[LIST] OBAMA’S SUMMER 2019 READING RECOMMENDATIONS

Former U.S. President Barack Obama has always been an avid reader of books that have spanned various genres. From fictional short stories about racism and the human condition to biographies on science, there is always something for everyone on his list. Obama recently released his Summer 2019 Reading Recommendations. Check them out here:

https://www.facebook.com/barackobama/posts/10156922814871749

Various Works by Toni Morrison

Barack’s Blurb: “You can’t go wrong by reading or re-reading the collected works of Toni Morrison. Beloved, Song of Solomon, The Bluest Eye, Sula, everything else — they’re transcendent, all of them. You’ll be glad you read them.”

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Barack’s Blurb: “Sometimes difficult to swallow, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead is a necessary read, detailing the way Jim Crow and mass incarceration tore apart lives and wrought consequences that ripple into today.”

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

Barack’s Blurb: “Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction.”

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel­

Barack’s Blurb: “Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel­’s epic fictionalized look at Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power, came out in 2009, but I was a little busy back then, so I missed it. Still great today”

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami

Barack’s Blurb: “Haruki Murakami’s Men Without Women examines what happens to characters without important women in their lives; it’ll move you and confuse you and sometimes leave you with more questions than answers.”

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

Barack’s Blurb: “American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson is a whole lot more than just a spy thriller, wrapping together the ties of family, of love, and of country.”

The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

Barack’s Blurb: “The Shallows by Nicholas Carr came out a few years ago, but its arguments on the internet’s impact on our brains, our lives, and our communities are still worthy of reflection, which is something we all could use a little more of in this age.”

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Barack’s Blurb: “Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is a beautifully written memoir about the life of a woman in science, a brilliant friendship, and the profundity of trees. Terrific.”

Inland by Téa Obreht

Barack’s Blurb: “Inland by Téa Obreht just came out, so I won’t spoil anything. But those of you who’ve been waiting for Obreht’s next novel won’t be disappointed.”

How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu

Barack’s Blurb: “You’ll get a better sense of the complexity and redemption within the American immigrant story with Dinaw Mengestu’s novel, How to Read the Air.”

Maid by Stephanie Land

Barack’s Blurb: “Maid by Stephanie Land is a single mother’s personal, unflinching look at America’s class divide, a description of the tightrope many families walk just to get by, and a reminder of the dignity of all work.”

It’s really cool to see such a variety of books, not only of genre but also in publication dates! If you’re looking for something new to read this fall, you should really pick up something from Obama’s Summer 2019 Reading Recommendations.