books transport, open eyes and affirm life. Whether you’re itching for your next adventure or looking for a little inspiration, get all that and more from these glorious reads. they are our top list of books that every man should read in the life of him.
You are reading: Books every man should read
You are reading: Books every man should read
With some classics and novelties in the mix, there’s something for every type of reader. And if you’re looking for a great gift for the bibliophile in his life, this list has you covered.
35 books to read in your life
You are reading: Books every man should read
1. gift from the sea by anne morrow lindbergh
There’s a good reason this 1955 non-fiction bestseller was translated into 45 languages: we all have something to learn from it. A woman rents a cabin by the sea on Captiva Island, Florida. she walks on the beach, collecting seashells (a metaphor for reflecting on life), and enjoys time away from the busy daily life as a mother of five, replacing it with sweeping the dust from her cabin, connecting with nature, and wandering around. . . It doesn’t seem like it should work, but it will change your view of everything from work and women to the importance of solitude and hitting the pause button every once in a while.
[$10.99; amazon.com]2. swell: a surfer’s awakening journey by liz clark
This 2018 memoir is an armchair traveler’s dream or nightmare, or a bit of both. In the autobiography, we follow Clark as she sails alone in 2006 from Santa Barbara, California, to the South Pacific. if you spent half of quarantine watching youtube videos of people living fascinating and nomadic lives, do yourself a favor and grab this one soon.
[$11.49; amazon.com]3. mad by storm: survival memoirs of norman ollestad
It’s a miracle this 2009 page-turning memoir and New York Times bestseller hasn’t been made into a movie. A few years ago, Sean Penn was meant to direct the film adaptation of the book, but it fell through. We think it’s a blessing in disguise, because no amount of cinematic glory could capture this incredible story of a boy who survives a plane crash on the side of a mountain interwoven with stories of surfing, road trips, and a look at the troubled relationship of Stay with your father.
[$8.99; amazon.com]You are reading: Books every man should read
4. world travel : an irreverent guide by anthony bourdain and laurie woolever
This posthumous travel guide published in the spring of 2021 is already a #1 New York Times bestseller, and with good reason. it’s fun, sharp, practical and makes this pale blue dot look like ours for the taking. Whether you’re looking for Bourdain’s thoughts on Tangier or where to stay in Toronto, this comprehensive book has it all, along with some stellar essays from Bourdain’s friends, brother, and coworkers about the man who made us all want travel to parts unknown, whether it’s just around the corner or the other side of the world.
[$19.99; amazon.com]5. manhattan ’45 by jan morris
The world lost a legendary wordsmith when Morris died at the age of 94, but you only need to pick up this book that captures the golden age of New York City to feel her spirit guide you through the streets, from Harlem to wall street, up, up, to the dazzling architecture of the buildings, and even for a drink at the manhattan club. At a time when we all feel divorced from the vibrancy of our cities, it’s a quick read that roars an affirming anthem for metropolitan residents: That’s why I didn’t move to rural Michigan.
[$25; amazon.com]You are reading: Books every man should read
6. tuesdays with morrie: an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson, mitch albom 20th anniversary edition
when albom’s college professor from nearly 20 years ago is diagnosed with ela, he, an overworked sportswriter whose life is falling apart, is able to reconnect with him and learn the life and death lessons that many are afraid to teach. or talk if you’re feeling overwhelmed by dense tomes lately, these best-selling memoirs from 1997 can easily be devoured in a sitting or two.
[$13.99; amazon.com]7. tell me how it ends: an essay in 40 questions by valeria luiselli
Mexican author Valeria Luisell shows off her great pen skills in this 2017 nonfiction essay. It consists of 40 questions Luiselli asks detained and undocumented Latin American children in her role as a volunteer interpreter in federal immigration courts in new york city. as one goodreads reviewer put it: “devastating and vital.”
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[$9.99; amazon.com]8. inner ranges : an anthology of mountain thoughts and mountain people by geoff powter
If being one with the mountains is your thing, it’s hard to outshine this collection of alpine stories that won the 2019 National Award for Outdoor Literature as well as the 2019 Banff Mountain Book Award for Climbing Literature. Fittingly, it covers a lot of ground, from essays on 21st-century adventure to adrenaline-pumping sagas of life at great, glorious, and terrifying heights.
[$10.49; amazon.com]9. Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Speaking of rural Michigan, it has its merits too, especially when 16-year-old Margo Crane is your tour guide. she guides readers through an action-packed river journey. With themes of factory pollution, abuse, and living off the land seeping in everywhere, 2011’s coming-of-age story is one you won’t soon forget.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]10. under the wave at waimea by paul theroux
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This spring 2021 release is theroux at its fictional best: descriptive, nuanced, shrewd, and just a little off-putting for what a good writer it is. The novel tells the story of a champion surfer who accidentally kills a homeless man with his car while drunk. surf culture, hawaii, the road to renewal: there is much to love in these 421 pages.
