Barack Obama's Reading Lists

This is one of the 743 lists we use to generate our main The Greatest Books list.

About this list

Barack Obama, 172 Books

This is every book that Barack Obama listed on his yearly reading lists since 2008 to 2015

This list was originally published in 2025 and was added to this site 8 months ago.

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Cover of 'Mark Twain' by Ron Chernow
Mark Twain

Ron Chernow

Cover of 'The Book Of Records' by Madeleine Thien
The Book Of Records

Madeleine Thien

Cover of 'King Of Ashes' by S. A. Cosby
King Of Ashes

S. A. Cosby

Cover of 'Abundance' by Ezra Klein
Abundance

Ezra Klein

Cover of 'Rosarita' by Anita Desai
Rosarita

Anita Desai

Cover of 'Audition' by Katie Kitamura
Audition

Katie Kitamura

Cover of 'The Buffalo Hunter Hunter' by Stephen Graham Jones
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Stephen Graham Jones

Cover of 'A Marriage At Sea' by Sophie Elmhirst
A Marriage At Sea

Sophie Elmhirst

Cover of 'Who Is Government?' by Michael M. Lewis
Who Is Government?

Michael M. Lewis

Cover of 'The Sirens' Call' by Chris Hayes
The Sirens' Call

Chris Hayes

Cover of 'James' by Percival Everett
James

Percival Everett

Cover of 'There's Always This Year' by Hanif Abdurraqib
There's Always This Year

Hanif Abdurraqib

Cover of 'Everyone Who Is Gone Here' by Jonathan Blitzer
Everyone Who Is Gone Here

Jonathan Blitzer

Cover of 'Reading Genesis' by Marilynne Robinson
Reading Genesis

Marilynne Robinson

Cover of 'Headshot' by Rita Bullwinkel
Headshot

Rita Bullwinkel

Cover of 'The God Of The Woods' by Liz Moore
The God Of The Woods

Liz Moore

Cover of 'Beautiful Days' by Zach Williams
Beautiful Days

Zach Williams

Cover of 'Martyr!' by Kaveh Akbar
Martyr!

Kaveh Akbar

Cover of 'Memory Piece' by Lisa Ko
Memory Piece

Lisa Ko

Cover of 'The Ministry Of Time' by Kaliane Bradley
The Ministry Of Time

Kaliane Bradley

Cover of 'When The Clock Broke' by John Ganz
When The Clock Broke

John Ganz

Cover of 'Of Boys And Men' by Richard Reeves
Of Boys And Men

Richard Reeves

Cover of 'The Wide Wide Sea' by Hampton Sides
The Wide Wide Sea

Hampton Sides

Cover of 'Help Wanted' by Adelle Waldman
Help Wanted

Adelle Waldman

Cover of 'Poverty, By America' by Matthew Desmond
Poverty, By America

Matthew Desmond

Cover of 'Small Mercies' by Dennis Lehane
Small Mercies

Dennis Lehane

Cover of 'King' by Jonathan Eig
King

Jonathan Eig

Cover of 'Hello Beautiful' by Ann Napolitano
Hello Beautiful

Ann Napolitano

Cover of 'All The Sinners Bleed' by S. A. Cosby
All The Sinners Bleed

S. A. Cosby

Cover of 'Birnam Wood' by Eleanor Catton
Birnam Wood

Eleanor Catton

Cover of 'What Napoleon Could Not Do' by DK Nnuro
What Napoleon Could Not Do

DK Nnuro

Cover of 'The Wager' by David Grann
The Wager

David Grann

Cover of 'Blue Hour' by Tiffany Clarke Harrison
Blue Hour

Tiffany Clarke Harrison

Cover of 'Sea Of Tranquility' by Emily St John Mandel
Sea Of Tranquility

Emily St John Mandel

Cover of 'Why We're Polarized' by Ezra Klein
Why We're Polarized

Ezra Klein

Cover of 'The Candy House' by Jennifer Egan
The Candy House

Jennifer Egan

Cover of 'A Little Devil In America' by Hanif Abdurraqib
A Little Devil In America

