A Fortune of Books for Fathers Day - Buy Dad A Real Book 2017

Fathers Day is upon us once more and, just like in previous years, we at mostly books have a campaign to 'Buy Dad a Real Book!' Here are our picks of this year's great books, from murder mysteries to non fiction to books to share with children - and if you still don't see something for that extra special gift, just pop into the shop and we can try to weave some of our recommending magic!

The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold by Tim Moore
Tim Moore has become a popular travel writer, threatening Bill Bryson's mantel, taking on cycling routes that no-one else should tackle, but doing it with great spirit and writing about it with plenty of humour.

His latest venture is the 10,000km or so newly created (if not entirely finished) Iron Curtain cycling trail from Finnish Lapland to the Black Sea in Bulgaria. On a two-speed, slightly modified East German small-wheeled shopping bike not suitable for the road conditions.

Moore makes light of what might make other cyclists simply head for home, also effortlessly bringing in Russian and Finnish history and the demise of Communism as he struggles to find somewhere to buy basics, such as food to keep him going, particularly on an inappropriate bicycle.

Great company for a trip that even keen cycling Dads won’t be keen to make themselves. Although it might make cycling to work seem a little easier.

Five Lose Dad in the Garden Centre
The latest in the spoof Enid Blyton series, George, Dick, Anne, Julian and Timmy are keen to show Uncle Quentin what a jolly good chap he is, so they decide to take to the local garden centre to chose a new garden shed in which to conduct his experiments.

But what promised to be a relaxed outing turns into a nightmare when Quentin disappears into thin air. He surely cannot have gone far ...

Visions of Numberland by Alex Bellos 
There was a bit of a storm of colouring books for adults in recent years, but we’d really like to recommend this one because it is devilishly clever and genuinely eye-opening. It’s all about understanding the beauty of maths and we think it’s a proper work of art.

What does a sphere look like in four dimensions? How can a knight on a chessboard visit every square? And can a five-sided tile cover an infinite floor? ‘Visions of Numberland’ unlocks the world's greatest mathematical mysteries, with 60 patterns to colour in and 10 more that you can create from scratch. And with friendly explanations next to each pattern, you not only colour, but unlock the secrets of an aspect of maths – although you don’t need to know any maths to do the colouring. Really different and inspired.

Worth Dying For by Tim Marshall
From the author of 'Prisoners of Geography' comes another fascinating book looking at the countries in our world through the prism of their flags.

When you see your nation's flag fluttering in the breeze, what do you feel? For thousands of years flags have represented our hopes and dreams. We wave them, we march under them. Sometimes we burn them, and some have died for them.

Flags fly at the UN, on the Arab street, from front porches in Texas to half-mast over government buildings when terror and disaster strike. They represent the politics of high power as well as the politics of the mob.; From the renewed sense of nationalism in China, to troubled identities in Europe and the USA, to the terrifying rise of Islamic State, the world is a confusing place right now and we need to understand the symbols, old and new, that people are rallying round. In nine chapters (covering the USA, UK, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America, international flags and flags of terror), Tim Marshall draws on more than twenty-five years of global reporting experience to reveal the histories, the power and the politics of the symbols that unite us - and divide us.

M: Maxwell Knight, MI5's Greatest Spymaster by Henry Hemming
Maxwell Knight was a paradox. A jazz obsessive and nature enthusiast (he is the author of the definitive work on how to look after a gorilla), he is seen today as one of MI5's greatest spymasters, a man who did more than any other to break up British fascism during the Second World War - in spite of having once belonged to the British Fascisti himself. He was known to his agents and colleagues simply as M, and was rumoured to be part of the inspiration for the character M in the James Bond series. Knight became a legendary spymaster despite an almost total lack of qualifications.

What set him apart from his peers was a mercurial ability to transform almost anyone into a fearless secret agent. He was the first in MI5 to grasp the potential of training female agents. M is about more than just one man however.

In its pages, Hemming reveals for the first time in print the names and stories of seven men and women recruited by Knight, on behalf of MI5, and then asked to infiltrate the most dangerous political organizations in Britain at that time. Until now, their identities have been kept secret outside MI5. Drawn from every walk of life, they led double lives-often at great personal cost-in order to protect the country they loved.

Following On: A Memoir of Teenage Obsession and Terrible Cricket by Emma John
This was a huge hit in the shop when it came out in hardback before Christmas. Cricket memories are ten a penny (and plenty get published ahead of Father's Day) but Emma John's painfully funny, original revisiting of her teenage cricket obsession is a modern-day classic, and - coincidentally - shines a light on modern sport, its pressures and the fan experience. Funny, honest and charmingly different.

