Check out Barack Obama’s 2019 summer reading list

Francis Akhalbey August 15, 2019
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

Barack Obama has yet again shared his summer reading list and as expected, his recommendations are all worth a read.

The former U.S. president took to his social media platforms on Wednesday to reveal the books he has been reading and also give a brief synopsis of each and every one of them.

“It’s August, so I wanted to let you know about a few books I’ve been reading this summer, in case you’re looking for some suggestions,” he shared.

His first recommendation was all the collected works of the first black woman to receive a Nobel Prize, Toni Morrison.

“To start, 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,” he said.

A trailblazing novelist, essayist, editor, teacher, and professor emeritus, Morrison passed away August 5th aged 88 after a short illness.

He then went ahead to share ten more books. Take a look at them below and also read the synopsis he provided. Be sure to add them to your reading list.

Image result for the nickel boys colson whitehead book cover
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

“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.”

Image result for Exhalation Ted Chiang
Exhalation by Ted Chiang

“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.”

Image result for Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel­
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel­

“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.”

Image result for Haruki Murakami Men Without Women
Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami

“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.”

Image result for American Spy Lauren Wilkinson
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

“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.”

Image result for The Shallows Nicholas Carr
The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

“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.”

Image result for Lab Girl Hope Jahren
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

“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.”

Image result for Inland Téa Obreht
Inland by Téa Obreht

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

Image result for Dinaw Mengestu How to Read the Air
How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu

“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.”

Image result for Maid Stephanie Land
Maid by Stephanie Land

“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.”

Last Edited by:Ismail Akwei Updated: August 15, 2019

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