Just because it’s already the middle of August (where did the time go?!) doesn’t mean it’s too late to get started on your summer reading list. But with so many new books released this year, how are you ever going to pick which one to read first? Thankfully, former President Barack Obama is here to help.
Obama just released his summer book list on Instagram, and it once again shows that he’s got impeccable taste in reading material.
“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 wrote. “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. And while I’m at it, here are a few more titles you might want to explore.”
You truly can’t go wrong with any of the books listed on Obama’s list. EW already included Exhalation, by Ted Chiang, on our 10 best books of 2019 (so far) list. Read our review of Hope Jahren’s Lab Girl. Check out all the artistic works that Lauren Wilkinson was influenced by for American Spy in our interview here. Colson Whitehead broke down his new book The Nickel Boys for us here. And Wolf Hall’s Hilary Mantel shared her favorite reads ahead of the release of her latest book, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher.
Check out Obama’s full list below.
Related content:
Every book Barack Obama recommended during (and after) his presidency
The 10 best books of 2019…so far