 

Island Home by Tim Winton 
From his childhood, Tim Winton's relationship with the landscape around him - Australia's swamps and bush, rockpools, seacaves and scrub - has been as vital as any other connection. Whether camping in hidden inlets, walking in the high rocky desert fringe, or diving at Ningaloo Reef, Winton has felt the place seep into him - its rhythms, its dangers, its strange sustenance. Island Home is the story of how that relationship with the landscape came to be.

Charged with love for the huge, besieging force of Australia's wild spaces, this book is a passionate call for their conservation, a memoir that urges us all to feel the ground beneath our feet

Himself by Jess Kidd 
An entertaining and accomplished debut, and a fantastic twist on the whole "I see dead people" story archetype. It's part murder-mystery, part family secrets-laden Irish saga. Very very original with a beguiling array of characters - and you'll be unable to resist the charms of Mahony and his quest.

In 1950, a teenage girl is brutally murdered in a forest. But, somehow, her baby survives.

In 1976, a mysterious and charming young man returns to the remote coastal village of Mulderrig, seeking answers about the mother who, it was said, had abandoned him on the steps of a Dublin orphanage. With the help of its oldest and most eccentric inhabitant, he will force the village to give up its ghosts. In fact, some of the ghosts might give him a hand.

A brilliant debut by an exciting new voice in contemporary fiction - highly recommended.

Resolution by AN Wilson
AN Wilson's powerful new novel explores the life and times of one of the greatest British explorers, Captain Cook, and the golden age of Britain's period of expansion and exploration.

Wilson's protagonist, witness to Cook's brilliance and wisdom, is George Forster, who travelled with Cook as botanist on board the HMS Resolution, on Cook's second expedition to the southern hemisphere, and penned a famous account of the journey. Resolution moves back and forth across time, to depict Forster's time with Cook, and his extraordinary later life, which ended with his death in Paris, during the French Revolution. Wilson once again demonstrates his great powers as a master craftsman of the historical and the human in this richly evoked novel, which brings to life the real and the extraordinary, brilliantly drawing together a remarkable cast of characters in order to look at human endeavour, ingenuity and valour.

The Boy on the Bridge by MR Carey
The companion to one of Julia’s favourite books, 'The Girl with all the Gifts', this book returns to a destroyed Britain, where Hungries roam looking for food. It follows a set of soldiers and scientists and a clever boy that people thought would save them all, as they open the gates of their community and go into the world of monsters.

A book that raises discussions about hope for the future: whether it's to be found in doggedly preserving what we have or in accepting change and development, even at the cost of enormous loss, and letting something new and different be born. That's the choice that, in different ways, the characters in 'The Boy on the Bridge' all face and again is a theme that resonates with classic SF in many respects.

I Hate The Internet by Jarett Kobek
This won't be everyone's taste, but if a grotesque, blackly-humorous satire on everything that is wrong about the Internet - from Facebook election ads to social media trolling - sounds like Dad's kind of book, then this brilliant debut by Turkish-American writer Jarett Kobek might fit the bill.

Ostensibly about Adeline - an artist who uses outrage to fuel sales - it's really a polemic about the nature of art and who benefits from the tons of free content we put out there for the giant corporations to monetize. Bit too near the knuckle...

Uncle Dysfunctional by AA Gill
The silver lining to AA Gill's untimely loss earlier this year has been some fantastic collections of his writing and journalism, and 'Uncle Dysfunctional' is a collection of his ham-fisted, un-PC yet surprisingly refreshing observations as advice columnist in 'Esquire' magazine. The response to Alex, who asks "I haven't read a book since I left uni in 1994, am I missing out?" is one of the most brilliant pieces of sustained writing about the nature of life and books that you could ever hope to read...

Alfie and Dad by Shirley Hughes
Join Alfie and Dad as they spend time together in this wonderful collection of stories from the award-winning Shirley Hughes. Alfie's dad is always there for Alfie and Annie Rose. He's there to reassure Alfie during a restless night; he's there to find Alfie's favourite toy Flumbo when he gets left on the bus; and most of all he loves spending time with his children and they love spending time with him! This book celebrates that special relationship between children and their dads.

Daddy’s Sandwich by Pip Jones & Laura Hughes
If your youngest are planning to surprise Dad by making him a tasty treat on Father’s Day, don’t give them this book to get any ideas – at least not unless you feel that putting all Dad’s favourite things in a sandwich (including his slippers) is a good idea. Simple, fun story with cute illustrations make this an irresistible book for sharing (much more appealing than a Daddy’s Sandwich.