[$15.99; amazon.com]11. the mosquito coast by paul theroux
Okay, we’ll try not to fill this entire list with theroux picks. This 1982 instant bestseller was shortlisted for the American Book Award, and it’s a novel you won’t be able to put down, even on its fifth reading: Mad inventor and genius Allie Fox moves her family from America to the jungle of depths in a story that very well can change the way you see the world. In 1986, Harrison Ford starred in the film version of the novel, and now it’s an especially timely read or reread, as it’s an Apple TV series starring Theroux’s nephew, Justin Theroux.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]12. idaho by emily ruskovich
This 2017 debut novel is ostensibly about a mother who murders her son, but it’s really about the psychological torments that haunt us all. With the story told from different perspectives, evocative depictions of Idaho’s remote mountainsides, and thought-provoking symbolism, it’s easy to see why Ruskovich won the prestigious Dublin International Literary Award for Idaho.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]13. savage: lost to found on the pacific ridge trail by cheryl strayed
If ever there was a hiking memory to read, this is it. Hailed as one of the best books of the year by npr, the entertainment weekly, and more after its 2012 release, strayed tells a deeply moving, sometimes humorous, and always vivid account of his walk of more than 1,000 miles along the pct in an attempt to change his life, or at least find something resembling life again after the death of his mother, the dissolution of his marriage and drug addiction in a few years in his twenties.
[$11.99; amazon.com]14. population: 485: meet your neighbors one mermaid at a time by michael perry
these wisconsin memoirs from 2001 will lure you in and deter you from taking the plunge. After a 10-year absence, Perry returns to his rural Wisconsin hometown and joins the volunteer fire department where he fights fires and works as an EMT. In a village of just 485 people, he gets calls of heartbreaking tragedies and crazier-than-fiction humor along the way, dogged by a bunch of philosophical wax that he never preaches, but really makes you think.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]15. pachinko by min jin lee
this historical novel shares the stories of four generations of a poor korean immigrant family who eventually moved to japan, tracing their haunting tales from 1910 to 1989. if you’ve read this book in the new york times top ten of the year , immerse yourself in his equally enticing free lunch for millionaires, which revolves around a couple’s dissolution in new york city.
[$11.99; amazon.com]16. cross country: a 3,700 mile race to explore unseen america by rickey gates
what happens when a professional runner tours the country with a high quality camera? a fine tribute to the people and places that make up our nation on the journey from south carolina to san francisco. the only drawback? the last page makes you wish you had about 100 more images and stories to post.
[$2.84; amazon.com]17. the invisible man by ralph ellison
First published in 1952, this national book award for fiction exposes the plight of racism in our country through the story of an anonymous black man in the 1920s and 1930s both in the South and in the city. from New York. With visible inspiration from James Joyce, Fyodor Dostoevsky and T.S. eliot (particularly the wasteland), is the equivalent of killing a mockingbird which probably wasn’t taught in English class.
[$11.99; amazon.com]18. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Wild Ride to the Heart of the American Dream by Hunter S. thompson and illustrated by ralph steadman
this bestselling 1971 book got a terrific cinematic treatment starring johnny depp and benicio del toro in 1998, but nothing compares to the journey of both the psychedelic persuasion and the highway captured on the pages in the inimitable language by thompson. expect drugs, drama and some strange dr. duke interludes.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]19. cork dork: a wine-fueled adventure between obsessive sommeliers, big bottle hunters, and rogue scientists who taught me to live for taste by bianca bosker
Dive into the wild world of wine in this 2017 non-fiction memoir in which the author quits her job to become a sommelier and takes us to wineries, restaurants, pageants and more with no shortage of wacky character explorations in the path. À votre santé!
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[$9.99; amazon.com]20. travels with charley in search of america by john steinbeck
Possibly the best cross-country travelogue you’ll ever read Written by one of America’s greatest authors, this 1962 novella takes you through cities and badlands, breathtaking vistas and sheer cliffs. Steinbeck evocatively captures himself, his beloved pup (Charley), and his country in a moment filled with literal and figurative crossroads.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]21. blue roads: a trip to america by william less heat-moon
A masterful storyteller with Osage, English, and Irish roots, Less Heat-Moon puts you in the passenger seat for its weird, poignant, and always entertaining zigzag across the country. With evocative photographs of the characters he meets, he embodies the true spirit of truck life before he was a social media trope, taking us to small towns in New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon and beyond. published in 1982 after his wanderings in ’78 after losing his job and separating from his wife, he will make you yearn for the open road.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]You are reading: Books every man should read
22. house made of sunrise by n. scott’s mom
The Kiowa novelist and poet dazzles in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Abel, a Native American veteran who walks the line between his cultural upbringing and the modern world that is as relevant today as when it was first published in 1968. With stunning natural scenery and lyrical language throughout, you’ll definitely end up feeling inspired to wander around New Mexico, or retire to a Los Angeles club with a whiskey, or both.
