In honor of Father’s Day, here is a look at some recent titles that keep Dad in mind.
Man With a Pan, edited by John Donahue (Algonquin). Stephen King microwaves salmon. Mario Batali serves his kids monkfish liver. Thirty-four writers share their kitchen war stories and their recipes in this delightful anthology, perfect for any dad who’s had to whip up a weekday supper.
The Boy in the Moon, by Ian Brown (St. Martin’s). An exceptional book on a tough subject: Brown’s 13-year-old son was born with an extremely rare genetic malady that leaves him unable to speak and totally dependent. “Boy in the Moon” explores questions of fatherhood, medicine and humanity with honest intelligence.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, by John le Carre (Penguin). If Dad hasn’t read le Carre before (or even if he has), do him a favor and buy him the spymaster’s iconic 1974 thriller, one of four reissues in anticipation of the fall movie adaptation.
The Judges of the Secret Court, by David Stacton (New York Review Books). For the Civil War buff: This 1961 historical novel, long out of print, tells the story of brothers Edwin and John Wilkes Booth. Edwin was a celebrated Shakespearean actor; John Wilkes, infamously, became Lincoln’s assassin.
The Only Game in Town: Sportswriting From The New Yorker, edited by David Remnick (Modern Library). Here’s John Updike’s classic Ted Williams tribute with the great title (“Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu”), plus Roger Angell on baseball, Rebecca Mead on Shaquille O’Neal and David Owen on Tiger Woods.