Living in Interesting Times: Buy Dad A Real Book for Father's Day 2016

This year's 'Buy Dad A Real Book' campaign might be slightly overshadowed by "events, dear boy, events" but that still doesn't mean, amongst the swirling chaos and uncertainty of the next few weeks (and that's just the football) we still can't carve out a moment of calmness and sanity, and treat Dad to a special book.

Yes, if ever there was a moment to pull the plug on the 24/7 world of news, punditry, opinions, trolling, tweets and status updates, Sunday June 19 might just be that day...

As has become customary over the past few years, here's our selection of books for you to choose from. We have many more recommends for you to pick in the shop, so why not come in and ask for a special recommendation for the Dad in your life.

And - as has also become customary, and with inclusion uppermost in our minds - we offer this piece of wonderful wisdom told us in the shop by a lady who remembers her Dad every year by reading a book she knows he would have enjoyed. Kudos.

Abingdon's ATOM Science Festival kicks off at the end of June, and ‘Atoms under the Floorboards’ is a light-hearted science read that gets down to the things around us and looks at them at an atomic level. Chris Woodford takes us on a fun and fascinating journey that will answer questions such as 'why dust never blows away' and 'why ice is slippery', to 'how you can split an atom in your living room'. Focusing on our daily lives, yet choosing imaginative subject matter, this will interest those curious about the scientific underpinnings of the modern world.

‘Anatomy of a Soldier’ is the riveting story of the everyday life of a soldier and coming to terms with a life-changing injury. Harry Parker tells the brave tale in an unusual but effective style, using objects around the soldier to demonstrate and explore the extremes both of boredom and danger. How does a solder deal with the ever-present threat, yet have to face and try to understand the enemy? How does he or she cope with the thoughts of those at home? A thought-provoking, at times chaotic book that looks set to become one of the must-reads of 2016.

A whole plethora of picture books has been published aimed at little ones, and celebrating the father-child relationship (bizarrely, many of them seem to feature animals - go figure). We appreciate that a title that seems unbearably cute to one chap might represent the epitome of saccharine queasiness to another - so our bookseller Imogen has hunted through the titles for the best of the bunch.

In ‘School for Dads’ the talented writing partnership of Adam and Charlotte Guillain (who wrote the brilliant 'Socks for Santa' and 'Treats for T-Rex') come up trumps with a great, inclusive celebration and an imaginative and respectful twist on the 'clueless Dad' character who seems to crop up a lot in contemporary culture.

All the dads that are late to pick up their children are sent to school for the day, where the children teach them everything from play time to ‘being fair’. The dads are made to do P.E. and are not allowed sweets for lunch, and the children begin to realise that it might be pretty difficult to be an adult sometimes. A sweet, funny story perfect for dad that will remind them of their own days at school, and the cold floor they had to sit on in assembly...

Little Monster can’t wait to grow up like his dad in ‘When I’m a Monster like you, Dad’ by David O'Connell. Little Monster can be big and scary, but Dad knows there is also fun in staying small and young, and playing games.


Thanks to big, bold illustration by illustrator Francesca Gambatesa, this is a really fun story about how dads and their little monsters can mess around like children and enjoy their time together.

If that dose of cutesiness has got you gasping for something a bit more in the way of good old British sarcastic humour (!), then look no further than 'How It Works: The Dad'. Another in the genius 'Ladybird Books for Grown-Ups' series, it's another brilliantly funny gem, featuring genuine artwork from the original Ladybird books.

It's a fine celebration of the institution of fatherhood. So if your Dad has superpowers (such as the ability to turn invisible whilst picking his nose in traffic) then we reckon he'd love to get a copy of this book...

There's no denying the boom in lycra-clad men on bikes in recent years, but cycling is most definitely booming, and we're extremely lucky in Abingdon to have arguably one of the country's most dynamic and exciting cycle shops, Outdoor Traders (they even have their own race team who won the Oxfordshire Road Race League in 2015).

So if you know someone who dreams of doing legendary Tour de France climbs but perhaps needs a bit of motivation to get there, we reckon they will love 'Tour de France Legendary Climbs on Google Earth' by Richard Abraham. They feature 20 notorious 'Hors Categorie' Tour de France Climbs, which you can follow through the power of Google Earth. From the dizzying heights of the 2,715-metre ascent of Col de la Bonette to the historic Great St Bernard Pass, this is a book to inspire (albeit from the safety of the living room and a laptop).