Hanif Abdurraqib

Cover of 'To Paradise' by Hanya Yanagihara
To Paradise

Hanya Yanagihara

Cover of 'Silverview' by John le Carré
Silverview

John le Carré

Cover of 'Black Cake' by Charmaine Wilkerson
Black Cake

Charmaine Wilkerson

Cover of 'The Family Chao' by Lan Samantha Chang
The Family Chao

Lan Samantha Chang

Cover of 'Velvet Was The Night' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Velvet Was The Night

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Cover of 'Mouth To Mouth' by Antoine Wilson
Mouth To Mouth

Antoine Wilson

Cover of 'The Great Experiment' by Yascha Mounk
The Great Experiment

Yascha Mounk

Cover of 'The School For Good Mothers' by Jessamine Chan
The School For Good Mothers

Jessamine Chan

Cover of 'Razorblade Tears' by S. A. Cosby
Razorblade Tears

S. A. Cosby

Cover of 'At Night All Blood Is Black' by David Diop
At Night All Blood Is Black

David Diop

Cover of 'Land Of Big Numbers' by Te-Ping Chen
Land Of Big Numbers

Te-Ping Chen

Cover of 'Empire Of Pain' by Patrick Radden Keefe
Empire Of Pain

Patrick Radden Keefe

Cover of 'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir
Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

Cover of 'When We Cease To Understand The World' by Adrian Nathan West, Benjamin Labatut
When We Cease To Understand The World

Adrian Nathan West, Benjamin Labatut

Cover of 'Under A White Sky' by Elizabeth Kolbert
Under A White Sky

Elizabeth Kolbert

Cover of 'Things We Lost To The Water' by Eric Nguyen
Things We Lost To The Water

Eric Nguyen

Cover of 'Leave the World Behind' by Rumaan Alam
Leave the World Behind

Rumaan Alam

Cover of 'Klara And The Sun' by Kazuo Ishiguro
Klara And The Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro

Cover of 'The Sweetness Of Water' by Nathan Harris
The Sweetness Of Water

Nathan Harris

Cover of 'Intimacies' by Katie Kitamura
Intimacies

Katie Kitamura

Cover of 'Homeland Elegies' by Ayad Akhtar
Homeland Elegies

Ayad Akhtar

Cover of 'Jack' by Marilynne Robinson
Jack

Marilynne Robinson

Cover of 'Caste' by Isabel Wilkerson
Caste

Isabel Wilkerson

Cover of 'The Splendid And The Vile' by Erik Larson
The Splendid And The Vile

Erik Larson

Cover of 'Luster' by Raven Leilani
Luster

Raven Leilani

Cover of 'How Much Of These Hills Is Gold' by C Pam Zhang
How Much Of These Hills Is Gold

C Pam Zhang

Cover of 'Long Bright River' by Liz Moore
Long Bright River

Liz Moore

Cover of 'Memorial Drive' by Natasha Trethewey
Memorial Drive

Natasha Trethewey

Cover of 'Twilight Of Democracy' by Anne Applebaum
Twilight Of Democracy

Anne Applebaum

Cover of 'Deacon King Kong' by James McBride
Deacon King Kong

James McBride

Cover of 'The Undocumented Americans' by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
The Undocumented Americans

Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Cover of 'The Vanishing Half' by Brit Bennett
The Vanishing Half

Brit Bennett

Cover of 'The Glass Hotel' by Emily St John Mandel
The Glass Hotel

Emily St John Mandel

Cover of 'Hidden Valley Road' by Robert Kolker
Hidden Valley Road

Robert Kolker

Cover of 'The Ministry For the Future' by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Ministry For the Future

Kim Stanley Robinson

Cover of 'Sharks In The Time Of Saviors' by Kawai Strong Washburn
Sharks In The Time Of Saviors

Kawai Strong Washburn

Cover of 'Missionaries' by Phil Klay
Missionaries

Phil Klay

Cover of 'The Nickel Boys' by Colson Whitehead
The Nickel Boys

Colson Whitehead

Cover of 'Exhalation' by Ted Chiang
Exhalation

Ted Chiang

Cover of 'Wolf Hall' by Hilary Mantel
Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel

