Rare Contributor
Former President Barack Obama shared a list of books he read and songs he listened to in 2017 in a Facebook post Sunday, saying that he wanted to “lift up authors and artists from around the world.”
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“During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists,” Obama started his post.
“It was a nice way to reflect on the works that resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from around the world,” he continued.
Obama joked that since he had “extra” time on his hands to “catch up,” he wanted to share some of the books and music he enjoyed.
Books on his reading list included “The Power” by Naomi Alderman, “Grant” by Ron Chernow, “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City” by Matthew Desmond, “Anything Is Possible” by Elizabeth Strout, “Dying: A Memoir” by Cory Taylor, “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles, and “Sing, Unburied, Sing” by Jesmyn Ward.
Some of his music choices he shared were selections from Chance the Rapper, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, U2, and surprisingly, Harry Styles.
He also added a bonus selection at the bottom of his post, writing, “Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen (not out yet, but the blues version in his Broadway show is the best!).”
This isn’t the first time Obama has shared his playlist or reading list. Obama started sharing parts of his playlist as far back as 2008 when he was the Democratic presidential candidate and has continued to share different playlists throughout his years in the White House.