One of our favourite bike books of the last ten years was Robert Penn's 'It's All About the Bike' - about as infectious and inspirational exhortation of a life on two wheels as it's possible to get. But in the course of writing that book - partly from meeting artisan bike builders in California - Robert's latest book is 'The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees'.

With his trademark passion and enthusiasm, he travels across Europe and the USA looking at people who still use ancient techniques with the tree that has been used the most over thousands of years to make everything from wheels and arrows to furniture and baseball bats. With ash trees facing extinction on both sides of the Atlantic, this is also a poignant cri de coeur about keeping our connections with our environment.

As well as bike books, we're currently living through a golden age of sublime 'football literature'. Nick Hornby's 'Fever Pitch' and David Peace's 'The Damned United' come to mind, but also Jonathan Wilson's history of football tactics 'Inverting the Pyramid' (so gripping and readable, it's like a thriller) and Lynne Truss' 'Get Her Off The Pitch' (about how sport in general can take over your life).

Football arouses such passion amongst the British (from a hatred of football culture right the way through to a kind of religious passion) and right at the top of the pile sits 1966. We thoroughly recommend Peter Chapman's tour-de-force look at the wider context of England's last major football triumph in 'Out of Time: 1966 and the End of Old-Fashioned Britain'. It's a highly personal - and unflinching - look at both the exciting opportunities and grim realities of a country on the cusp of social change over the Summer of the 1966 World Cup. From cruel teachers, low expectations, industrial disasters and the London music scene, it's our big recommend for anyone who wants a corrective to the myth behind *that* football match and *that* legendary piece of commentary...

Moving from 1966 to 1666, we've loved introducing readers to Andrew Taylor's 'The Ashes of London'. An historical thriller, set in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London, it involves the son of a Cromwell supporter, jailed for treason, who is investigating a murder victim discovered in the ashes of the fire. Anyone looking for a new 'Matthew Shardlake' are not going to be disappointed, with Taylor pulling off CJ Sansom's trick of a cracking mystery with excellent period detail. We're already looking forward to a sequel.

Just out in paperback, one of Julia's favourite books of last year, 'Arcadia' by Iain Pears. It's a story of three worlds: One present (1970's), one future and the third an invention from the mind of a writer called Henry Lytten. When these worlds collide a whole heap of trouble occurs. A schoolgirl from the nineteen seventies is mistaken for a fairy. Security officers from the future are arrested as Soviet spies and Lytten enters his own story and is worshipped as a deity. This is an eclectic mix of fantasy, history, science fiction and dystopian future which together make an engrossing - and brilliantly original - read.

The 1966 players became rock stars in their day, and Neil Gaiman is the closest thing to a literary rock star (a 'ledge' as the kids might say). Whilst the author of 'American Gods' is viewed as a God by most of his fans, this collection of the best of his non-fiction writing allows you to get inside the head (and heart) of one of our most celebrated writers.

Read 'The View from the Cheap Seats' cover to cover or dip in, you'll find essays on everything from 'How to make good art' to working with Terry Pratchett, from the comic creations of Jack Kirby to the songs of Lou Reed. And if you fancy a treat on how good Gaiman's writing can be, take a look at possibly the finest advice ever offered to authors on how to write. Seriously, utter genius...

We reckon Neil Gaiman likes a drink (although perhaps he's teetotal. Or perhaps he just *says* he's teetotal to gullible journalists?). Anyway, if he *does* drink, we reckon he'd love 'Craft Spirits' by Eric Grossman.

Whilst the 'Craft Beer' movement has taken the world by storm, Craft Spirits is the next big thing, and Grossman is an enthusiastic guide through the international range of craft spirits, with the names to watch and spirits to try with new recipes for cocktails and the stories behind the spirits.

There we go - a dozen recommends for Father's Day inspiration. But don't forget that we are all about recommending for anyone you are buying for. Why not pop into the shop and we can put together your very own shortlist of titles to choose the perfect gift!

Independent Bookshop Week 2015 - Laura Barnett, Sally Nicholls, Father's Day and Bookgroups

You know the one about the Texan who goes into the airport, right?

"Give me a ticket!" he demands.
"Where to?" answers the agent.
"Anywhere, I've got business all over!"

Well, that's how we feel during #IBW2015 - so much love around for indies, so many opportunities, authors, events and offers - and all in celebration of the wonderful, the quirky, the unique and diverse world that is independent bookshops.

We've got a whole heap of things going on this week that should give just a glimmer of the amazing range of activities that keeps us viable, relevant and part of our community. But ultimately we couldn't do any of it without your support - so this is also our chance to say THANK YOU for coming to us and entrusting us with choosing those books that will amaze, enthuse and delight.

