President Obama’s favorite books and music of the summer

Check out President Obama’s summer list of top picks: books and music.

President Obama smiles in front of a blurred blue background. He is wearing a suit jacket and blue shirt.

It's time for one of our favorite traditions: President Obama's 2024 list of top summer picks! From books to music, explore the art that resonated with President Obama this season.

Summer reading list

A graphic reads, “2024 Barack Obama summer reading list” and features eight titles. In the background are the colors orange, red, blue, and purple.
James

Percival Everett

There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension

Hanif Abdurraqib

Everyone Who Is Gone Here

Jonathan Blitzer

Reading Genesis

Marilynne Robinson

Headshot

Rita Bullwinkel

The God of the Woods

Liz Moore 

Beautiful Days

Zach Williams 

Martyr!

Kaveh Akbar

Memory Piece

Lisa Ko 

The Ministry of Time

Kaliane Bradley

When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s

John Ganz

Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It

Richard Reeves

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

Hampton Sides

Help Wanted

Adelle Waldman

Summer playlist

A graphic reads, “2024 Barack Obama summer playlist” and features 23 titles. In the background are the colors orange, red, blue, and purple.
A graphic reads, “2024 Barack Obama summer playlist” and features 21 titles. In the background are the colors orange, red, blue, and purple.
A Bar Song (Tipsy)

Shaboozey

365

Charli XCX

CHIHIRO

Billie Eilish

Love Me JeJe

Tems

I like the way you kiss me

Artemas

MILLION DOLLAR BABY

Tommy Richman

I Can’t Even Cry

Hope Tala

No Diggity

Blackstreet ft. Dr. Dre & Queen Pen

Charge It

ENNY

O Quarto (Soundtrack Version)

Carminho

What’s In the Tea?

Calimossa

I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love

Hubert Sumlin & Keith Richards

Say So

PJ Morton ft. Jojo

Why Don’t You

Cleo Sol

You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me

The Miracles

Process

H.E.R.

How Do U Want It

2Pac ft. K-Ci & JoJo

If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

Sting

Unsuffer Me

Lucinda Williams

Golden

Jill Scott

(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Mono)

The Rolling Stones

My Best

Saweetie 

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting

Charles Mingus

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

The People

Common

Don’t Cry Baby

Etta James

BAD BOY

Chris Jedi, Gaby Music & Dei V ft. Anuel AA & Ozuna

YAYO

Rema

Old Dutch

Bonny Light Horseman

symptom of life

WILLOW

WHISKEY WHISKEY

Moneybagg Yo ft. Morgan Wallen

Stargazing

Myles Smith

Wanna Be

GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion

Jump

Tyla, Gunna & Skillibeng

PERRO NEGRO

Bad Bunny & Feid

Lil Boo Thang

Paul Russell

Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)

Digable Planets

Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)

Bob Marley and the Wailers

One of These Things First

Nick Drake

Silvio

Bob Dylan

Love Is Everywhere

Pharoah Sanders

Where Did Our Love Go

The Supremes

Texas Hold ‘Em

Beyoncé

Someone to Watch Over Me

Samara Joy ft. Pasquale Grasso

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Explore President Obama’s previous picks

A white graphic with a multicolored blue-green border reads “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; The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff; Humanly Possible by Sarah Bakewell; King: A Life by Jonathan Eigh; 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; and This Other Eden by Paul Harding.”
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