Ten Top Books for Father's Day
Father's Day is fast approaching and we have plenty of books for you to choose from for Father's Day.
Here we have listed our Top Ten recommendation books for Father's Day this year!
In the first half of this blog, we will give a few examples of the perfect gift for Father's Day; in the second half we give a few ideas of books that celebrate books about father's, fatherly figures and grandad's.
Top 5 books for fathers
In the first part of this blog, we will be listing some the perfect books to get for Father's Day this year.
1. Tornado: In the Eye of the Storm by John Nichol
Former Tornado Navigator John Nichol tells the incredible story of the RAF Tornado force during the First Gulf War in 1991; the excitement and the danger, the fear and the losses. It is an extraordinary account of courage and fortitude.
In 1990, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighbouring Kuwait, setting in motion a chain of events that had unimaginable political, military and personal repercussions, which still reverberate around the globe today.
'We were doing about 620 miles-per-hour, 200 feet above the desert, in total darkness.
Everything was running on rails as we approached the target. Then all hell broke loose. I remember the missile being fired at us; I broke left and shouted, "Chaff!" 'All I could see was a flame, like a very large firework, coming towards me.
Then there was a huge white flash. I remember an enormous wind and then I was knocked unconscious. My last thoughts were that I was going to die.'
This is the story of the aircrew at the heart of Operation Desert Storm, almost none of whom had any prior experience of armed combat. It is the story of the Tornado's missions, of those who did not return - and of the families who watched and waited as one of the most complex conflicts in recent history unfolded live on television. It is a story of untold fear and suffering, and astounding courage in the face of hitherto unimaginable adversity.
2. One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time by Craig Brown
'John Updike compared them to 'the sun coming out on an Easter morning'. Bob Dylan introduced them to drugs.
The Duchess of Windsor adored them. Noel Coward despised them. JRR Tolkien snubbed them.
The Rolling Stones copied them. Loenard Bernstein admired them. Muhammad Ali called them 'little sissies'.
Successive Prime Ministers sucked up to them. No one has remained unaffected by the music of The Beatles. As Queen Elizabeth II observed on her golden wedding anniversary, 'Think what we would have missed if we had never heard The Beatles.' One Two Three Four traces the chance fusion of the four key elements that made up The Beatles: fire (John), water (Paul), air (George) and earth (Ringo).
It also tells the bizarre and often unfortunate tales of the disparate and colourful people within their orbit, among them Fred Lennon, Yoko Ono, the Maharishi, Aunt Mimi, Helen Shapiro, the con artist Magic Alex, Phil Spector, their psychedelic dentist John Riley and their failed nemesis, Det Sgt Norman Pilcher.'
From the bestselling author of Ma'am Darling comes a kaleidoscopic mixture of history, etymology, diaries, autobiography, fan letters, essays, parallel lives, party lists, charts, interviews, announcements and stories.
One Two Three Four joyfully echoes the frenetic hurly-burly of an era.
3. Featherhood by Charlie Gilmour
'This is a story about birds and fathers. About the young magpie that fell from its nest in a Bermondsey junkyard into Charlie Gilmour's life - and swiftly changed it. Demanding worms around the clock, riffling through his wallet, sharing his baths and roosting in his hair...
About the jackdaw kept at a Cornish stately home by Heathcote Williams, anarchist, poet, magician, stealer of Christmas, and Charlie's biological father who vanished from his life in the dead of night. It is a story about repetition across generations and birds that run in the blood; about a terror of repeating the sins of the father and a desire to build a nest of one's own. It is a story about change - from wild to tame; from sanity to madness; from life to death to birth; from freedom to captivity and back again, via an insane asylum, a prison and a magpie's nest.
And ultimately, it is the story of a love affair between a man and a magpie.'
'The best piece of nature writing since H is for Hawk, and the most powerful work of biography I have read in years.' Neil Gaiman.
'One of those rare, enchanted books.' Isabella Tree.
4. Yearbook by Seth Rogen
'Hi! I'm Seth! I was asked to describe my book, Yearbook, for the inside cover flap (which is a gross phrase) and for websites and sh*t like that, so... here it goes!!! Yearbook is a collection of true stories that I desperately hope are just funny at worst, and life-changingly amazing at best. (I understand that it's likely the former, which is a fancy "book" way of saying "the first one.") I talk about my grandparents, doing stand-up comedy as a teenager, bar mitzvahs and Jewish summer camp, and tell way more stories about doing drugs than my mother would like.
I also talk about some of my adventures in Los Angeles, and surely say things about other famous people that will create a wildly awkward conversation for me at a party one day. I hope you enjoy the book should you buy it, and if you don't enjoy it, I'm sorry. If you ever see me on the street and explain the situation, I'll do my best to make it up to you.'
5. Pat Nevin: The Accidental Footballer by Pat Nevin
'Pat Nevin never wanted to be a professional footballer. His future was clear, he'd become a teacher like his brothers.