It's a big responsibility - and we don't take it lightly...

On Saturday, June 20 we have a special Father's Day Storytime taking place - and we'll be unveiling a few surprises as well. Join Nicki and Maddy at 2pm - no need to book, just drop in (and bring little ones!).

We have a rather impressive display of Father's Day book recommendations as part of our 'Buy Dad A Real Book' campaign now in its fifth year. Find out about our dozen choices here.

Who hasn’t wondered ‘What if?’ about their own life? What if you’d taken a particular job, taken that path instead of this one, or that one chance – said ‘yes’ one time instead of ‘no’? The random nature of chance is the subject of Laura Barnett’s ‘The Versions of Us’ – a thought-provoking story about the complexities of human nature and the essentially random nature of life. Laura will be at Mostly Books on Thursday, June 25 at 7.30pm - learn more about this appealing, surprising and fabulously written exploration of fate and destiny here.

(And listen to Laura interviewed on this week's Open Book here)

On Tuesday morning, we have a local school bringing students in to choose prizes - and we'll be on hand to advise and choose the perfect book. This is the first in a series of schools visiting - and is something that creates a fantastic buzz in the shop (in past year, other customers have got themselves involved in some ad hoc recommending!)

Bookgroups are a hugely important part of the bookshop scene, and on Wednesday, the morning bookgroup will be meeting to discuss 'I Let You Go' by Clare Mackintosh. Recent books discussed have included 'All My Puny Sorrows' by Miriam Toews at the Wednesday evening bookgroup (which Nicki describes as 'A small miracle of a book') and 'The Children Act' by Ian McEwan at the Thursday evening bookgroup. Sign up to our newsletter (right hand side of this blog) to find out when spaces become available on any of our groups...

This year, Mostly Books bookseller (and young bookseller of the year shortlistee!) Imogen Hargreaves founded a brand new bookgroup, the YA bookgroup - and on June 27 we are holding a taster session for anyone wanting to come along and discover more about it.

Imogen is keen to make it much more than just a read-and-discuss group - we're choosing the newest and best YA fiction to discuss - but on June 27, we are very excited to be welcoming award-winning author Sally Nicholls, who is coming along to the group to talk about her books, why and how she writes - and what exactly books for teens are.

Sally is the winner of the #IBW2015 Children's Book Award for her latest book 'An Island of Our Own' - so it's doubly fitting that she will be coming along - and as she has offered to even serve behind the till, we are encouraging as many people as possible to come along and meet her!

Father's Day Books 2015: Fleming's Jamaica, Engel's England and the Tsunami Terror's Hollywood...

It's now five years since we launched our 'Buy Dad a Real Book' campaign back in 2011, and this year we're back with our Father's Day XII. All of us in the shop have picked, lobbied, argued and helped put together our list of Father's Day books for 2015.

As always, we've tried to come up with different books - and also a few children's books as we encourage Dads everywhere to start a Family Reading Group at home.

As always, our suggestions are to give you some inspiration and whet your appetite, but we're ready and raring to recommend the perfect book if you are looking for a special gift with extra Dad-appeal. Just pop into the shop.

Nothing says Father's Day like James Bond, and in 'Goldeneye', author (and Bond fanatic) Matthew Parker has written the story of Fleming and his relationship with the island of Jamaica, which infuses almost all of Fleming's books.

Starting with Fleming's arrival on the Island in 1943 (ostensibly to investigate a sinister Nazi establishing a secret U-Boat base in the Caribbean - sound familiar?) it tells the story of the intelligence officer-turned author, the twilight of the British Empire, and the home he built for himself on the island: Goldeneye.

If reading about Fleming's exploits in Jamaica makes you want to rush back to England, then we heartily recommend 'Engel's England'. Humorous writing about England - mixing anecdote, fact and impression - is a tough act to follow after writers as legendary as Bill Bryson, Harry Mount and even Alan Titchmarsh.

Author, newspaper columnist and former Wisden editor Matthew Engel decided to do things properly and spent three years travelling around England's historic counties (and its 41 cathedrals incidentally). They appear in Engel's England in the order in which they were visited. There is a real talent to the writing: you feel that you know each county and with a deceptively easy to read prose, it is a great book for a train journey or to keep by the bed.

In a world of increasing information, the ability to select (or curate) is becoming increasingly more valuable, but if you had to pick the most important ideas and events from the entire 20th century, could you do it?

