Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

I am so thankful for this topic because if I hadn’t seen it, I would have forgotten all about Father’s Day. In contrast to the Mother’s Day freebie, I found it a lot easier to find books that feature a father figure. Here are my chosen 10 books that feature a father figure.

1. The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson: An obvious choice. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, Morgan Matson does a great job at exploring familial, romantic and platonic relationships. This book in particular had a strong emphasis on the relationship between Andie and her father as they reconnect following a political scandal.

2. The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski: The relationship between Kestrel and her father is, to put it lightly, complicated. Specifically in the Winner’s Crime we get to explore more of the dynamic between them. Kestrel loves her father but refuses to conform to the expectations of society. Kestrel and her father share that strategic intelligence but it’s Kestrel’s emotional capacity that differentiates them. His actions have a profound affect on Kestrel throughout the series.

3. Nowhere but Here by Katie McGarry: The focus on family in this book is evident. Emily’s summer plans take a dramatic turn when she finds herself spending the duration of it with her biological father’s family. It’s a rocky relationship to start with, filled with a lot of secrets and misunderstanding. Nothing is as it seems and as the secrets are uncovered, Emily finds herself understanding this family and eventually embracing them. On top of that, Emily has a strong relationship with her step-father. His support and encouragement in having Emily connect with her biological father was incredibly heart warming to witness.

4. Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Berry: Annie’s relationship with her father was one of the high points in this book. Don’t get me wrong his over-protectiveness frustrated me at times but we understand why that is and how his toxic relationship with Annie’s mother influenced that side of him. Over the duration of this book we see Annie’s father learn to treat her as an adult and let her take charge of her own choices.

5. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta: The characters are at the heart of this book and fortunately for us we are treated to an array of complex characters and the dynamic between them. The dynamic between Finnikin and his father was really interesting to me. Having been separated for a significant period of time, their reunion meant having to get to know one another again.

6. The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) by Brandon Sanderson: I’d call this a student/teacher relationship more than a familial one but the dynamic between Kelsier and Vin stole the show in this book. We learn a lot about these two and at first glance you could say that they are like mirror images of one another. However, throughout the course of the book we see the cracks emerge and whereas Kelsier has this black and white view of the world and his enemies, Vin is the one to see the shades of grey in this world and how everything is not as simple.

7. The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick: I had to put this book in. It’s obvious that Mr. Garrett is a much loved man, and is often the one the Garrett’s turn to for advice. I especially loved the relationship between him and Alice in this book. Still recovering from the injuries sustained in My Life Next Door, Alice is the one that ends up taking charge of the family, putting her own life on hold in the process.

8. The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson: It has been a couple of years since I read this book and it’s not one I’ve highlighted much but this book has an incredible father/daughter dynamic. Specifically, this book looks at how Hayley’s father’s PTSD affects her. It’s unflinchingly honest in its portrayal.

9. A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab: The characters take center stage in this book and gives us some insight into the dynamic between Kell, Rhy and their parents. Maxim Maresh is a fascinating character. Where is the line between a father and king? He has an incredible influence on both Rhy and Kell. We see how Rhy aspires to be the best leader he can be and longs to prove his capabilities to Maxim. Kell, on the other hand has a more strained relationship with Maxim and this book highlights the way Maxim uses Kell as a political possession used to bolster his kingdom. That does not mean that he holds no affection for Kell but his duties as king come first.

10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: My favourite fictional parents. Hans Hubermann is the absolute sweetest. His love and care for Liesel is heartwarming.

Those are my favourite books with a strong paternal presence.
Who’s your favourite fictional father?