These Were Barack Obama’s Favorite Books, Movies of 2019

Barack Obama shops for books in Washington, D.C (via Pete Souza/The White House)

The nation’s dad, Barack Obama over the weekend revealed his favorite books, films, and TV shows of 2019.

What began as a White House ritual in 2015 has continued post-presidency, offering the country (and the world) insight into the former Commander in Chief’s cultural life.

“This has become a fun little tradition for me, and I hope it is for you, too,” Obama wrote in an Instagram caption.

This year’s books—a list of 19 fiction and non-fiction titles—range from subjects of the East India Company and Native America to feminism and football.

Among his favorites are “Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee” by Casey Cep; Booker Prize 2019 winner “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernardine Evaristo; “Normal People” by Sally Rooney; “The Yellow House” by Sarah M. Broom; “Solitary” by Albert Woodfox; “We Live in Water: Stories” by Jess Walter; and “A Different Way to Win: Dan Rooney’s Story from the Super Bowl to the Rooney Rule” by Jim Rooney.

(I straight up giggled with joy when I realised Barack Obama and I read the same book this year: Irish phenom Sally Rooney’s second novel, “Normal People,” about young love.)

Obama also included 19 more books he recommended earlier this year.

His top 18 movies of 2019 is slightly more relatable, with wide releases like Booksmart, Ford v Ferrari, and Little Women, as well as Netflix hits The Irishman and Marriage Story.

“Of course, there’s also American Factory, a film from our own production company, Higher Ground, that was recently shortlisted for an Oscar,” Obama boasted.

I very highly recommend Fleabag and Unbelievable—two of his “TV shows that I considered as powerful as movies.”

How the man manages his regular personal and civil commitments—not to mention producing for films, television shows, and podcasts—and finds enough time to read a 691-page essay on the East India Company and watch Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour-long love letter to the mob is beyond me.

“Because while each of us has plenty that keeps us busy—work and family life, social and volunteer commitments—outlets like literature and art can enhance our day-to-day experiences,” Obama said.

“They’re the fabric that helps make up a life,” he continued. “The album that lifts us up after a long day, the dog-eared paperback we grab off the shelf to give to a friend, the movie that makes us think and feel in a new way, works that simply help us escape for a bit.”

We’re still waiting to see what tops the former President’s list of the best music from 2019. Keep an eye on his social media for the big reveal.

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