Looking for a book (for Christmas) for my dad. He golfs almost every day and is into sports, specifically Kansas City sports and the University of Kansas. He enjoys historical fiction movies and documentaries. He’s also had an affinity for Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway my whole life. I think those twos’ ethos’ resonate with him as he’s a friendly, silly guy but keeps to himself and likes to drink.
I was thinking a famous golfers memoir or some sort of historical biography but I thought you all might have something more unique/enticing. Perhaps local history or sports (Kansas City), etc…
I’ve only seen him reading a handful of times in my life but I thought a good book that he’d actually be interested in reading would be a good change in pace from the TV he’s usually watching. His vocabulary and comprehension are a *little* limited. I don’t mean he’s illiterate I just don’t see him making his way through a Tolstoy novel.
I hope that lays some groundwork for who this is for, feel free to ask for more info for a better recommendation…
Thanks
by grimgrin69
5 Comments
Maybe An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield.
Have you considered audiobooks? In addition to being a great companion to wandering around a golf course, they’re perfect for someone who’s only a middling reader.
Also, they keep your hands free for any other hobbies he has. Finally, it allows you to choose from the best books ever written, instead of an “easy read”.
All dads love The Old Man and the Sea. You might also try Jack London.
Seconding the Jack London recommendation- The Call of the Wild or White Fang are good starting places.
If he’s a largely active person, I’d suggest short story collections that he can read in bits before bed or during other wind-down time.
He might like some of Steinbeck’s work- especially Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat, since they have straightforward prose, are largely episodic, and have a heartfelt, laid back tone to them. Charles Portis’s work might also be worth checking out if he likes westerns or anything with that flavor. For something with a little more variation in tone, perhaps Salinger’s Nine Stories?
For local history, the Images of America series has a lot of great books! They’re easy reads with a lot of great archival photos of the places they cover- with the size of Kansas City, there’s probably a bunch to choose from.
For some more “out there” suggestions:
Last Days of Summer by Steven Kluger- it’s a love letter to the author’s grandfather and his childhood in 1940s Brooklyn. It’s an epistolary novel about a wiseass kid trying to get the attention of an antisocial baseball player and navigate childhood during wartime. Lots of sports stuff if he’s alright with baseball.
Lone Wolf and Cub- if he’s fine with graphic novels, this is THEE manga for dads. Disgraced samurai wanders Japan seeking revenge with his infant son in tow. Tone is moody and atmospheric. It’s an easy read without feeling dumbed down in any way.
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett- a snarky, retired private detective drinks and parties his way through searching for a missing former client, accompanied by his sassy wife and useless dog. The prose is straightforward and very much written for adults without a lot of reading time.
You can also always look and see if any of the tv shows/movies he likes were based on books or have companion material.
Hope you find something he likes!
Look into books that have large print editions. The public library should have section of all types of subjects in large print to be read easier. As well as buying them on line.