[$10.99; amazon.com]23. the unlikely hiker: a journey down the appalachian trails by derick lugo
In this 2019 memoir, the young Black author steps away from the comfort of his New York City home to attempt to trek the 2,184.2-mile behemoth that is the Appalachian Trail. The self-proclaimed unlikely challenger produces a remarkable book, not only for the beautiful renderings of the landscape, but for the way he leaves you itching to lace up your boots and experience it for yourself.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]24. in nature by jon krakauer
How could you not include this non-fiction wonder on the list? Follows the true-life story of Christopher McCandless’ pilgrimages to Alaska from his comfortable upbringing in Virginia. If you saw the 2007 movie and loved it, prepare to be truly wowed when you pick up the 1996 international bestseller. (And if you’ve already read this half a dozen times, we suggest you add Krakauer’s excellent exploration of Mormon fundamentalists , under the banner of heaven: a story of violent faith).
[$12.99; amazon.com]25. the color of water: a black man’s tribute to his white mother by james mcbride
this 1995 new york times bestseller is mcbride’s poignant memoir of the struggles and triumphs of being born to a jewish mother and a black father in 1957. although his mother converted to christianity, mcbride lived his life at the intersection of many cultures and crossroads, but what stands out most about this book is the reminder that we are all, above all else, human.
[$12.99; amazon.com]26. the geography of happiness: a grump’s search for the happiest places in the world by eric weiner
everyone needs a good self-help book. Weiner’s quest for the happiest place on the planet, and the secrets of its inhabitants, is delivered in spades with science, laugh-out-loud personal anecdotes, and hard-earned lessons woven throughout. you’ll turn the last page feeling better than when you started.
[$10.99; amazon.com]27. Alone Time: Four Seasons, Four Cities, and the Pleasures of Solitude by Stephanie Rosenbloom
If only we knew when this book came out in 2018 how much we’d all enjoy being alone two short years later. maybe we would have gone on a whirlwind solo tour of paris, istanbul, florence, and new york city to prepare our souls for what was to come. rosenbloom’s adventures on unaccompanied pilgrimages certainly provide us all with a great roadmap.
[$8.99; amazon.com]28. a hedonist in the cellar: adventures in wine by jay mcinerney
From the author of Bright Lights, Big City comes this delightful 2006 collection of essays on all things wine. Needless to say, it’s best enjoyed with your favorite glass of wine.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]29. the god of small things by arundhati roy
The 1997 Man Booker Award-winning fiction film takes place in 1969 in Kerala, India, and centers on twin twins who confront the abhorrent “laws of love” that decide who should be loved and how much. sometimes heartbreaking, the book explores everything from forbidden love to social unrest.
[$12.99; amazon.com]30. the colson whitehead underground railway
Historical fiction keeps you captivated from the first page to the last in this Pulitzer Prize-winning wonder of the antebellum South. With characters that jump off the page and language that punches you in the gut, let this be your gateway to the Trinity School and Harvard-raised author.
[$11.99; amazon.com]31. the story of a shipwrecked sailor by gabriel garcía márquez
Márquez narrates the shipwreck of a Colombian ship and a man who survived 10 days alone at sea. published in 1955, it’s one of the best man vs. nature sagas you’ll ever read. It is certainly a non-fiction gem that he will want to return to again and again.
[$11.99; amazon.com]32. stories i tell myself: growing up with hunter s. Thompson by John F. thompson
If you’re reading our site, let’s go ahead and guess you’re a fan of the inimitable hunters. Thompson In this revealing 2016 memoir, El’s son Juan de El shares her experience growing up with the legendary author in Woody Creek, Colorado, including his struggles and triumphs.
[$12.99; amazon.com]33. dalva by jim harrison
jim harrison has always held a special place in our library. This 1988 glimpse into the life of a young woman who leaves California to return home to the wide expanse of Nebraska for a new life with her long-lost son. this is moving and powerful, poignant and teasing.
[$9.87; amazon.com]34. Virgil’s Aeneid
“i sing of arms and a man…” possibly the most epic journey of all time begins as aeneas sets sail for rome. Translated by Robert Fagles, this classic text dates to around 20 B.C. The 12 books of the Latin epic poem cover war, love, treacherous seas, and enough deep lines to fill a tattoo wish list.
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[$9.99; amazon.com]35. kafka on the shore by haruki murakami
This “metaphysical mind-blower” from 2006, according to the New Yorker, introduces you to a teenage runaway and an old man. their stories intersect and while their backgrounds couldn’t be more different, the stories of both will hit you in the stomach in exactly the same way. Pathos, man.
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