There was only one problem with this - Pat was far too good to avoid attention. Raised in Glasgow's East End, Pat loved the game, playing for hours and obsessively following Celtic. But as he grew up, he also loved Joy Division, wearing his Indie 'gloom boom' coat and going on marches - hardly typical footballer behaviour! Placed firmly in the 80s and 90s, before the advent of the Premier League, and often with racism and violence present, Pat Nevin writes with honesty, insight and wry humour.'
'Pat is a wonderful one-off...and this is the story of why that is.' John Murray, Chief Sports Correspondent, BBC Radio 5 Live.
'Unusually vibrant and elegant with heroic doses of humour, insight and self-effacement, this is an absolute must-read for the football connoisseur.' Omid Djalili.
Top 5 books from the children/grandchildren
In this half of the blog, we will be giving a few suggestions of the books we have in store that celebrate fathers, fatherly figures and grandfathers - which everyone can enjoy reading together.
1. Grandpa's Gift by Fiona Lumbers
'When a young boy finds himself thrown into a new city, his world suddenly feels very grey. But with the help of his Grandpa, he discovers that things aren't always what they first seem and that beauty can be hidden in even the most unexpected of places.'
Celebrating magical grandads everywhere. Perfect for father's day! A striking and heart-warming celebration of taking a moment to notice the beauty in everyday things.
An uplifting tale of life's simple pleasures from acclaimed illustrator, Fiona Lumbers.
2. Me, My Dad and the End of the Rainbow by Benjamin Dean
'My name's Archie Albright, and I know two things for certain: 1.My mum and dad kind of hate each other, and they're not doing a great job of pretending that they don't anymore. 2. They're both keeping a secret from me, but I can't figure out what.
Things aren't going great for Archie Albright. His dad's acting weird, his mum too, and all he wants is for everything to go back to normal, to three months before when his parents were happy and still lived together. When Archie sees a colourful, crumpled flyer fall out of Dad's pocket, he thinks he may have found the answer.
Only problem? The answer might just lie at the end of the rainbow, an adventure away. Together with his best friends, Bell and Seb, Archie sets off on a heart-warming and unforgettable journey to try and fix his family, even if he has to break a few rules to do it...'
'This joyful book has such heart, expertly navigating serious subjects around family, gender, and sexuality. Celebratory and advocating kindness, I'd recommend this book to all middle-grade readers. A real tear-jerker!' Steven Butler, author of The Nothing to See Here Hotel.
'I will recommend this book to everyone for years and years to come.' Gavin Hetherington, BookTuber - How to Train Your Gavin.
3. Britain's Biggest Star... Is Dad? by Ivor Baddiel
'Someone is threatening to destroy Britain's Biggest New Star, the country's favourite TV talent show. The secret service decides to send in two young spies, twins Harry and Abby, to investigate.
Their ticket backstage is their father, washed up comedian Gus, who believes the contest is his chance to revive his career. The list of suspects is long, and the twins don't know whom to trust. But they better track down the culprit soon, before disaster strikes the show - and its royal guest!'
A hilarious whodunnit about two kids trying to save the UK's top TV talent show from a mysterious saboteur!
A fast-paced spy caper packed with laughs and surprising twists, from comedy writer Ivor Baddiel - someone who really knows backstage life on Britain's favourite talent shows! With black and white illustrations throughout by James Lancett.
'Ivor is a funny, clever and brilliant writer, so it's no surprise that he's written such a funny, clever and brilliant book, which is also heart-warming and full of joy. The man's a marvel.' Dermot O'Leary
4. If My Dad Were the Tooth Fairy by Mark Sperring
'Have you ever wondered what would happen if your dad quit his boring office job to become... the Tooth Fairy? Wouldn't it be cool if, instead of wearing a plain old shirt and trousers to tap on a computer all day, he zoomed across the sky on his sparkly wings wearing a tutu and tights?'
Mark Sperring has created a riotously funny and fabulous text that is a joy to read aloud, paired perfectly with Matt Hunt's brilliant artwork.
A hilarious rhyming romp exploring one child's fantasy about her dad having the coolest job ever - the perfect gift for dads this Father's Day!
5. Duck, Duck, Dad? by Lorna Scobie
'Out for a walk, Ralph the dog stumbles across an egg. Of course, he decides that the best thing for him to do is walk right on by. But, CRACK! the egg hatches, right then and there! What's inside? A very cute, very fluffy little duckling.
And though Ralph isn't sure he wants a duckling, the duckling is definitely sure it wants Ralph! A laugh-out-loud picture book exploring what it means to be family Gorgeously written and illustrated with heart and humour by Lorna Scobie Inspired by a real clutch of ducklings who decided Lorna's sister was their parent! This book is perfect for fans of Jon Klassen and Chris Haughton.'
A hilariously heart-warming picture book celebrating families that come in all shapes and sizes! One dog... SO many ducklings! When one little dog finds himself becoming Dad to a flock of ducklings, it leads to hilarity, mix-ups… and a lot of love.
Like the look of these books, there are many more in store! Come in and browse around for a book for your fatherly figure this Father's Day!
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