Former President Obama Releases Diverse 2025 Summer Reading List

In the summer of 2025, President Barack Obama continued his tradition of sharing a thoughtfully curated reading list that blends history, fiction, and social analysis. His selections include Ron Chernow’s comprehensive biography of Mark Twain, praised for illuminating the life of the iconic American writer and social critic. Other notable books on the list explore themes of memory, identity, inequality, and government reform, such as Madeleine Thien’s lyrical novel The Book of Records and Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, which critiques modern liberal governance. Obama’s list also features a gripping thriller by Stephen Graham Jones and other diverse works that reflect current social and cultural issues. Additionally, Obama announced the upcoming opening of a new branch of the Chicago Public Library at the Obama Presidential Center, underscoring his ongoing commitment to literacy and public access to books. This summer’s reading choices demonstrate Obama’s engagement with complex narratives that resonate with contemporary challenges and his encouragement for readers to explore both acclaimed and lesser-known works.