Former president Barack Obama shared his annual list of his favorite read of the year on Saturday, recommending 19 books from throughout 2019.
The president’s list includes a mix of fiction and nonfiction, ranging from Jia Tolentino’s bestselling essay collection “Trick Mirror” to Sally Rooney’s soon-to-be adapted “Normal People” and National Book Award winners “Trust Exercise” by Susan Choi and “The Yellow House” by Sarah M. Broom.
Obama also recommended books for sports fans, “A Different Way to Win: Dan Rooney’s Story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule” by Jim Rooney and “The Sixth Man” by Andre Iguodala.
These suggestions builds on Obama’s 2019 summer reading list, which he shared in August. That list included works from veteran authors like Colson Whitehead, Téa Obreht and the late Toni Morrison.
The list has become a tradition over the past couple of years, with Obama taking to social media to share some of his favorite reads each December.
“This has become a fun little tradition for me, and I hope it is for you, too,” he wrote on Instagram. “Because while each of us has plenty that keeps us busy–work and family life, social and volunteer commitments–outlets like literature and art can enhance our day-to-day experiences. They’re the fabric that helps make up a life–the album that lifts us up after a long day, the dog-eared paperback we grab off the shelf to give to a friend, the movie that makes us think and feel in a new way, works that simply help us escape for a bit.”
Obama also promised to share some of his favorite movies and music from 2019 in the coming days.
See the full list below.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6oYKxAgCn7/