Tijd voor onze jaarlijkse verlangen dat er in Nederland of Vlaanderen eens een politicus zijn favoriete lijst boeken zou posten. Barack Obama, oud-president van de Verenigde Staten, publiceert twee keer per jaar een reeks aanbevolen boeken. Dit zijn zijn favoriete boeken van deze zomer:

* Mark Twain – Ron Chernow

A comprehensive biography of one of the most important writers and social commentators in American history.

* The Book of Records – Madeleine Thien

A beautiful fable about migration, memory, and the struggle to recognize our common humanity.

* Abundance – Ezra Klein & Derek Thompson

A must-read for progressives who want a blueprint for reforming government so it can deliver for working people.

* King of Ashes – S.A. Cosby

One of my favorite crime fiction writers delivers in this story of family, ambition and corruption in a racially charged and violent South.

* Rosarita – Anita Desai

A short, beautiful novella about a woman’s discovery of her mother’s secret past.

* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter – Stephen Graham Jones
A mash-up of history and horror that explores the brutal legacy of conquest against Native American peoples.

* A Marriage at Sea – Sophie Elmhirst

Amazing true story of a couple surviving crisis in the open seas.

* Audition – Katie Kitamura

A quiet novel about the ways we hide our true selves from others — and ourselves.

* Who is Government? – Michael Lewis

A timely reminder of the quiet dedication and skill of the people who work every day to make this country work.

* The Sirens’ Call – Chris Hayes

A useful primer on how social media and the attention economy have warped our democracy and reshaped our lives.