Here Are All the Books Barack Obama Thinks You Should Read This Year

Andrea Romano

Updated Thu, January 3, 2019 at 10:16 AM UTC

New Year, new books to read.

Whenever Jan. 1 rolls around, many people out there are looking for some new ways to better themselves and enrich their lives. One way to do this is to gather up some good reads in order to expand your horizons in 2019.

But if you don’t know where to start, you’re in luck, because former President Barack Obama has some excellent recommendations.

It has become a yearly tradition for Obama to recommend his favorite books, movies, and music at the year’s end, and 2018 was no different.

The former president posted on social media to recommend his picks for the best in entertainment over the last year, including movies like “Black Panther,” “BlacKkKlansman,” and “Annihilation,” as well as songs from artists like The Carters, Cardi B, H.E.R., and Hozier.

But his list of books is especially incredible for anyone in need of a few page turners.

At the top of the list, of course, was Michelle Obama’s memoir, “Becoming,” which is already the best-selling hardcover book of 2018, according to The Washington Post.

Former President Obama’s other picks include “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, and “Florida” by Lauren Groff.

Below is a full list of Obama’s favorite books.

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

“An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones

“Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die” by Keith Payne

“Educated” by Tara Westover

“Factfulness” by Hans Rosling

“Futureface: A Family Mystery, an Epic Quest, and the Secret to Belonging” by Alex Wagner

“A Grain of Wheat” by Ngugi wa Thiong’o

“A House for Mr Biswas” by V.S. Naipaul

“How Democracies Die” by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

“In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History” by Mitch Landrieu