20 of the best audiobooks to give Dad this Father's Day

What’s it take to overcome the odds and change the game? That’s at the heart of the warm and revealing conversations between epic NBA sharpshooters—and father and son—Dell and Steph Curry in their Audible Original Heat Check. While Dell laid the groundwork, Steph later delivered a whole new era of jaw-dropping three-pointers from a time previously dominated by flying dunks. In these episodes, we hear how Steph experienced his life’s journey and how Dell saw it play out.

Shogun is a fictional epic perfect for the history buff, ship-in-a-bottle type dad. This sprawling tale centers around British merchant fleet captain John Blackthorne, who crash lands on Japan during the warring states period in the 1600s. Through Blackthorne, and acclaimed narrator Ralph Lister, the listener experiences the epic rise of Japan's next ruler, better known as the shogun.

For the history-loving dad, this riveting account of Captain James Cook's fatal last expedition will be a favorite discovery. Acclaimed author Hampton Sides delivers an exciting, excellently researched tale of the Age of Exploration and Cook’s final voyage on his ship the HMS Resolution, which culminated in his death on a Hawaiian beach in a conflict with native Hawaiians. Thrillingly narrated by Peter Noble, The Wide Wide Sea wrestles with Cook's complicated legacy while providing a high-seas epic of 18th-century exploration.

Jim Gaffigan is an actor and comedian known around the world for his jokes about everything from Hot Pockets to manatees, and he's also the contemporary champion of dad stories. And with five kids, he certainly has a lot of them. This is an uproarious listen, narrated by Gaffigan himself, of the silly, sweet, and gross things that go on in the Gaffigan household, and what it's like to be overrun by children in your own home. Gaffigan's real-life experience and truly hilarious yet encouraging insights might make Dad Is Fat even more useful than the standard parenting books for dads.

Emmy Award winner, former CBS News anchor, and Peabody Award-winning journalist Dan Rather has been reporting the news for so long, that it’s quite possible your dad watched him as a child. Rather has decades of amazing stories, from surviving a debilitating childhood illness to reporting on some of the most historic moments in history. He brings them all together in this Audible Original recording of his staged performance, Stories of a Lifetime.

On days like Father's Day, it is important to recognize that not every dad has a good relationship with their father. This Audie Award-winning memoir is multi-talented actor Alan Cumming's story of growing up with a disapproving, tyrannical father and how he got out from under the shadow of his father and family secrets, learning to be happy on his own. Not My Father's Son is one of those tremendous father and son books that explores how each generation can be so different even when they're so closely related. Cumming's famed melodious voice lends itself beautifully to the narration.

This is a perfect audiobook for fathers who are history buffs! In the 17th century, pirate Henry Every was a thorn in the side of the British government, which offered a huge reward for his capture—dead or alive. Every's story is not that different from other notorious pirates of his time—he and his crew pillaged and plundered, and many of their adventures were greatly exaggerated—except for a staggering robbery. In Enemy of All Mankind, historian Steven Johnson traces one of Every's crimes to a monumental shift in the global economy, with repercussions still felt today. Esteemed actor Jason Culp is the perfect narrator to take dads through every twist and turn of this fascinating pirate's tale.

This audiobook is packed with parenting advice specifically for gay dads, whether he's about to welcome his first baby or parenting older children. From navigating adoption and surrogacy to childproofing your home, from finding LGBTQIA+-friendly pediatricians and schools to answering your child's questions about their birth and their mom, this fantastic dual-narrated guidebook includes advice from professionals in several fields to help any gay dad be the best dad he can be.

This collection from Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon started off with an essay in GQ about a trip he took to Fashion Week with his 13-year-old son, Abraham, and how it felt to realize his son was becoming a young man with his own interests and tastes. Chabon then wrote six more essays to form Pops. In this excellent collection about fatherhood, which he narrates himself, Chabon reflects on his relationships with his four children, his relationship with his own father, and the joys, frustrations, and mysteries of being a dad.

