The best audiobooks for dads

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.

Dear Black Dads: Wisdom For Your Journey to Fatherhood is a powerful balance of personal story telling and a combatant to the old negative stereotypes that plague African American fathers. This personal development title is a collaboration of fathers, all raising their children together while changing the negative fatherhood narrative in the black community. Dear Black Dads is an amazing listen for father’s to be, or father’s looking to make a change through their parenting.

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.

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.

Father's Day is another wonderful listen that proves there's not just one way to define a father. Harvey is just six years old when her parents die in a car crash. Her only remaining family member is an uncle, Jason, a disabled felon with anger issues. But thanks to the instincts of a kind social worker, Harvey and Jason discover they are exactly what each other needs, and they help each other begin to heal. The story follows Harvey at six and also in the present as a young woman in Paris getting ready to return home for a visit. This novel will tug on your heartstrings, and it’s made all the more amazing by the voice work of the legendary actor Bronson Pinchot.

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.

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.

One of the most daunting tasks in parenting is the balancing act of career and raising a child. Working fathers are left to juggle the responsibilities of being an actively engaged parent with ensuring they remain productive and on task with work-life demands—no easy feat. If you or a dad you know is in need of a guide to navigating these roles, Workparent by Daisy Dowling is an excellent resource. With helpful tips on childcare, coping with feelings of guilt and self-doubt, and making it through day-to-day stressors, this listen is an absolute must for the working dad in your life.

Sweetgirl is a great novel for dads who love compelling, True Grit-esque tales of familial love and crime. It also happens to feature an excellent dual narration. 16-year-old Percy James is trying to locate her mother at a local drug dealer's house before the storm comes when she finds something completely unexpected: an abandoned baby. Impulsively, Percy takes the child, which leads to her being pursued through a blizzard by a dangerous drug dealer. Helping Percy make her escape is a man who dated her mother for several years and was more of a father figure to her than anyone else, and still holds a place in his heart for her.

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.

No Father's Day book list is complete without Erik Larson, one of the most popular historians of our day. Known for The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake, Larson turns his attention to Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz in his latest release. The Splendid and the Vile includes information gathered from diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports to cover the 12 months of bombing. It also examines both Churchill's professional side as prime minister and his private side as a family man with a son and daughter at home. The audiobook is expertly narrated by Larson and much-lauded audiobook actor and narrator John Lee. Plus, as a real treat for history buffs, this listen includes a recording of Churchill's 1941 Christmas Eve speech!

Many books about fatherhood focus on fathers and sons, but far fewer are devoted to the father-daughter relationship. David Chariandy's I've Been Meaning to Tell You is one. It's written as a letter for his 13-year-old daughter, in which he tells her some hard facts about the past and life he wants her to know now. The son of Black and South Asian migrants from Trinidad, Chariandy explains to his daughter the truths about their ancestry and the legacies of slavery, indenture, and immigration. Reading his own letter, the author talks about the current world and the bigotry and hate that still surrounds them—but also expresses his hopes and dreams for her and a better world. This listen is a powerful testament of a father's love for his daughter.

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.

Poet Clint Smith returns with a vibrant new collection inspired by his experiences as a father. Through this listen, Smith travels deep into his own psyche to uncover his deepest feelings regarding fatherhood, family, purpose, responsibility, and love. Rest assured, Above Ground doesn't just stick with the saccharine stuff. This piece of art covers the full spectrum of emotion in an incredibly compelling way.

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.

A lot of kids dream about what it would be like if their dad was a spy—Stewart Copeland lived it. Copeland is best known as a musician, composer, and founding member with Sting of new-wave icons The Police. What many people don't know is that Copeland's dad actually was a spy. In this Audible Original podcast, Copeland takes listeners on a journey as he and his sister recall their pampered upbringing while moving around the Middle East and their naivety surrounding what their father did for a living, which came complete with dangerous espionage missions, home invasions, and shootouts.

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.

Part investigation, part memoir Pops is the story of a Craig Melvin’s journey to better understand his father, his addictions, and the challenges that his father faced which lead him to spiral. Along the way, Melvin shares raw lessons he's learned about fatherhood from the previous generations. This memoir is a reminder of family strength, love and forgiveness.

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.

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.

By now, bestselling master of mystery SA Cosby barely needs an introduction. His latest effort 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.