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Michelle Obama's Reading List

Former First Lady of the United States and bestselling author of Becoming and The Light We Carry. Frequent reader and book recommender; named her favorites in The New York Times "By the Book" feature.

Michelle Obama — By the Book (NYT) (2018)

Books Michelle Obama named in her NYT By the Book interview (Nov 11 2018).

Source: www.nytimes.com

Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison · 1977 · Buy on Amazon

"I've now read this book three times."

Exit West

Mohsin Hamid · 2017 · Buy on Amazon

"On her nightstand."

White Teeth

Zadie Smith · 2000 · Buy on Amazon

"I love the way the story weaves together so many complex and powerful forces."

Commonwealth

Ann Patchett · 2016 · Buy on Amazon

"On her nightstand."

An American Marriage

Tayari Jones · 2018 · Buy on Amazon

"On her nightstand."

Educated

Tara Westover · 2018 · Buy on Amazon

"An engrossing read, a fresh perspective on the power of an education."

Conversations With Myself

Nelson Mandela · 2010 · Buy on Amazon

"I like to flip through it from time to time because it always seems to give me what I need."

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck · 1939 · Buy on Amazon

"I reread this book with the girls, too."

The Snowy Day

Ezra Jack Keats · 1962 · Buy on Amazon

"About a boy who happened to be black and who happened to live in the city."

Life of Pi

Yann Martel · 2001 · Buy on Amazon

"I reread this book with the girls, too."

Pippi Longstocking

Astrid Lindgren · 1945 · Buy on Amazon

"What I loved most about the main character was that she was a girl — strong, fearless, fun."

By the Book: Michelle Obama (2018)

NYT By the Book column (2018-12-06).

Source: www.nytimes.com

Educated

Tara Westover · 2018 · Buy on Amazon

"I actually just finished it, and it is as phenomenal as he — and everyone else — says it is. It's an engrossing read, a fresh perspective on the power of an education."

White Teeth

Zadie Smith · 2000 · Buy on Amazon

"I love the way the story weaves together so many complex and powerful forces that affect our lives and our relationships — family and parenting, religion and politics, and so much more. Plus, it's just plain funny."

Conversations With Myself

Nelson Mandela · 2010 · Buy on Amazon

"I like to flip through it from time to time because it always seems to give me an extra boost when I need it."

Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison · 1977 · Buy on Amazon

"I've now read Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon three times."

The Grapes of Wrath

Unknown · Buy on Amazon

"I reread The Grapes of Wrath and Life of Pi with the girls, too."

Life of Pi

Unknown · Buy on Amazon

"I reread The Grapes of Wrath and Life of Pi with the girls, too."

The Snowy Day

Ezra Jack Keats · 1962 · Buy on Amazon

"One of our favorites was The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. It's a simple story about the adventures of a boy on a snowy day."

Favorite books (2019)

Favorite books recommended by Michelle Obama, as compiled by radicalreads.com. Source article: https://radicalreads.com/michelle-obama-favorite-books/.

Source: radicalreads.com

Life of Pi

Yann Martel · 2001 · Buy on Amazon

Song of Solomon

Toni Morrison · 1977 · Buy on Amazon

"That book helped me love reading, because before then, reading was kind of like something you did when you had to do it. But that book, it like grabbed me and pulled me and I just kept reading and kept reading."

Where the Wild Things Are

Maurice Sendak · Buy on Amazon

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