
Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2023
Every year, former President Barack Obama shared his favorite reads of the year, which are always an interesting mix of fiction and nonfiction. He also mentioned that his lists of his favorite movies and music of the year will be out soon. This year’s selections include award-winning literary fiction, history books, a memoir, and more.
Barack Obama’s Favorite Books of 2023:
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
The Wager by David Grann
Chip War by Chris Miller
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Humanly Possible by Sarah Bakewell
King: A Life by Jonathan Eig
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
The Best Minds by Jonathan Rosen
All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory by Tim Alberta
Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista
This Other Eden by Paul Harding
Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.
More breaking news here
- Mariann Edgar Budde—the Bishop Criticized by Trump—Has 2 Books for Young Readers Coming Out
- VAMPIRE DIARIES Author L.J. Smith Has Died
- The Winners of the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Awards Are Here
- The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
- The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week
- The Best Books to Read This Spring, According to the New York Times
- Here Are This Year’s Nebula Awards Finalists
- The Bestselling Books of the Week, According to All the Lists
- Canada Reads Queer Books—And More LGBTQ Links
- The Biggest Books of March, According to Libby