Every year, we are always stuck with the same predicament… what to buy our Dads for Father’s Day…
From Ashley: One of my most vivid memories from childhood is building a teepee in our living room and making my dad lay in it while I went one by one and brought EVERY single book I owned out and presented it to him. We still have the home videos of me running back and forth a million times. My dad just sat there patiently for hours pretending to be so engrossed in each book I brought out for him.
From an early age, reading was always so important to me. I was never the girl who was outside swinging from trees and running amok– my sister handled that for the both of us. When I was in grammar school we had book orders– where we would walk down with our class and look at all the books and posters and then you could order them. Well, my dad made a huge mistake back then. He told me that I could have as many books as I wanted- and that he would always support my desire to learn. I think he is kicking himself for that now, because I try and read 100 books every single year. When those boxes of books came to our classes, it was like Christmas. I am eternally grateful for all of his support in regards to my love of learning and reading. It has made me the person I am today- and has shaped my life in so many ways. I am proud to say that little hobby of mine is now my career and it is all because of him.
What’s funny is now my dad is the one who loves to read. He used to hate it because it was much too leisurely an activity for a former NHRA racer, but over the past few years his collection has grown, and maybe even surpassed mine. I was so thankful when he started voraciously reading. If you remember our previous gift guides, my struggle was always- what to get the man who has everything. Books are the perfect gifts- and a gift that I give often.
From Emily: Like Ashley, reading has always been incredibly important to my family. I have so many memories of my parents reading to my sister and I before bed – but never did I realize its true importance more than when I had William.
One of the requests at my baby shower was for everyone bring a book and write a note on the inside cover. The idea was that each book would have an even more special meaning this way, and we could always read the notes to William to let him know how much he was loved.
One night, after my baby shower, my dad came over for dinner and brought me a gift. He said he knew“baby showers weren’t really a guy thing” but he wanted to contribute to William’s library nonetheless. He brought a new edition of Curious George – that had Spanish translations as well. He explained that he thought the reason my sister and I always did so well in school was because he and my mom always read to us as kids. To this day, every time he comes over, he asks me, “Are you reading to William? Emily — now I don’t mean just one book a night… I mean lots of books.” Thankfully I can always tell him the answer is, yes. We read to William constantly, especially before bed, and I am so thankful it is a tradition my parents started with me, and I hope Joe and I pass it down to William as well.
When it comes to Father’s Day, I always know my dad will LOVE a good book – and thankfully we have very similar tastes in this department. Before I went away to college, my dad gave me two of his favorite books – and I’ll never forget this gesture. He gave me Michael Lewis’, Liar’s Poker <<< a finance classic, and this cookbook >>> here. <<<Joe and I are always being asked for our “secret” recipes and 99% of them are from that cookbook. He wrote a little inscription on both inside covers and they are gifts I will treasure forever. So, in return, on Father’s Day, I know he’ll enjoy anything that has to do with business, leadership, finance… or cooking. 🙂
So if you’re like us, and have no idea what to buy your dads for Father’s Day– books are the way to go. We have partnered with Barnes and Noble to highlight some of our favorite titles for dads. From cookbooks, to business books, to books about politics – Barnes & Noble has you covered.
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Photos By: Kourtney Teel
