Father's Day Gift Guide 2019
Give Dad A Thoughtful Gift
23 Aug 2019 | Cherry Cai
Father's Day is just around the corner! If you haven't bought a gift yet, don't panic, we're here to help. We've put a gift guide together of some of our best books for Father's Day featuring titles that cover a wide range of topics, from inspirational biographies, to history books, to cook books, and gardening guides, there is something for every kind of Dad. Even the notoriously hard-to-shop-for ones.
We've broken our suggestions to the following sections:
DADS WHO LOVE SPORTS
DADS WHO LOVE STORIES
DADS WITH A GREEN THUMB
DADS WHO ARE FOODIES
DADS ON THE MOVE
FOR DADS WHO LOVE SPORTS
This is the perfect book for any car-loving, or fun-loving dad that likes a laugh. Great Aussie Car Fails is filled with the biggest car model mistakes; technology gone wrong; questionable company politics and some overseas whoppers that will make us feel... a little less alone in the stupid stakes. Give Dad the gift of a good chuckle with this one.
Not a new title, but a good title. This book is perfect for the AFL fan; it’s packed with insider tales, snapshots and first-hand accounts from coaches, players and commentators on the AFL’s remarkable rise – and the controversies that accompanied it. If your footy-loving Dad doesn’t have it yet, this is the book for him.
This collection of quotes from some of Australia's leading AFL coaches is the perfect gift for the Dad who loves footy. These inspiring and often-times hilarious quotes will provide endless entertainment and delight with absolute gems like 'Footballers are like sausages ... you can fry them, grill them, bake them ... they're still sausages.' from Allan Jeans and John Kennedy’s 'Don't think...DO!'
Is your dad a Formula One addict? A fan of Daniel Ricciardo? Or maybe they love beautiful photography. This book ticks all 3 boxes. This book gives a race-by-race account of the highs, the lows, the controversies and the triumphs and provides brilliant insight into the excitement and drama of Formula One, and one of its most popular superstars.
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FOR DADS WHO LOVE STORIES
Tim Costello is a well-known figure in the social justice space. In this evocative memoir, Costello explores what helped shape him into a socially active fighter for the world’s most challenging issues. This book is perfect for the socially aware Dad who loves a hefty read that is thought provoking and challenging.
The Oarsmen is the perfect gift for the History Buff Dad. Patterson weaves an evocative never-told-before story of the soldiers who survived WWI to then row in the coveted King’s Cup at the 1919 Royal Henley Peace Regatta. It’s a fascinating look at life for these men and how society transitioned from an unprecedented war to a new sort of peace.
This book tells the story of a father trying to get back to his family. Shane Martin, father of AFL star Dustin Martin, was thrown in jail than deported back to New Zealand and torn from his life in Australia while facing no charges other than his membership with the Rebels motorcycle bike. A Rebel In Exile will make your Dad seethe with the injustice and sympathise with Shane for his fight for his family.
This book is for the ‘Executive Dad’; David Morgan’s biography by Oliver Brown explores the life of a one of Australia’s key financial figures, and as the title suggests, Morgan’s life was extraordinary. From becoming a child actor to star alongside Olivia Newton-John, to surviving a stand-off with an African dictator, to serving in the Treasury of the Hawke-Keating government. Morgan’s life is incredible to learn about and from.
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FOR DADS WITH A GREEN THUMB
Has your Dad ever expressed wanting to give the garden a makeover? This book will teach him how, and it won’t break his bank either. This guide by Australia’s favourite celebrity landscaper is dedicated to showing how best to transform a garden into a stunning space the entire family will want to spend time in, on any budget.
As suggested by the title, this books will teach Dad how to cultivate a little veggie patch anywhere. Written by the founders of the Little Veggie Patch Co., this books provides a comprehensive guide to anyone who might have entertained the thought of growing their own food. If Dad has always dreamt of growing good things to eat, this book will be his perfect companion.
So maybe Dad has a thriving garden already, in fact his garden does so well he doesn’t know what to do with all his produce! Grow Harvest Cook is here to help, by not only providing practical gardening advice to allow for a great home-harvest, but also what to do with all the produce that’s grown with over 280 recipes for more than 90 different types of fruit, vegetables and nuts.
If toiling outdoors isn’t Dad’s thing, but he still has a good appreciation for plants, then Plant Society will be his essential guide to indoor gardening. Covering everything from basic plant care and propagation techniques to detailed profiles of 22 indoor plants and styling tips, Plant Society is a 101 handbook to transforming the home into an indoor rainforest.
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FOR DADS WHO ARE FOODIES
For the true wine-loving Dad with a curated cellar. Halliday Wine Companion is the industry benchmark, and the definitive guide to Australian wine. This year’s edition of the Wine Companion features over 60 new wineries and full tasting notes for 3943 wines; the comprehensive nature of this wine guide is what makes it stand out from the rest.
This cocktails recipe book is perfect for Dad if he’s thinking about cutting back on drinking. Bryne and Tesar focusses on the seasonality of ingredients and making low to no alcohol recipes, proving that you don’t need alcohol to make a drink taste great. With over 90 cocktail recipes and 50 prep recipes including bitters, caramels, sherbets, tisanes and more, help Dad expand his drinks repertoire and take his mixing to the next level.
From the chef of Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio and author of Chefs Eat Toasties Too, comes a book of breakfast recipes that is sure to please any breakfast/brunch food obsessed Dad. With perfect eggs, delicious breakfast bowls and even breakfast pizza or chicken congee with crispy doughnuts this book covers the gambit of breakfast food, from basic to creative and involved.
The Recipe by Josh Emmett
The ideal cookbook for a serious home cook Dad who not only likes to cook, but revels in the kitchen and the process. This beautiful volume isn’t just aesthetic, it also features 300 of the most important classic recipes by 150 of the world’s most acclaimed chefs. Written by Michelin-starred Chef Josh Emmett and all recipes tested by him in his own home kitchen, this book will delight any food-loving Dad.
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FOR DADS ON THE MOVE
If Dad owns a caravan and is always packed and ready for his next holiday/road trip, the Explore Australia guide is a must. Now in its 37th edition, this seminal guidebook includes details on over 700 regional towns across the country, including information on local and nearby attractions and key information for every capital city and major touring region, plus suggested day trip itineraries.
Is Dad old-school when it comes to driving? If your dad has tried the Google Maps thing and hates it, or maybe he just likes a good old street directory, our UBD Gregory’s is a category stalwart for the long time map-user. Sometimes, the best gift is a practical one; get Dad something he’ll actually use.
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