Inspirational Boston University Professor Jonathan Reynolds has pulled off this feat in the mind-boggling brilliant '30-Second Twentieth Century' (in which 50 of the finest events and ideas are presented in digestible chunks that form a whistlestop tour through the most bloody yet brilliant century in human history. Covering everything from The Theory of Relativity to the devastating consequences caused by the bombing of Hiroshima and the art of Pablo Picasso to the fall of the Berlin Wall, this is a fantastic gift for anyone interested in world events.

Author don't come more heavyweight than Antony Beevor - his histories of key moments and battles of the Second World War, including Stalingrad and Berlin - and are some of the most critically-acclaimed history books that we have of any era.

In 'Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble' he examines the Ardennes offensive, which caught the Americans by surprise, and was - at least for a time - as savage and desperate as the battles on the Eastern front. Beevor's background as a soldier gives him an uncanny ability to empathise with soldiers on both sides of the war as he tells the story of the battle that broke the Wehrmacht.

"You know how, because of the Internet, you can't say 'You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet' because everyone's seen everything by, like, age 12?"

Meet Aldo: philosopher, misanthrope, serial (failed) entrepreneur and unluckiest man alive. Now meet his long-suffering friend (and failed writer) Liam. He decides that writing about Aldo and his breathtakingly disastrous life will be his route to his writing salvation. It's a match made in hell, so what can possibly go wrong?

Very dark, very funny, this book from Booker-shortlistee Steve Toltz examines the flipside of friendship, and explores some very dark corners of life in the 21st century.

There's a lot going on in the world of space at the moment - and if Dad fancies himself as an astronaut then we have two books to recommend to him. Usborne's Astronaut Handbook should tell him everything he needs to know about life in space, and Neal Stephenson's 'Seveneves' is epic science fiction at its most world-ending best, as humanity scramble to turn the ISS into a lifeboat to escape a dying Earth. That should get any work-related worries into perspective. Go see our blog post from a few weeks ago to get your space reading fix.

(And if there is anyone out there who we haven't yet recommended 'The Martian' by Andy Weir to - read it before the film comes out this Autumn!) 

We've two excellent children's books to recommend as well - each with a novel twist on the 'my dad is a hero' theme. The first is 'Superhero Dad' by Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger. It's is all about the way a son sees his father. No matter what it is, from telling a joke to scaring the monsters under his bad, the father is a superhero. But what about what the child is in the fathers eyes? A great fun, heartwarming books for Dads to share with their children (to remind them how all Dads are heroes!)

For Jake Biggs, his Dad George is a genuine superhero - well, of the wrestling type anyway. George Biggs demolishes buildings by day, but by night he dons his spandex (and knee supports) and becomes...'Demolition Dad', the master of disaster. But when Jake enters his Dad secretly into a competition to take on the 'Tsunami Terror' in Hollywood, disaster might really be the outcome. Author Phil Earle is one of our most talented storytellers, and Phil has channelled the memory of Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and Kendo Nagasaki in reliving the glory days of British wrestling. This is top fun for bedtime reading.

'Mr Holmes' by Mitch Cullin (originally published as 'A Slight Trick of the Mind') imagines Holmes, in extreme old age, as witness to the birth of our own era.

Three stories, intertwined: Holmes begins to develop a close relationship with a young man who assists him with his bees, his memories of a visit to postwar Japan, including Hiroshima and the elaborate lie he told to a man who thinks the detective may know the truth about his missing father. To be released as a film next week starring Ian McKellen.

If it's a twisty, turny whodunit that Dad is after, we recommend 'The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair' by Joël Dicker, which features a young novelist as the main protagonist.

When acclaimed writer Marcus Goldman’s old friend and mentor is arrested for murder, Goldman is the only one who believes in his innocence. Can he clear his friend's name, save his reputation in the small town where he has lived - and possibly write his greatest ever book? This is a book that truly gets under your skin, and we defy anyone to guess the ending...

Is Dad normal? Difficult questions to ask perhaps, but in 'How to be Normal' writer Guy Browning (author of 'Never Hit A Jellyfish with a Spade') provides a comprehensive guide to the perplexed.

Packed full of impractical advice, from how to spectate at sports events, to the correct etiquette for pushing a supermarket trolley around a supermarket, a book definitely not to be read in public places, particularly if you are not normal in any way.

And finally - we definitely had to find a cycling book to place on our recommendations. In 'The Monuments' by Peter Cossins is an epic look at those cycling events that endure, that bring out the most heroic efforts from the greatest cyclists in history.

