I think my dad did the same thing. The two books I remember him recommending were: Have Spacesuit Will Travel by Heinlein and Ivanhoe but Sir Walter Scott. If you don't mind sharing what books did your dad recommend?
He's recommended so many over the years...probably the most memorable were the Hornblower series (great if you like ships), and G.A. Henty. then the Three Musketeers when I was a bit older. He's also always wanted me to read Dostoyevsky's the Idiot, his favorite, but I haven't gotten around to that...