Written by esteemed playwright Mike Lew, tiny father tells the touching story of Daniel, a freelancer without health insurance, who suddenly finds himself caring for his premature newborn daughter all alone. While struggling to grow into fatherhood, he befriends a neonatal intensive care unit nurse with a busy life and complicated family of her own. Actors Ali Ahn (Supernatural) and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) lend their expert acting skills to the drama of navigating the joys and terrors of fatherhood with the help of a friend.

This memoir from bestselling author and Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander offers an extremely detailed look at life and the people we share it with. Sharing bits of poetry, letters, recipes, and other intimate personal artifacts, Alexander takes us through his entire life's journey, eventually introducing us to his daughters.

Listeners might be familiar with Luke Daniels as a beloved narrator and a member of Audible’s Narrator Hall of Fame, but not his personal heartbreak. Daniels found himself at a loss for words when his 21-month-old son passed away from breathing issues complicated by congenital birth defects. In Unspoken, the narrator and author tells the story of his son's life and their short time together, using comic-book metaphors, Shakespearean references, and lilting Irish brogues to help him navigate his grief. This is a deeply touching audiobook, especially for dads who have lost a child.

By now, bestselling master of mystery SA Cosby needs no introduction. His most recent novel, narrated by his longtime collaborator Adam Lazarre-White, drops the listener in Charon County, Virginia, as the county's first black sheriff takes on an increasingly complex mystery, starting with the seemingly cut-and-dry murder of a school teacher. Cosby takes the listener for a ride that is sure to shock, thrill, and leave lasting moral questions.

As the unofficial punk-rock dad of New York's restaurant scene, Anthony Bourdain's definitive memoir is just as philosophical as it is instructive. The late chef, author, and television personality graces this audiobook with his own voice, adding a crucial element of intimacy to this no-holds-barred look into the underbelly of high cuisine.

If your dad is crafty, he'll love listening to Mythbusters star Adam Savage talk about making stuff! With 40 years of maker experience under his (tool) belt, Savage has a lot of tips and advice for unleashing creativity to help any dad get started on a project, embrace the messes and mistakes he makes, understand the importance of taking time to cool down instead of overheating about a troubling issue, and more. Everything that happens when you're making something is important to the process. Every Tool's a Hammer also features advice on creativity and turning ideas into realities from other famous creators such as Nick Offerman and Guillermo del Toro.

Dad may think he knows everything there is to know about the Vietnam War, but the latest historical novel from blockbuster author Kristin Hannah proves yet again her unique ability to reveal a new side of history. In The Women, Hannah pays tribute to the nurses who served in the Vietnam War, using her heroine Frankie McGrath as a vessel. Frankie begins the story as a naive young woman, full of misplaced optimism, but quickly becomes the sort of steady and focused nurse dads will root for till the very end, especially with the dulcet voice of Julia Whelan as their guide.

The multi-Grammy-winning musician James Taylor has been making music for half a century now, which means he has been a favorite of dads for several generations. Taylor's lyrics are often autobiographical and tackle many of the joys and losses in his life, including the death of his mother and his struggles with mental illness and addiction. In this Audible Original, Taylor focuses on his early years before fame, combining storytelling with musical performances. Taylor's soothing voice throughout Break Shot is sure to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience that will please fans both young and old.

This is the story of Roman Dial’s two-year search for his son Cody in the jungles of Costa Rica. Roman had raised his son to be fearless, to seek out adventure amid earth’s wildest places and that was exactly what Cody was up to when he vanished. Join Dial as he deals with an uncooperative judicial system, a language barrier, and the possible involvement of criminals in his son’s disappearance. The Adventurer’s Son is a story of frustration and a father doing everything possible to find a missing child.

Sports fans and nonfiction fans alike are guaranteed to get something out of acclaimed storyteller Hanif Aqdurraqib's latest work, which marries his finely tuned cultural eye with exquisite storytelling and narration, and a deep love of the game of basketball. Memoir and history combine in this wholly original, intellectual, and emotional homage to basketball, the city of Columbus, Ohio, living legends and personal heroes, and, ultimately, what it means to be human.