These events are known in the cycling community as 'The Monuments' and include the spine-shattering Paris-Roubaix and the aristocractic Tour of Lombardy. Packed full of facts, anecdotes and stories this is a book to inspire - even on the commute to work.

We appreciate not everyone has a Dad to buy for, and sometimes this is for sad reasons. So we'll just pass on a suggestion made by a customer last year (who we won't name) but who always reads a favourite book that her father used to enjoy. We think that's a lovely idea...

Buy Dad A Real Book - the Mostly Books Father's Day Collection 2014

Sunday June 15 is indeed Father's Day, and once again we're suggesting you 'Buy Dad A Real Book'. Get him to switch off the gadgets, drop off the grid and rediscover the joy of reading.

(And if Dad is one of those people who needs solid research to provide motivation, you can point him to recent findings that show reading makes you smarter and reduces stress. So there.)

So today we unveil our 2014 Father's Day Collection, the fourth year we've done this, and when there are so many great books being published, it’s a hideous job trying to whittle it down to just a dozen books.

Who said bookselling was easy, eh?

Some of our favourite titles of the year already – such as ‘The Martian’ and Mick Herron’s ‘Dead Lions’ haven’t made the list below, because I think we’ve already pressed these books into everyone’s hands already – but here is our collection for 2014.

And what better book to start with than one that has a (sort-of) father-son relationship at its heart?

'Tigerman' by Nick Harkaway is the story of Lester Ferris, fragile army sergeant put in charge of winding down British interests in the colonial territory of Mancreu. The island is under UN control, because of a menacing industrial toxic legacy deemed to pose a global threat – in short, it’s scheduled for termination, an extreme form of ‘deep cleaning’ which means evacuation - and abandonment. Lester develops a strong bond with a mysterious street-kid, steeped in Internet jargon and comic-book philosophy, and – in the absence of any identifiable family – he fosters dreams of adoption, of becoming the father the boy doesn’t seem to have. But when dark forces threaten the boy, and the island threatens to go postal in the face of its imminent demise, Lester must - reluctantly, inevitably - take an heroic path, and the way he does this is unexpected, brilliantly realised and utterly thrilling.

Exploring the machinations of power, the possibilities (good and ill) of technology and the real responsibilities and challenges of parenthood - this is intellectual entertainment of the highest order.

(And we have signed first editions in the shop after our excellent event on June 11)

A genuine colossus next, and Stephen King’s long-time-coming sequel to The Shining. In ‘Dr Sleep’ (just out in paperback) Danny Torrance has grown up to be a drunk, using his addiction to alcohol to block his supernatural abilities. But then his life starts to change again when he is contacted by Abra, a young girl who has a very strong "shining". Enter the True Knot, a travelling band of vampire-like people who prolong their lives by feeding on "steam", a kind of life essence possessed by those who have the shining.

This is a fitting sequel to King’s original, with the master keeping you enthralled right to the very end. Julia’s verdict on this: ‘Unputdownable’.

If word-play is Dad’s thing, then we suggest Michael Rosen’s ‘Alphabetical’ – a sort of social history of the alphabet. Ever wondered about letters and the alphabet? Where they came from, where we came up with the spellings and 'rules'? (Q must always be seen next to U?). Why does ‘X’ mark the spot when it can be replaced by Z?

Everything and anything about letters can be found in this clever and funny book, written with the humour and word-play of one of our most talented authors and poets. A perfect gift for a wordsmith.

You could argue we are living in a golden age of nature writing at the moment, and for the second year running we include a gem of a book from Robert Macfarlane - 'Holloway'. In July 2005, Macfarlane and the late Roger Deakin walked the landscape of Southern Dorset, the ‘Hollow Ways’ where centuries of horses hooves, rain, footfall and wheel rubbing have carved out these sunken paths.

Macfarlane revisits his walk with artist Stanley Donwood and writer Dan Richards, and this book – with its haunting sketches – is both beautiful and poignant as Macfarlane revisits the earlier journey with his good friend.

In 1664, horticulturalist and diarist John Evelyn published 'Sylva', the first comprehensive study of British trees, and the first book ever published by the Royal Society, four years after the granting of its royal charter.

To celebrate its 'Sesquarcentennial' (that's a 350th anniversary in case you were wondering) Dr. Gabriel Hemery (forest scientist and author) and Sarah Simblet (tutor at The Ruskin School of Art and a lecturer at the National Gallery) have created 'The New Sylva', a sumptuously illustrated collection which seeks to explain and describe our most important trees, and what they really mean to us culturally, environmentally and economically.