Cover of 'Men Without Women' by Haruki Murakami
Men Without Women

Haruki Murakami

Cover of 'American Spy' by Lauren Wilkinson
American Spy

Lauren Wilkinson

Cover of 'The Shallows' by Nicolas Carr
The Shallows

Nicolas Carr

Cover of 'Lab Girl' by Hope Jahren
Lab Girl

Hope Jahren

Cover of 'Inland' by Téa Obreht
Inland

Téa Obreht

Cover of 'How To Read The Air' by Dinaw Mengestu
How To Read The Air

Dinaw Mengestu

Cover of 'Maid' by Stephanie Land
Maid

Stephanie Land

Cover of 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama
Becoming

Michelle Obama

Cover of 'An American Marriage' by Tayari Jones
An American Marriage

Tayari Jones

Cover of 'Americanah' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Americanah

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Cover of 'The Broken Ladder' by Keith Payne
The Broken Ladder

Keith Payne

Cover of 'Educated' by Tara Westover
Educated

Tara Westover

Cover of 'Factfulness' by Hans Rosling
Factfulness

Hans Rosling

Cover of 'Futureface' by Alex Wagner
Futureface

Alex Wagner

Cover of 'A Grain Of Wheat' by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
A Grain Of Wheat

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o

Cover of 'A House for Mr. Biswas' by V. S. Naipaul
A House for Mr. Biswas

V. S. Naipaul

Cover of 'How Democracies Die' by Steven Levitsky
How Democracies Die

Steven Levitsky

Cover of 'In The Shadow Of Statues' by Mitch Landrieu
In The Shadow Of Statues

Mitch Landrieu

Cover of 'Long Walk To Freedom' by Nelson Mandela
Long Walk To Freedom

Nelson Mandela

Cover of 'The New Geography Of Jobs' by Enrico Moretti
The New Geography Of Jobs

Enrico Moretti

Cover of 'The Return' by Hisham Matar
The Return

Hisham Matar

Cover of 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe

Cover of 'Warlight' by Michael Ondaatje
Warlight

Michael Ondaatje

Cover of 'Why Liberalism Failed' by Patrick J. Deneen
Why Liberalism Failed

Patrick J. Deneen

Cover of 'The World As It Is' by Ben Rhodes
The World As It Is

Ben Rhodes

Cover of 'American Prison' by Shane Bauer
American Prison

Shane Bauer

Cover of 'Arthur Ashe: A Life' by Raymond Arsenault
Arthur Ashe: A Life

Raymond Arsenault

Cover of 'Asymmetry' by Lisa Halliday
Asymmetry

Lisa Halliday

Cover of 'Feel Free' by Zadie Smith
Feel Free

Zadie Smith

Cover of 'Florida' by Lauren Groff
Florida

Lauren Groff

Cover of 'Frederick Douglass' by David W. Blight
Frederick Douglass

David W. Blight

Cover of 'Immigrant, Montana' by Amitava Kumar
Immigrant, Montana

Amitava Kumar

Cover of 'The Largesse of the Sea Maiden' by Denis Johnson
The Largesse of the Sea Maiden

Denis Johnson

Cover of 'Life 3.0' by Max Tegmark
Life 3.0

Max Tegmark

Cover of 'There There' by Tommy Orange
There There

Tommy Orange

Cover of 'Washington Black' by Esi Edugyan
Washington Black

Esi Edugyan

Cover of 'The Power' by Naomi Alderman
The Power

Naomi Alderman

Cover of 'Grant' by Ron Chernow
Grant

Ron Chernow

Cover of 'Evicted' by Matthew Desmond
Evicted

Matthew Desmond

Cover of 'Janesville' by Amy Goldstein
Janesville

Amy Goldstein

Cover of 'Exit West' by Mohsin Hamid
Exit West

Mohsin Hamid

Cover of 'Five Carat Soul' by James McBride
Five Carat Soul

James McBride

Cover of 'Anything Is Possible' by Elizabeth Strout
Anything Is Possible

Elizabeth Strout