Continuing his annual summer tradition, Barack Obama, 63, released his favourite reads of the season via Instagram and X on Tuesday.
“I’ve read some great books over the last few months and wanted to share some of my favourites,” the former president wrote in the caption of the post. “Let me know if you have any recommendations for books I should check out!”
Notable fiction picks among the 14 books on the list include Booker Prize longlist selections Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel and James by Percival Everett, who’s a favourite to take home the prestigious literary award.
Others include British debut author Kaliane Bradley’s New York Times bestseller Ministry of Time, mystery novel The God of the Woods by Liz Moore and Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman – a book that delves into the lives of warehouse workers.
Meanwhile, his non-fiction picks reveal the former president’s continued interest in weighty topics gripping American politics at the moment, including When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked up in the 1990s by John Ganz, a book described as “a revelatory look back at the convulsions at the end of the Reagan era – and their dark legacy today.”
Spawning from his love of hoops, he also includes autobiography There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib.
As is typically the case, the summer reading list was met with plenty of excitement on social media.
“I look forward to this every year,” an Instagram user going by the name hereweeread commented.
“Some of my favourite books have been recommended by you my forever president,” another named lmpons added.
If tradition is any indication, members of the unofficial Obama book club won’t have to wait too long for another batch of page-turners from the former president. Obama – who first began sharing his book picks in 2015 when he was still holding office – typically shares his favourite books of the year in December.
Scroll down for Obama’s complete Summer Reading List:
Fiction
James by Percival Everett
Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel
The God Of The Woods by Liz Moore
Beautiful Days by Zach Williams
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
Memory Piece by Lisa Ko
The Ministry Of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman
Nonfiction
There’s Always This Year: On Basketball And Ascension by Hanif Abdurragib
Everyone Who Is Gone Here: The United States, Central America, And The Making Of A Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer
When The Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, And How America Cracked Up In The Early 1990s by John Ganz
Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson
Of Boys And Men: Why The Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, And What To Do About It by Richard Reeves
The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides
