff Lemire (Image, June 28, 2017)

A.D. After Death Father's DayPart illustrated novel, part comic, AD: After Death is a unique reading experience that also tells a rich and compelling story. In a world where scientists have found a cure for death, humanity struggles to understand what it means to truly be alive. When one man, Jonah Cooke, starts to question his immortality, it leads him on a journey that’s destined to change both him and the world around him. While the comic versions of the tale have come out in separate volumes, this graphic novel is the collection of all three stories, written by Snyder and illustrated by Lemire. Both visual and narrative, AD: After Death is a story that any dad would want on his bookshelf.

This is Not Your Father’s Fatherhood, Brian Pinaire (Moonshot books, May 29, 2017)

Father's Day this is not your father's fatherhoodIt’s not easy being a modern dad, a truth that Pinaire knows all too well. In this hilarious memoir, he chronicles the periods in his life that the former workaholic spent as a stay-at-home dad. The experience is nothing like he expects, forcing him to give up his previously selfish ways and learn how to arrange play-dates and change diapers. Pinaire weaves together stories about his two sons, his own shifting attitudes towards parenting, and advice for anyone looking to stay home with their kids. An interesting look at masculinity and our deeply ingrained concepts of gender roles, This is Not Your Father’s Fatherhood is a funny and poignant guide for fathers everywhere.

The Jersey Brothers, Sally Mott Freeman (Simon & Schuster, May 9, 2017)

the jersey brothers Father's DayIf there’s anything that almost all dad’s love, it’s stories about WWII. Which is why this true tale would make the perfect Father’s Day gift. It follows the story of three brothers who all enlist in the Navy and end up serving their country in very different capacities. The two oldest brothers, Bill and Benny, act as a strategist and a gunnery & anti-aircraft officer, respectively. The youngest, Barton, is sent to the Pacific where he’s soon captured by the Japanese and pronounced missing. His older brothers refuse to believe that he’s dead, taking on the mission to find and rescue him. A touching, intimate tale of family, loyalty, and the harsh realities of war, this well-researched true story is bound to please any dad – just don’t be surprised to find him bawling his eyes out by the final page.

Men Without Women, Haruki Murakami (Knopf, May 9, 2017)

men without women Father's DayThe title might sound a little odd for a Father’s Day gift, but there’s no way that any father wouldn’t be drawn in by Murakami’s expert storytelling. These seven short stories cover all kinds of situations, weaving together Murakami’s signature (and interestingly bizarre) style and examining men who, for whatever reason, end up alone. Sometimes surreal and definitely intriguing, these stories deal with old lovers and new, with pop culture and animals, and with what it means to be a man in an ever-changing world. Murakami might be one of the very best short story writers around, and this collection is no exception.

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Genre: Fiction
Rachel Carter

Rachel Carter grew up surrounded by trees and snow and mountains. She graduated from the University of Vermont and Columbia University, where she received her MFA in nonfiction writing. She is the author of the So Close to You series with Harperteen. These days you can find her working on her next novel in the woods of Vermont.

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