If Dad likes the odd film (particularly a science fiction film) then Imogen recommends ‘Outer Limits’ by Howard Hughes. From ‘Star Trek’ To ‘Forbidden Planet’, ‘The Matrix’ to ‘Moon’, this is the ultimate film guide for any science-fiction fan.

The perfect excuse to dig out a ‘classic’ film that you either missed, or feel deserves being watched again, or just because you enjoy experiencing aliens taking over the world. A top gift for Father’s Day...

Of course, if we did fend off those aliens, and had to rebuild society from scratch, how might we do it? Start with securing food, or finding weapons? Forging metals or building houses? In ‘The Knowledge’, Lewis Dartnell gets back-to-basics in this readable, enjoyable well thought-through look at how we might rebuild civilization (in a world where plenty of people start freaking out if their Internet fails). 

Described by Nature as the “Ultimate do-it-yourself guide to rebooting human civilization", Dad will be in a position to lead in the event of an asteroid strike, viral pandemic...or zombie apocalypse.

Food will be a big deal after any civilization collapse, and I think I’d want Tom Kerridge on my team to feed everyone. Tom is the only chef in Britain to gain two Michelin stars working on a pub, and ‘Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food’ collects together his best recipes to recreate that authentic – but high quality – gastopub experience.

If Dad likes to trash, (I mean, experiment in) the kitchen occasionally to wow the family, this book is packed with great ideas.

Action-packed, fast-moving thrillers don’t come much more satisfying than ‘I Am Pilgrim’, the debut novel by legendary screenwriter Terry Hayes (whose writing credits include the Mad Max movies and Dead Calm). ‘Pilgrim’ is the codename of Scott Murdoch, adopted son of a wealthy American couple, and member of the above-top-secret ‘The Department’ – which polices the actions of other US spies. Having anonymously written the ultimate book on forensic examination, he may have unwittingly allowed ‘the perfect murder’ to take place – and the NYPD need his help to solve it. But soon there are bigger, world-threatening activities taking place as a terrorist, known only as ‘The Saracen’, plans a frighteningly plausible attack on the United States.

If you like your techno-thrillers weighty (in every sense), fast-paced, densely plotted, and nerve-shreddingly plausible – this is the real deal.

‘One Summer’ by Bill Bryson was one of our favourite books of last year, and it’s just out in paperback. Bryson is an American writer that we Brits have adopted (and he us). ‘One Summer’ is another fabulously entertaining adventure, this time examining his native America through the lens of the iconic Summer of 1927 when America truly stepped out of the shadows of ‘old Europe’ to take its place amongst the world’s great nations.

It’s a heady concoction of the birth of talking pictures, a biblical flood, Henry Ford, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh – and work starting on Mount Rushmore. All are given the Bryson treatment – it’s witty, energetic and full of surprises.

In 1982, Simon Parkes (aged 23) paid £1 for a derelict building in Brixton, and over the next fifteen years turned it into Britain's most iconic music venue. Together with musician and author JS Rafaeli, he has written the definitive history of the venue in ‘Live At The Brixton Academy’.

This is everything you want from a memoir (the excess, the risks, the triumphs and disasters) but it’s also a riotous trip through 30 years of British music. Honestly, we think this is the best music book to have come out for years – if Dad has a secret gig-filled past, he’s going to love this book...

This was in last year’s collection, but John Le Carre’s latest book ‘A Delicate Truth’ is now out in paperback – and it’s a cracker. Operation Wildlife, a top-secret mission to the rock of Gibraltar, involving CIA, special forces, and a cast of spooks familiar to his regular readers goes horribly wrong. Three years later and one of the soldiers involved reveals that the government has buried the truth. Once the cat is out of the bag, the tempo and tone becomes progressively relentless and angry.

This is a tale of service and loyalty alongside deception and cover-up. A classic Le Carre novel that has you longing for the truth to be declared.

That's your twelve. But let's make it a round Baker's. Because if there is one book that captures the essence of a) being a Dad, b) thinking you have no time to read, c) the absurdities of modern working life, and d) the transformative, life-affirming and utterly amazing things that can happen when you rediscover reading, it is Andy Miller's heartwarming, irreverent and very funny memoir 'The Year of Reading Dangerously'.

One Dad, fifty books, a life transformed. Books can change (and save) your life - Andy Miller has the proof!

(Want more ideas? Come and ask us in the shop, or pop us an email for a recommendation. Takes a look how our recommends differered in 2013, 2012 and 2011. And we can thoroughly recommend heading over to ReadItDaddy for more Dad-powered inspiration to boot...)