President Obama’s favorite books of the summer

It's time for one of our favorite traditions: President Obama's 2025 list of top summer picks! Explore the literature that resonated with President Obama this season.

President Obama’s summer reading list is here, highlighting his top picks—from novellas to history to horror. Explore his picks and find new additions for your next great read.

Mark Twain

by Ron Chernow
"A comprehensive biography of one of the most important writers and social commentators in American history."
The Book of Records

by Madeleine Thien
"A beautiful fable about migration, memory, and the struggle to recognize our common humanity."
Abundance

by Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson
"A must-read for progressives who want a blueprint for reforming government so it can deliver for working people."
King of Ashes

by S.A. Cosby
"One of my favorite crime fiction writers delivers in this story of family, ambition and corruption in a racially charged and violent South."
Rosarita

by Anita Desai
"A short, beautiful novella about a woman’s discovery of her mother’s secret past."
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

by Stephen Graham Jones
"A mash-up of history and horror that explores the brutal legacy of conquest against Native American peoples."
A Marriage at Sea

by Sophie Elmhirst
"Amazing true story of a couple surviving crisis in the open seas."
Audition

by Katie Kitamura
"A quiet novel about the ways we hide our true selves from others — and ourselves."
Who is Government?

by Michael Lewis
"A timely reminder of the quiet dedication and skill of the people who work every day to make this country work."
The Sirens’ Call

by Chris Hayes
"A useful primer on how social media and the attention economy have warped our democracy and reshaped our lives."