Books are the gift that keeps on giving – choosing an extra-thoughtful gift for your dad can be a challenge, but whether your father loves a thriller, humour or a great biography, you won’t go wrong with Culture Editor, Janie Smith’s fabulous Father’s Day reads.
As the saying goes, “Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad”. So for Father’s Day, I’ve chosen three bibliophile-perfect page-turners that any Dad would be thrilled to receive.
The Falcon of Sparta by Conn Iggulden
Another brilliant brand-new release for lovers of bloody historical epics! The Falcon of Sparta is full of thrilling battle scenes, perfectly portrayed characters and a narrative that truly brings history alive. Conn Iggulden is the author of the series Emperor and Conqueror. With this book he returns to what he knows best; the Ancient World.
401 BC. The Persian king Artaxerxes rules an empire stretching from the Aegean to northern India. He has close to fifty million subjects and is an absolute ruler. However, in true Game of Thrones style, the Spartans want to play. A single blow is all it can take to win or lose a battle and for princes to fall or rise.
When the dust of war settles, without food, water or support, the Spartans find themselves stranded in the heart of enemy territory. Far from home, surrounded by foes, it falls to the young soldier Xenophon to lead the survivors against Artaxerxes’ legendary Persian warriors…
A gripping and completely absorbing read that dads will love.
The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter
Once you’ve whipped up breakfast for Dad, add this gripping new crime thriller (lovingly wrapped) to the tray. As always, Karin Slaughter weaves a stunningly written tale that will reel you in right from the opening page. The characters come alive and the narrative will have you believe that you are indeed in Georgia, where the story is set.
It begins with an abduction. The routine of a family shopping trip is shattered when Michelle Spivey is snatched as she leaves the mall with her young daughter. The police search for her while her partner pleads for her release, but in the end… they find nothing. It’s as if she has disappeared into thin air.
A month later, on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, medical examiner Sara Linton is at lunch with her boyfriend Will Trent, an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. But the serenity of the summer’s day is broken by the wail of sirens.
Sara and Will are trained to help in an emergency. Their jobs – their vocations – mean that they run towards a crisis, not away from it. But on this one terrible day that instinct betrays them both. Within hours the situation has spiralled out of control; Sara is taken prisoner; Will is forced undercover. And the fallout will lead them into the Appalachian Mountains, to the terrible truth about what really happened to Michelle, and to a remote compound where a radical group has murder in mind.
Roger Federer: Phenomenon. Enthusiast. Philanthropist by Simon Graf
Living in Merton, we know and love the phenomenon that is Roger Federer. In this biography by Simon Graf, the reader is given the opportunity to dig deeper and discover so much about Wimbledon’s ‘Zen Master’. This is not your average biographer, who often relies on snippets from the press. The author has had up close and personal access with the man himself as well as reporting on Roger for the Zurich press.
From the young boy who was crazy about ball sports to a global superstar, Federer is well-known for a lifetime of sporting exploits. But who is the man behind the legend? Find out about the tennis genius, the family man, the philanthropist and so much more.
As you honour your Father on June 16th, make sure that this beautiful biography is stacked amongst his well-deserved gifts.
For those of you lucky enough to have their darling dads still in this world, celebrate them. For those whose fathers who have passed, we send you love and remind you to tell him how great he was on earth and still is in your heart.
We would be thrilled to hear what you think of our choices and more importantly what your dads thought of them: join the conversation with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Written By: Janie Smith | Arts & Culture Editor
Instagram: @SW19Culture
Twitter: @SW19Culture
Email: cultureeditor@ladywimbledon.com
About The Author
Janie Smith
Janie Smith is a cup full of sass and the Culture Queen isn’t letting anything limit her. Whether she’s jet setting around the world or catching up on the latest shows she always has her ear to the ground.