Barack Obama reveals summer 2023 reading list, supports anti-book ban initiatives

Barack Obama has shared what he’s reading this season.

The former president and bestselling author continued his annual tradition of giving book recommendations with the release of his eagerly anticipated summer reading list.

Among them are “The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder,” David Grann’s new nonfiction book about an 18th-century shipwreck ― which is on Amazon’s list of the best books of the year (so far) ― and Jonathan Eig’s new biography of Martin Luther King Jr., “King: A Life.”

New Zealand novelist Eleanor Catton’s psychological thriller “Birnam Wood” and Tiffany Clarke Harrison’s debut novel, “Blue Hour,” also made the cut.

Another Obama pick may have been influenced by his close friend Oprah Winfrey. New Jersey author Ann Napolitano’s “Hello Beautiful,” inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s classic “Little Women,” was chosen as the 100th novel to be included in Oprah’s Book Club.

“I’m telling you, once you start, you won’t want it to end ... and be prepared for tears” the mogul said of the Chicago-set book about four tight-knit sisters and the messy man who marries into their family.

Obama, who also released his 2023 music playlist on Thursday, used his reading list to shine light on The Banned Book Club ― the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) initiative fighting censorship of books in schools across America by giving readers access to e-books that have been banned.

While supporting another pro-literacy effort earlier this week, he described the banning of books as “profoundly misguided.”

“Some of the books that shaped my life ― and the lives of so many others ― are being challenged by people who disagree with certain ideas or perspectives,” he wrote. “It’s no coincidence that these ‘banned books’ are often written by or feature people of color, indigenous people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.”