Every year, President Barack Obama releases a list of 10 books he suggests you read. This year, a few travel-related novels made the list.
“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 on social media. Of course, the full collection of work from the late Toni Morrison was at the top of his recommended reading.
Here are 10 more suggested reads from Barack Obama and what he had to say about them. Inland and How To Read The Air are great travel novels to add to your collection.
Inland by Téa Obreht
“Inland by Téa Obreht just came out yesterday, so I won’t spoil anything. But those of you who’ve been waiting for Obreht’s next novel won’t be disappointed.”
How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu
“You’ll get a better sense of the complexity and redemption within the American immigrant story with Dinaw Mengestu’s novel, How to Read the Air.”
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
“Sometimes difficult to swallow, The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead is a necessary read, detailing the way Jim Crow and mass incarceration tore apart lives and wrought consequences that ripple into today.”
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
“Exhalation by Ted Chiang is a collection of short stories that will make you think, grapple with big questions, and feel more human. The best kind of science fiction.”
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
“Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel’s epic fictionalized look at Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power, came out in 2009, but I was a little busy back then, so I missed it. Still great today.”
Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
“Haruki Murakami’s Men Without Women examines what happens to characters without important women in their lives; it’ll move you and confuse you and sometimes leave you with more questions than answers.”
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
“American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson is a whole lot more than just a spy thriller, wrapping together the ties of family, of love, and of country.”
The Shallows by Nicholas Carr
“The Shallows by Nicholas Carr came out a few years ago, but its arguments on the internet’s impact on our brains, our lives, and our communities are still worthy of reflection, which is something we all could use a little more of in this age.”
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
“Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is a beautifully written memoir about the life of a woman in science, a brilliant friendship, and the profundity of trees. Terrific.”
Maid by Stephanie Land
Maid by Stephanie Land is a single mother’s personal, unflinching look at America’s class divide, a description of the tightrope many families walk just to get by, and a reminder of the dignity of all work.
