Former President Barack Obama released his annual summer reading list for 2022. Keep reading to find out what made his list this year!
Barack Obama’s Summer Book List
When some people share their reading list, everybody tunes in. Obama’s lists always tend to be filled with all sorts of unique books. Seeing what he is reading and what books draw him in is a great because not many current or former presidents share their favorite books and music lists.

These lists also help authors and artists get exposed to a new audience that may have not heard of them before. Obama has a big platform and he uses it sparingly. But when he does, everyone tunes in.
“I’ve read a couple of great books this year and wanted to share some of my favorites so far,” Obama wrote on Twitter.
- Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
- Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein
- The Candy House by Jennifer Egan
- A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib
- To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara
- Silverview by John le Carre
- Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
- The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang
- Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson
- The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure by Yascha Mounk
- The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
- Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby
- Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks by Chris Herring
A Diverse List
This list includes the popular novel Sea of Tranquility that has been on many lists of 2022. Seeing it here once again makes me eager to read it soon.
Obama’s list is diverse and includes authors from various countries. Other gems on this list include Velvet by the Night, The Candy House, The Family Chao, and Why We’re Polarized.
I’ve read a couple of great books this year and wanted to share some of my favorites so far. What have you been reading this summer? pic.twitter.com/K8bnTnmNaG
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 26, 2022
Conclusion
What do you make of Obama’s Summer Reading List 2022? Which books stood out to you the most and you would like to read?
Barack Obama shows his class yet again by including John le Carré’s Silverview in his favourite books. Maybe next year he should include Bill Fairclough’s epic fact based spy novel Beyond Enkription in TheBurlingtonFiles series. After all, Bill’s MI6 handler knew Kim Philby and Kim Philby ended John le Carré’s MI6 career. No wonder John le Carré turned down Bill Fairclough’s offer in 2014 to collaborate on the action packed factual Burlington Files series! David Cornwell responded along the lines of “Why should I? I’ve got by so far without collaboration so why bother now?” A realistic response from a famous expert in fiction!
I’ve read four so far! I love that he leans so heavily into fiction and I’d honestly read anything on this list.