What books should I get my dad for a special occasion?

[Nadine]

Just to give you an idea who my 54 years old dad is. He's a deep thinker, he questions all things and is eager to learn about everything. He's a doctor but lately he's been going through some tough times. I would like to buy him some novels. He asked me about a book named 'The old man and the sea' so I am going to get him that one. He loves Charles Dickens. I would like the novels not to be depressing, as it would do him no good. Just those books that mind blow him. Please help me recommend novels and kindly give me reasons why I should get them. I would appreciate it. Thank you.

[Michele]

Try The Martian by Andy Weir. It's an exciting, upbeat survival tale about an astronaut stranded on Mars. Very well researched science and the guy has a great sense of humor.

Also, you can't go wrong with a Sherlock Holmes collection - unless he's already read them all.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Death Comes for the Archbishop is a good book for a deep thinker. Cather is one of the great American novelists. She writes about landscapes and people in a way that is beautiful without being overly ornate. I wouldn't call this novel either depressing or upbeat; but if a reader's heart has strings it will probably tug at them.

For another classic read, The Woman in White is a fun 19th century mystery/thriller. Collins and Dickens were good friends.

The French Lieutenant's Woman is a fun and intriguing read with a postmodern twist.

[Lacy]

The Fountainhead

[Jill]

Since your dad is a doctor, how about Gifted Hands about Ben Carson:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

My kids and I read the kid version of the biography and were totally inspired by all he has achieved in spite of some hurdles as a child.

Here's a link to the non kid biography:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Jill]

Has your dad read James Herriot's books about his years as a vet in England? Here's 4 of his most popular titles:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

They've been around awhile but they are so rich in the descriptions of characters; the vet often deals with superstition and ignorance but has such a winning way with his patients (and their owners). Marvelous works!

[Jill]

If your dad is at all a pet person, my kids and I have enjoyed the "Lad" books. These are true stories about some of the remarkable dogs that the author has owned. We laughed out loud over some of the stories. Here's one of the titles (by Albert Payson Terhune)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

It's not that these are "kid" books; I just enjoyed them so much myself (and my kids kept asking what I was laughing about) that I started reading the books out loud to them. Lovely stories.

[Jill]

How about some of Paul Harvey's rest of the story?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

These are fun little vignettes on a variety of topics. Just fun little obscure stories. Your dad may have enjoyed listening to Paul Harvey when he was on the radio.

[Jill]

I asked my husband (who is your dad's age) and he recommended Les Miserables. He could read the book or if he likes to listen to CDs, The Radio Theatre drama of the work is absolutely outstanding. Available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Miserables-Radi...

Just an amazing story about the redemptive quality of grace and the debilitating affect of law without mercy.

[bb.]

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. It's nonfiction but really good. This book is perfect for families since it tells the story of a poor african american guy being adopted by a rich(but kind) white family. He in turn becomes this huge football star. And it's sports too! :-)

[Jill]

Nadine wrote: "Just to give you an idea who my 54 years old dad is. He's a deep thinker, he questions all things and is eager to learn about everything. He's a doctor but because of it, he went through a mild dep..."

I hope you'll share what books you end up giving your dad as well as what he thought of them.

[Michele]

Dickens is wonderfully epic :) I second the recommendation for James Herriot - heartwarming, well-written, enough medical detail to keep a doc happy.

Often the best "thinky" books come from authors who are themselves really smart. For deep thought you can't beat physicist Ted Chiang who writes incredible science fiction on the side, such as Stories of Your Life and Others. Mary Doria Russell has I think a PhD in anthropology, and her The Sparrow is an excellent "idea" read, with complicated moral questions tackled in a thoughtful, interesting way.

If he likes mysteries, I highly recommend Dorothy Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey books (starting with Whose Body?) and/or Laurie R. King's Holmes and Russell series (start with The Beekeeper's Apprentice).

Sophie's World is a lighter-hearted "thinky" book -- a girl gets mysterious letters in the mail that are all about philosophical questions.

Two very different classics: Magister Ludi by Herman Hesse and Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.

Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor: "written in Greek while on campaign between 170 and 180, is still revered as a literary monument to a philosophy of service and duty, describing how to find and preserve equanimity in the midst of conflict by following nature as a source of guidance and inspiration." Can't recommend it highly enough.

Sweet Dreams is short but is one of those books that sticks with you and makes you think.

I actually have a shelf for these called makes-you-think, feel free to peruse :)

[Susan (the other Susan)]

If he requested The Old Man and the Sea, then he's a Hemingway fan. Maybe a collection of Hemingway stories? And trust me, as someone who suffers from depression, books about people facing "depressing" challenges are sometimes the only books that make us feel like someone "gets" it, and that we're not alone .

My favorite books when I'm a little depressed but not so much that I lose interest, are true adventure/survival books like Jon Krakauer's now-classic "Into Thin Air."

[Jill]

Nadine, Does your dad have any interest in WWII?

[Nadine]

Thank you guys for all your recommendations. To answer to some of your questions, when my dad was young, he was very poor and he would take small jobs to buy books. Unfortunately he never got to read all the classic books. He wish to read The Old Man And The Sea because it will be his first time reading it. If you have any well-known classics that my dad probably hasn't read, feel free to mention them. As I am also doing some research myself, what do you think of Jonathan Livingston Seagull?

Also, yes, I will definitely share what books I got for dad after all your generous help.

[Michele]

I love Jonathan Livingston Seagull (which I guess is obvious, since I suggested it!). It sounds like a really simple story on the surface, but it makes you think about big question like The Purpose of Life.

