Here are 5 new books that I’m sure your dad will actually want to read, whether he loves history, nature, music or just braaing.

1. The Pioneers – David McCullough: Beloved author David McCullough has a knack for making history come alive (he’s won the big Pulitzer prize twice). In his new book, he tackles the settling of the Northwest Territory, aka the vast area now known as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, in the late 18th century. It’s a dramatic tale of exploration and forging new frontiers. 

2. Dreyer’s English – Benjamin Dreyer: If your dad loves spotting English errors in newspapers and mags…he’ll love this. As Random House’s copy chief, Benjamin Dreyer sets the style (and all the grammatical rules) for the world’s most influential publisher, and in his first book, he’s sharing it with all of us. If that sounds unbearably dull, it’s not—Dreyer is a charming, snarky and often downright hilarious guide to his native tongue.

3. How to Build a Boat – Jonathan Gornall: Struck by the awesomeness of new fatherhood, Jonathan Gornall had an idea—he’d build a wooden boat for his baby daughter, and when it was done, they’d take an epic journey together. The only problem? Gornall had never built anything before in his life. His memoir is hilarious, sweet and just might bring a tear to your Dads eye.

4. Pops – Michael Chabon: In 2016, the novelist Michael Chabon wrote an essay in GQ about accompanying his fashion-obsessed son to a runway show in Paris. Chabon didn’t exactly understand his son’s passion but wanted to, and the now-viral essay was a loving tribute to him. It’s collected here with six other essays about the weird and wonderful things that fathers do for their children (and vice versa).

5. 1000 Record Covers – Michael Ochs: This is for all cool dads—vinyl is officially back in style, so now is a good time to pull out the old collection. This is a great book to flip through while rocking out, and since it’s focused on covers from the ’60s through the ’90s, we’re betting that dad will find plenty of his favourites.