Manly Book Recommendations

Just what the world needs right now.

It’s no secret that the fictional stories of today are not being written with manly men in mind. It’s also none too easy to find good books for men. So for those who would like to get into reading, or get back into reading and have no clue where to start, I have just what you need.

As you can probably guess by my name and my Substack’s name, I’m a woman. Don’t hold that against me, as I tend to like more manly stories and I like men. I just wanna help you guys out in the book department.

I have personally read all the books listed below and enjoyed each of them. It’s not an exhaustive list, just a repository for the next time you find yourself at a bookstore.

Let’s get recommending books for…

Men Who Don’t Read Fiction, But Hear It’s What Women Find an Attractive Habit

Double Indemnity by James M. Cain ~ It’s about this guy who gets seduced into helping a wife murder her husband so she can get the hefty insurance payout. So romantic, I know. It’s also a really good book with noir vibes. And not only will the title add approximately 30 IQ points to your intelligence, it’s short, so you can probably find a copy to shove into your back pocket.

Crack that spine and stare intensely at the words. Instant chick magnetic.

Results may vary. Don’t blame me if it doesn’t work.

My review.

Men Who Long for the Days of a Certain Empire

I get it. Rome had a lot of power, glory, tactical supremacy, and concrete that sets under water. But it’s not here anymore. Not really, anyway. What is here is the guidebook for starting it again. And that would be The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. The guy knew that in order to rule the world, you can’t take prisoners and you need to squash everyone who gets in your way or could get in your way. It’s time to rebuild the empire, guys. I believe in you.

I am not responsible for any legionaries that may appear in your area.

Men Who Want to Test How Stoic and Unfeeling They Are

Death be Not Proud by John Gunther ~ This is a bit of a wild card recommendation. It’s a non-fiction account of this man’s son who gets cancer. It details the treatments the son goes through in the last year-ish of his life. There’s this one scene—the graduation—which I would say is in my top three “ugly crying while reading” moments. I had to stop reading because I couldn’t see the words. It destroyed me and the whole story reminds me of what one of my own relatives experienced. Not a fun read, but if you want to check to make sure the tears will flow, this is a way to do that.

Don’t read it if you have a son, especially if he’s a teenager.

Men Who, as Boys, Dreamed of Sailing the Sea

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester ~ I’m right there with you, guys. The ocean is the set piece for many amazing adventures and outrageous fish encounters. With this book, you meet a teenage British boy entering the Navy at the beginning of the Napoleonic Wars. He’s green, he’s gangly, but he’s got guts. And by the end, he’s becoming a man. It has ship jargon aplenty, with battles, schemes and problematic cargo to entertain. Check out my review.

And a bonus boat book is Longitude by Dava Sobel, which recounts how the measuring of longitude came about.

Men Who Wear Spurs, Chaps, Six-Shooters, and Possibly Carry Lassos

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry ~ I recommend this book to just about everybody. But if you wish you could drive cattle from Texas to Montana using just horses, this is a particularly perfect book for you. It’s also a thick book, so it might actually last you an entire cattle drive across state lines.

Men Who Like Dogs and Cars

Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck ~ Steinbeck is one of my personal favorite authors because he makes the most mundane subjects come alive. This is an autobiographical recounting of his trip across America in his car with his dog and, you know…I got nothing else to say. Go read it.

Men Who Are Sophisticated and Wear Suits or Something

The Benjamin Weaver series by David Liss ~ Murder, thieves, bankers, fist fights, the 18^th century stock market, and that’s just the first book. This series is one of my favorites, both of all-time and in the historical fiction genre. The writing is glorious, the mysteries are confusing but intriguing, the world is one I loved exploring, and the characters are interesting. It’s a great time all around and it’ll make you smarter than you perhaps already are.

My review.

Men Who Are Sick of Teenagers in Fantasy Stories

The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold ~ I don’t know what it is with teenagers monopolizing fantasy adventures, but I’m a little sick of it. So when I read this book and found out that the main guy is in his thirties (or maybe his forties, I forget), I was shocked and instantly more fascinated. At one point he chops wood all day and after that he just wants to sleep. And if that isn’t a ringing endorsement of a story, I’m doing it all wrong.

Admittedly, I do not have as strong a memory of this book as I’d like, but it sticks out as one of the best can-be-read-as-a-standalone fantasy novels that I’ve found.

Shoutout to the City Watch sub-series in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. Sam Vimes is a great older character in a fantasy world. Personal favorite book, so far, is Night Watch.

And one more mention goes to the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series by Fritz Leiber. Two dudes being dudes, going on adventures and encountering strange magic. At times I was reminded of Skyrim.

Men Who Hang Out with the Lads and Enjoy a Good Lark

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome ~ If you don’t like early 20^th century British humor (or Terry Pratchett), your mileage will not extend to this book. It follows these three guys who decide to take a trip up the Thames and it’s utterly ridiculous. Example: they try to open a can of pineapple without a can opener and hijinks ensue. The whole thing is hilarious but it’s sprinkled with observations of the passing landscape and towns to allow you to catch your breath between bouts of wheezing laughter.

I would encourage you to get the audiobook narrated by Hugh Laurie. But any talented British narrator will do.

Another author in the similar vein is P. G. Wodehouse. Again, get an audiobook, preferably narrated by Jonathan Cecil, and don’t listen while you’re driving ‘cause you might die laughing. I have a soft spot for Joy in the Morning.

And finally…

Men Who Will Submit to Reading ONE Girlie Book

This is a delicate one because I want to pick a book a man actually has a chance of liking. So sorry, but no Jane Austen. I waffled. I flapjacked. I rolled. I marinated. And then I stewed. It was a toughie.

Ultimately, I couldn’t really decide. My contenders are:

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (my review)

Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (my Rebecca and Cousin reviews)

Pick a book with a woman’s name in it and go for it, seems to be my MO for this category. It’ll really depend on how much writing style you want to wade through. Anne is a simple read but the others are more moody and full of longer paragraphs of landscape descriptions and inner mind workings.

Another way to look at this category is for me to pick a super fluffy story that has no raunch whatsoever, and that would go to The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. (It’s fairytale retellings set in a sci-fi world—Cinderella is a cyborg.)

If you want a more personalized girlie book recommendation, ask me in the comments.

But the true finale of this post is a sampling of manly books I want to read, but haven’t gotten to yet.

The Conquerors series by Conn Iggulden. It’s about Genghis Khan. ‘Nuff said.

The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell. I watched the tv show and enjoyed it.

Warhammer books. I’ve heard the Eisenhorn trilogy is good.

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What manly books would you recommend? Do you want a part two to this list? And would you be interested in a similar list, but for young boys?

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