It’s no secret thatBarack Obamais a big reader. It has become a tradition for the former president to publish an annual list of his favorite new books. He shared his most recentmid-year listin July and has recommended dozens of great reads over the years, including insightful non-fiction books likeThe Great ExperimentbyYascha MounkandPatrick Keefe’sSay Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.
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But Obama has excellent taste when it comes to novels. His recommendations include some of the most entertaining and moving works of fiction of the last decade. These books range from historical epics in WWII-era Japan to family dramas in Kansas in the ’90s. Obama’s favorites are realistic character portraits with harsh but life-affirming narratives.
‘Pachinko’ by Min Jin Lee (2017)
Pachinkois a historical novel byMin Jin Leeand the basis for theApple TV seriesstarringYoun Yuh-jungandJin Ha. It follows a Korean immigrant family in Japan between 1910 and 1989. It’s a perceptive peek into their struggles to make a life in their new land as World War II, and other historical events turn the region upside down.
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The title refers to the Japanese gambling game characters play, where much is left to chance. It also describes the characters themselves, whose lives are shaped by the big historical forces at work around them. Obama includedPachinkoamong his favorites of that year,calling it"a powerful story about resilience and compassion."
‘Intimacies’ by Katie Kitamura (2021)
The latest book by novelist and art criticKatie Kitamurafollows an unnamed woman who works as an interpreter at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. She is tasked with translating for the former president of an African country standing trial for war crimes. Kitamura was inspired by the prosecution of Ivorian politicianLaurent Gbagbo, which she attended.
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The main character’s personal life is complicated too. She pursues a relationship with a married man and befriends the sister of the victim of a senseless crime. Soon the complexities of her situation threaten to overwhelm her.Intimaciesis an excellent exploration of the power and pitfalls of language. It’s similar toThe IdiotbyElif Batumanin that both books examine what words can mean—and not mean.
‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ by Amor Towles (2019)
Moscow, 1922: the new Bolshevik government sentences Count Alexander Rostov to house arrest in the Metropol hotel. The book follows Rostov’s days confined to the hotel as momentous events roil Russia outside. Rostov tries to adjust to his new world, with only the other inhabitants of the hotel for company. Things change again when he unexpectedly finds himself looking after a young girl named Sofia.
A Gentleman in Moscowis a charming, moving story by the author ofRules of Civilityand last year’sThe Lincoln Highway. Rostov’s conversations with Sofia and her mother, Nina, are incredibly witty, and the prose is always engaging. It’sAmor Towles' most purely enjoyable work, with an almostWes Anderson-esque quirkiness to the material.
‘All the Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doerr (2014)
This historical novel tells the story of Marie-Laure and Werner, a blind French girl and a German boy who meet in Nazi-occupied France. Marie-Laure inherits a gem that her father was entrusted with protecting and later joins the Resistance. Meanwhile, Werner develops a talent for electronics and is tasked with intercepting the Resistance’s radio communications. The novel alternates between their stories, building up to the Battle of Saint-Malo.
All the Light We Cannot Seeis a big, warm-hearted story that’ll appeal to fans ofThe Book ThiefbyMark ZuzakorThe Boy in the Striped PajamasbyJohn Boyne. It spent more than 200 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and won the Pulitzer Prize. A Netflix seriesis in production, withAria Mia Loberti,Mark Ruffalo,andHugh Laurieset to star.
‘The Topeka School’ by Ben Lerner (2019)
Topeka, Kansas, 1997: Adam Gordon is a senior in high school preparing for a major debate competition. At the same time, he deals with his well-meaning but frustrating psychologist parents and his complicated relationship with his girlfriend Amber. It’s afascinating character studyand coming-of-age story which explores several contemporary issues despite the retro setting.
Ben Lernerpaints a vivid picture of Kansas in the ’90s, perfect for readers in search of some nostalgia. His previous novel,10:04, about a writer diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition, is also worth checking out.
‘Exit West’ by Mohsin Hamid (2019)
Exit Westfollows two refugees, Saeed and Nadia, who flee a civil war via a series of magical doors. It’s a love story, a work of magical realism, and a commentary on the Syrian civil war and similar conflicts that have profoundly affected millions of people in recent years.
Hamid’s other novels,The Reluctant FundamentalistandHow to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia,are also great, butExit Westmight be the most moving. The Obamas' production company, Higher Ground, isset to adaptthe book for Netflix.
‘Anything is Possible’ by Elizabeth Strout (2017)
Anything is Possibleis a collection of stories set in the fictional rural town of Amgash, Illinois, the setting ofElizabeth Strout’s novelsMy Name is Lucy BartonandOh, William!Like the other Amgash novels,Anything is Possiblefeatures realistic characters grappling with complicated relationships and other challenges.
As one would expect from Strout,Anything is Possibleexplores challenging subject matter like loss, grief, and guilt, but ultimately the stories are optimistic. Another book in the series,Lucy By the Sea, is set to be publishedin late September.
‘The Orphan Master’s Son’ by Adam Johnson (2012)
Adam Johnson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning portrait of life in North Korea gives a limited but enlightening peek at one of the world’s most repressive dictatorships. The novel follows Jun Do, an orphan conscripted into the military at fourteen, as he struggles to survive in the bleak environment.
North Korea is notoriously sealed-off, so stories of life there are hard to come by (aside from propaganda, that is). But Johnson’s novel does a great job of adding detail based on extensive research. It makes for a harrowing and engaging tale.
‘Lost Children Archive’ by Valeria Luiselli (2019)
Lost Children Archiveis the most recent book byValeria Luiselli, a Mexican author living in the United States. It follows a family on a road trip from Virginia to Tennessee to Oklahoma to Texas, where the father intends to record a project on the Apache. Their journey brings them face-to-face with the immigration crisis at the southern border.
The novel is a great companion piece to Luiselli’s 2017’s nonfiction bookTell Me How It Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions, which explores the lives of migrant children brought to the US. Both books draw on Luiselli’s experiences as an interpreter for young migrants from Central America.
‘Trust Exercise’ by Susan Choi (2020)
Trust Exerciseis set at an elite performing arts high school in the 1980s, where two freshmen, David and Sarah, fall in love. They begin apassionate, larger-than-life romancethat threatens to blow up their lives—and those of many around them.
Trust Exerciseis especially relatable for anyone who was a theater geek in school. The characters' discussions about life and art feel real, as do their struggles outside school. The book is also stylistically daring, with an unusual structure and a twist worthy of a thriller. It went on to win the National Book Award for good reason.
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