Other classics he might enjoy: The Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Orczy), Oliver Twist or Great Expectations (Dickens), The Iliad and The Odyssey (Homer), Around the World in Eighty Days (Verne), The Jungle Book and Kim (Kipling), Collected Fictions or The Aleph and Other Stories (Borges).

[Jill]

There are so many free classics available on Amazon for Kindle. If your dad has a computer or laptop, he can read them directly from that or you could give him a Kindle (for portability) and he could have tons of books right at his fingertips (and no need for bookshelves!) Some of the authors I've downloaded on my Kindle are Alexandre Dumas (Three Musketeers and many others), Horatio Alger (poor boy works hard and makes success of life), G.A. Henty (amazing historical fiction), J.M. Barrie (author of Peter Pan which wasn't really a kids book--so many wonderful quotes in there), Howard Pyle (Robin Hood and many other wonderful books), Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz), Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, Kidnapped), Jack London (Call of the Wild), Jules Verne (Around the World in Eighty Days and many others), Harriet Beecher Stowe (Uncle Tom's Cabin), Mark Twain (Tom Sawyer and many others), Rudyard Kipling. You can google "classic books lists" and get ideas for more authors that would be free on Amazon. All the authors and books above I've downloaded free at Amazon.

[Jill]

One other thought about Kindle is that it's nice that it saves your place in your book and you can also enlarge the print size for those whose eyes may need a little help.

[Susan (the other Susan)]

It really can be as difficult to choose books for someone as clothing. You might consider a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble or Amazon - If a local bookstore, you could make an outing of it, have some lunch with him in their coffee shop. My dad loved to browse book stores as much as I do.

[Ficie]

I second Lobstergirl's suggestion of Wilkie Collins, if your father enjoys Dickens he is definitely going to love Collins.

[Wendy]

Jill wrote: "If your dad is at all a pet person, my kids and I have enjoyed the "Lad" books. These are true stories about some of the remarkable dogs that the author has owned. We laughed out loud over some of ..."

OMG I HAVE my Dad's Lad: A Dog. It is dated in prose, but simply a classic for any dog lover. Watership Down is also a favorite.
I second the All Creatures Great and Small books. Again, old classics. He may find a little similarity between his patients and the vet's owners. They are full of life lessons, humor and love.

[Susan (the other Susan)]

I read and re-read Lad A Dog when I was a kid. Still have my, er, dog-eared copy.

[Michele]

Susan wrote: "I read and re-read Lad A Dog when I was a kid. Still have my, er, dog-eared copy."

Oh, me too!! Orders of magnitude better than Lassie :)

[Susan (the other Susan)]

I still imagine myself visiting Lad's grave if I'm ever in New Jersey. :-D

http://www.sunnybankcollies.us/sunnyb...

[Michele]

Susan wrote: "I still imagine myself visiting Lad's grave if I'm ever in New Jersey. :-D

http://www.sunnybankcollies.us/sunnyb..."

Awww. Did not know about that, how lovely! Makes me want to re-read the books now.

[Nadine]

Hi guys. Just wanted to show you what books I bought for dad:

- The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
- Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
- The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
- A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Please do not consider this topic as closed because my dad's birthday isn't too far and I plan to get him more books. I did some research on my own but I am now lost of what more books I should get him. I know that only his daughter can know her dad to know what to get him but the thing is I haven't read much books myself. He's going through mid-life crisis so I need to make him see the positive things in life by bringing him books. Therefore, I continue to need your help, so please keep your recommendations coming! I'd truly appreciate it, thank you!

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Maybe The Bridge of San Luis Rey?

I personally find Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion very uplifting and would probably re-read them again if depressed.

[Susan (the other Susan)]

Let us know which books he likes best. If he loves the Hemingway, your choices will be easier next time.

[Jill]

Do you live close enough to your dad to get together to read books with him? There is something very special about reading a book out loud with a loved one and often the book will touch on/communicate things that may be hard for people to articulate on their own. Sharing a book is also a wonderful way to build your relationship with him.

[Nadine]

Jill wrote: "

Do you live close enough to your dad to get together to read books with him? There is something very special about reading a book out loud with a loved one and often the book will touch on/commu..."

Jill, I still live with my parents since I am not yet married hehe, we're pretty close but he loves reading on his own in his bed after a good shower. That's why I've been giving him books lately :)

[Nadine]

Hi guys. Just to keep you up to date.

He read 'The Old Man and the Sea' and he's disappointed to say that he didn't like it. Since I don't know the story myself, he said something like how this book would have been condemned if it came out today. He said how writing about killing a dolphin was a bit too harsh and how many people are trying to make a big deal out of a simple story.

Now he's currently reading 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' and he came to me with the expression of a man who's reading one of the best books. He told me how it's the kind that makes you smile and how he's relating to the old man who's taking a journey to deliver a letter to his dying friend.

I am thinking to get him 'All Creatures Great and Small' but if you have any other recommendations, I would really appreciate it. I love seeing my dad enjoying the books I bought for him :)

[Jill]

Michael Morpurgo has some very well-written books. One of his books, "War Horse" was a recent movie:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

His books aren't long but they are poignant and thought-provoking. Leaving much to ponder when done reading.

[Michele]

All Creatures Great and Small would be a great choice, or Watership Down. Also non-fiction, maybe something by Temple Grandin, Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals?

Hemingway, well, people either seem to love him or hate him -- but hey, at least now he can say he's read a classic!

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry looks good, I may have to read that myself.