My 2023 Summer Reading & Music Lists

Barack Obama
3 min readJul 20, 2023

Summer Reading List

Here’s some books that I’m reading this summer. Check them out and let me know what I should be reading next.

  • Poverty, by America — Matthew Desmond
  • Small Mercies — Dennis Lehane
  • King: A Life — Jonathan Eig
  • Hello Beautiful — Ann Napolitano
  • All the Sinners Bleed — S.A. Cosby
  • Birnam Wood — Eleanor Catton
  • What Napoleon Could Not Do — DK Nnuro
  • The Wager — David Grann
  • Blue Hour — Tiffany Clarke Harrison

With so many books being banned across the country, the Digital Public Library of America has launched The Banned Book Club to give readers access to e-books that have been banned. Learn more at TheBannedBookClub.info.

Summer Music Playlist

Like I do every year, here are some songs I’ve been listening to this summer — a mix of old and new. Look forward to hearing what I’ve missed.

  • Who Told You — J Hus ft. Drake
  • Snooze — SZA
  • I’ll Stand By You — The Pretenders
  • VAMPIROS — Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro
  • Fast Car — Luke Combs
  • California Love — 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman
  • Dance Me to the End of Love (Live) — Leonard Cohen
  • Nowhere to Run — Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
  • PARABOLIC! — nobigdyl.
  • Try Me — Jorja Smith
  • Sittin’ On Top Of The World — Burna Boy ft. 21 Savage
  • Got ’Til It’s Gone — Janet Jackson
  • Penas con Pan ­– La Doña
  • Walk Like An Egyptian — The Bangles
  • Watching the Credits — The Beths
  • Only Have Eyes 42 — Janelle Monáe
  • Ain’t No Harmin’ Me — The War and Treaty
  • Soul Survivor — The Rolling Stones
  • Dr. Feelgood (Love Is A Serious Business) — Aretha Franklin
  • Blue Train — John Coltrane
  • Princess Diana — Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj
  • Funky Kingston — Toots & The Maytals
  • Unchained Melody — The Righteous Brothers
  • Golden Lady — Stevie Wonder
  • Doctor My Eyes — Jackson Browne
  • Sability — Ayra Starr
  • Not Strong Enough — boygenius
  • (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay — Otis Redding
  • Everything is Broken — Bob Dylan
  • Cry Me A River — Ella Fitzgerald
  • La Bebe (Remix) — Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma
  • Drums — Money Man & Babyface Ray
  • The World Is Yours — Nas
  • Reach Out I’ll Be There — Four Tops
  • Just Breathe — Pearl Jam
  • Tempted — J’calm
  • Contact — Kelela
  • Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) — Marvin Gaye
  • River Deep — Mountain High — Ike & Tina Turner
  • The Devil I Know — Ashley McBryde
  • Love & Hate — Michael Kiwanuka

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Barack Obama
Barack Obama

Written by Barack Obama

Dad, husband, President, citizen.

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