Monty Don’s gardening book dubbed ‘one of the best’ is now free for Father’s Day

It can be hard to know what to get Dad for Father’s Day, but there’s bound to be loads for him to enjoy on Audible

It’s time to start thinking about what to get Dad for Father’s Day, but dads are, notoriously, tricky to buy for. They probably have all the gardening tools, cycling equipment, gaming accessories and golf kit they could ask for, and finding a small but meaningful gift for Father’s Day is always a challenge.

But here’s something Dad might not have thought of: enjoying an audiobook. Audiobooks are a great way to up reading time, as it’s easy to plug in headphones and go off for a walk, do work around the house or even listen while driving the car. If shoppers are looking for a perfect gift for Father’s Day, online audiobook and podcast service Audible has a one month free premium plus trial on offer. After the first month is done, it is then down to £8.99 a month with an array of books to listen to.

As the deal aligns perfectly with Father’s Day, it is worth noting some of the fan favourites for Dads on the platform. Firstly, there is Monty Don’s Down to Earth Gardening book which features gardening wisdom from Don himself – who is best known as the lead presenter of the BBC TV series Gardeners’ World – including essential tips, knowledge and musings from his 50 years of gardening experience.

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Not only do listeners get to hear Monty’s thoughts and garden ideas around nature, seasons, colour, design, pests and much more, they also hear his actual voice as he narrates the whole book.

If gardening isn’t everyone’s favourite hobby, Don also has another book available on Audible called Nigel: My Family and Other Dogs where he explores what makes us connect with animals so deeply. Speaking about his own dog Nigel, Don tells his story and relates his relationship with other special dogs in his life in a memoir of his dogs past and present.

Perhaps it’s fiction that Dad most enjoys. If so, there are an array of James Patterson books available on Audible. His books very much encapsulate the themes of mystery, thriller and suspense such as The Commuter. This book is about when a woman overhears a murder plot on her morning commute and as she tries to stop it – she ends up getting pulled in deeper than she could have ever imagined.

Another option is Richard Osman’s classic, The Thursday Murder Club, which follows four unlikely friends in a retirement village who meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders – that is until a brutal killing takes place on their own doorstep. It’s also about to come to Netflix as a film directed by Chris Columbus, so dads may want to get clued up on the mysteries before the film releases in August.

Audible isn’t the only platform with audiobooks, however. For example, Spotify offers over 250,000 audiobook titles for Premium subscribers to stream every month. Shoppers can enjoy 15 hours of audiobook listening time every month on the platform from sci-fi to romance and everything in between for £11.99 per month. Apple also has audiobooks available through Apple Books which allows shoppers to buy, find, listen to and read or listen to books.

However, the books on Audible have been rated highly, for example Don’s Down to Earth has a 4.9 out of 5 star rating on the platform from a total of 512 reviews. One listener wrote: “One of the best books I have listened to. It’s like he is sitting there in the room with you and soooooo interesting!!! He has an approach like no other gardener when explaining everything in such a poetic and feeling way…Highly recommended.”

Another said: “Excellent. Instructions are great… Follow the book to a wonderful looking garden.”

Another listener wrote: “Loved every minute of this book. I think I’m going to listen again right now.”

Despite the majority of excellent reviews, not everyone felt the same way. One person said: “As a not-even-beginner-yet gardener this book was an information overload. This is a book for the intermediate to experienced gardener to get new insights and inspiration.”

Another said: “Wonderful book read in his own charming and inimitable style. The only negative is the occasional speeding up (editor not narrator I suspect) which is very hard to take in at times.”

However, for a whole first month free just in time for Father’s Day, the Audible could be the perfect gift for dads everywhere.