Here is how it works in my family: my dad reads a book, then he lends it to my grandpa, who eventually passes it on to my uncle or my brothers. Sometimes it makes its way through the women in our family too, if it doesn’t have lots of swearing. 🙂

The men in my family are big readers, but it wasn’t until I started thinking about writing this post that I realized… I’m not exactly sure what they read? (Apparently non-fiction and thrillers.)

So in honor of Father’s Day, I decided to think about some man-friendly books I’ve read and tell you about them in case you 1) are a man or 2) know a man. I think these would be great Father’s Day gifts for husbands or dads or abuelos!

And, as I’ve mentioned before, if kids don’t see Dad reading, they probably won’t be that excited about it either. You know, in case you need some motivation.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

I read this book and then kept recommending it to people (“What’s it about?” “Well… death? But it’s really good! Not as depressing as that sounds!”). Listen, it has more than 6,000 five star reviews on Amazon so, you know, I’m not the only one that thought it was great. Atul Gawande is a doctor as well as an incredibly talented writer. This book focuses on how medicine can not only provide quality of life, but also a satisfying end of life when that time comes (due to either old age or illness). Soooo interesting!

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance

I read this one shortly after #45 was elected president because it got a TON of publicity during his presidential run. I’m obviously not his fan, but I was interested in this book because I’d heard it gives some insight into the lives of the white working class Americans who voted him into office. And it was, in fact, very interesting and eye-opening (sometimes violent and troubling, too). It reads like a novel and is an honest, yet compassionate, look at a segment of the American population I didn’t know much about. Fair warning that there is lots of swearing in this one.

Things a Little Bird Told Me: Creative Secrets from the Co-Founder of Twitter by Biz Stone

I’m not really a Twitter user, but I thought this book was so fascinating. I think most people are familiar with Twitter to some extent, but it’s so cool to see how it got off the ground and what the founders’ original intentions for the platform were. Also, Biz Stone is a delightfully funny writer, and the way he writes about creativity was so inspiring! In fact just writing this summary makes me want to read this book again.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I’m straying from the non-fiction titles with this book because I think everyone should read it, and also because there was no way I was going to make this list and not put any books by Latin American authors on it (Brazil represent!). “The Alchemist” tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who embarks on a journey to find treasure (but not the kind he thinks he’ll find, as it turns out). This is a super quick read, but it definitely leaves you thinking and inspired.

Also! For busy men who just don’t have time to sit down with a book, getting these on audiobook is a great option (because nothing is worse than picking someone the perfect book and seeing it a year later, sitting sad and unread with dust on the cover).